Marmalade Vanished
“Natasha, are you home?” Oliver burst into the flat and froze when he saw his wife in the hallway. She was crouched on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. “I couldnt understand a word you said on the phone. You were crying so hardthen the battery died. Whats happened? You look like youve seen a ghost.”
“Marmalades gone,” Natasha barely managed to whisper. “Hes not here.”
“Gone?!” Olivers voice cracked. “Where could he have gone? Are you sure hes not hiding somewhere?”
“No. Your sister Victoria She said he slipped out into the hallway when she took little Ethan out for a walk. But Oliver, you know Marmaladehed never run out on his own. Why would he? After what happened to him out there? I think she let him out on purpose.”
“What?!” Olivers fists clenched. “Where is she? Wheres Victoria now?”
“She said she was going to the shops I dont know. Ive looked everywhere, but hes just gone. No ones seen him. How could anyone be so cruel, Oliver? To throw a helpless creature out into the cold. In winter. What kind of person does that?”
“Most people wouldnt. But Victoria Victoria would. Shes done it before. Dont worryshe wont set foot in this flat again. And Ill find Marmalade.”
***
A month earlier
Oliver was walking to the bus stop when he spotted something grey under a layer of frost.
At first, he thought it was just a stone. But stones didnt tremble like old washing machines on spin cycle.
Curiosity got the better of him, and he stepped off the path. Only then did he realiseit wasnt a stone. It was a tiny grey kitten.
“Well, well,” Oliver murmured, scratching his head. “What are you doing here, little one?”
A rhetorical question. Any fool could see what a house pet was doing on the streetstrying not to die.
The kitten wasnt mewing. Wasnt calling for help. Just lying there, shivering.
As if it had already accepted no one cared.
Oliver scooped it up, brushing snow from its fur, then tucked it under his coat and sprinted for the bus.
On the way home, he remembered Natasha had always wanted a kittengrey and stripedbut theyd never found the time to visit a shelter.
Now fate had dropped one at his feet. And when fate gives, you take.
“Natasha, Ive got a surprise for you,” he announced as he walked in.
“Oh, youve been spoiling me lately,” she laughed, stepping into the hall. “First those gold earrings, then that phone Id been dreaming of, now cinema tickets. What is it this time? A ski trip?”
“Better!” Oliver beamed, unzipping his coat. “Look! Found him outside. Thought you might like a grey-striped one?”
“Oh my God,” Natasha gasped. “Hes freezing, poor thing. Give him hereIll warm him up. You get washed up; dinners ready.”
She cradled the kitten, smiling. “Hes beautiful.”
And so Marmalade came into their lives. Theyd debated namesTom, Felixbut settled on the obvious.
“I think Marmalade suits him better than something posh.”
“Agreed, love.”
It happened in late November, just as the first snow fell. The kitten never knew the horrors of winter streetsthank God. Many didnt survive it.
In two weeks, Oliver and Natasha were smitten.
Notheyd loved him from day one. But each day, it grew deeper.
The kitten loved them back. Good people. The kind who wouldnt hurt him, wouldnt abandon him like his first owners had. He felt safe.
Even when he knocked things off shelves, they didnt scold himjust asked him to be careful.
“I will!” hed meow, before immediately leaping onto the dresser to bat the TV remote onto the floor for the tenth time that day.
Life was perfect.
Until the knock came.
“Whod visit on a Sunday morning?” Oliver rubbed his eyes, squinting at the clockhalf six. Still dark outside.
“Neighbours, maybe?” Natasha mumbled. “Something wrong?”
“Ill check.”
When Oliver opened the door, his sister Victoria stood therewith five-year-old Ethan in tow.
“Hello, brother,” she smiled. “Weve come to visit. Dont mind, do you?”
“Actually”
“Oh, I know, I shouldve called. But its an emergency. Couldnt wait. Let us in? And help with the suitcasedragging it up four flights nearly killed me.”
Oliver let them in. But the suitcase bothered him. People didnt bring luggage for a visit.
“Something wrong?”
“Isnt it obvious?” she countered. “My husband kicked me out. Found himself a new woman. Nowhere else to go. Mind if we stay a bit? Till I figure things out. Spend New Years togetherwouldnt that be nice? Been years since we talked.”
“You know why we dont talk.”
“Oh, dont dredge up the past. Water under the bridge, yeah? People make mistakes.”
Oliver bit his tongue.
No point starting the day with a row. Natasha wouldnt approvenot with Victoria freshly dumped.
But his sister had earned every grudge.
Five years ago, their father died. Hed left a spacious three-bed flatequal shares to Oliver and Victoria.
Back then, Victoria was pregnant (by whom, still a mystery). With their mothers backing, shed begged Oliver to sign over his share.
“Youre a man, youll manage. Ive got a baby comingI need the space.”
Oliver agreed. He was in student digscould always get a mortgage.
Then Victoria sold the flat and moved in with some new bloke”Vals got a business to grow.”
Not a penny came Olivers way.
Their mother stayed out of it. “Sort it yourselves.”
Just like when they were kids.
Ten-year-old Oliver had once brought home a stray kitten. It vanished soon after.
He never suspected their mothershed allowed it. But Victorias eyes gave her away when he confronted her.
“Where is he? Tell me!”
She never confessed. But when a second kitten disappeared, Oliver stopped bringing pets home.
No surprise their relationship soured.
Now here she was, suitcase in hand.
“Oliver, where else can she go?” Natasha sighed. “Let her stay a bit. Its nearly New Yearmaybe youll patch things up.”
“Fine. But not a day longer than needed.”
Something told him this wouldnt end well.
It didnt.
By the next day, Victoria was complaining. Marmalade kept her awake, lounged on “her” sofa, looked at her “funny.”
Then Ethan developed a sniffle.
“Its the cat. Hes allergic.”
“Or hes caught a cold,” Oliver countered. “Marmalades family.”
“Dont be daft,” Victoria snorted. “‘Family.’ Grow up. How does Natasha put up with you dragging strays home?”
“Natasha loves animals. Unlike you. Whatve they ever done to you?”
“Ruined my sleep. Ethans stressed. Youd understand if you had kids.”
Oliver went quiet.
Children were a sore point. He and Natasha had been trying for years. Doctors couldnt explain it. Victoria knewtheir mother had told her. And shed jabbed right at the wound.
“Give the cat to a shelter. Ethans your nephewIm your sister. Were blood. That things just an animal.”
“Are you hearing yourself? Marmalade lives hereyou dont. Dont like it? Leave.”
“Give your own kid to a shelter then,” he nearly said. Stopped himselfno need for nuclear war.
Victoria simmered downbut kept hating Marmalade in silence. When alone, shed chase him into corners.
The cat retaliatedknocked her phone down, snagged her favourite jumper.
“Your cats ruining my things! Cant you train him? Ethan would never misbehave like this.”
She didnt mention Ethan yanking Marmalades tail or stealing his toy mouse (stashing it in her suitcasetheft, plain and simple).
“Listen,” Oliver said coldly. “Youre a guest here. Touch my cat again, and youre out.”
“Fine, keep your knickers on.”
Then, on New Years Eve, Natasha called Oliver, hysterical. He couldnt make out a wordjust knew it was bad. Left work early.
“Natasha, are you?” He froze in the doorway. She was curled up
