Hello Jess. What are you doing on this wall? Oh, her fur - so warm, so soft, so very, very soft. Oooh! I want to nuzzle you. She purrs. I lower my head to touch her soft fur. But her eyes are narrowing. Don’t you look at me like that you stupid cat! I stretch out to cuff her, but she’s too quick. Gone. She’s gone. Stupid cat!  But she won’t understand. They don’t. There's too many of these little mousers around. Too many. Vermin. They’re vermin. That’s what they are. Dangerous. Not like dogs. I have a dog. I wonder what I shall call him?

There’s a door and it’s open, ajar. Tell me, when is a door not a door? When it’s a jar! He he. But there’s a light in it. It can’t have a light in it. No such thing as a light in a door. Even I know that …  Oh  … Silly me! It’s not a light, it's a sheen. It’s a shee-een in the moonlight, a silvery sheen in the moonlight … By the light do de do do de dum, Of the silvery moon, dum de do, dum de do, I want to spoon ... And then I'll croon love's tune dee dee dum de dee dum. Your silvery beams dum dee dum dee dee dum, will bring … Oh, what will they bring? I don’t remember… She loved that song. Oh Janet! Why did you have to leave us?

But the sheen … maybe - maybe the sheen doesn’t come from the moonlight. I’ll take a closer look. Oh no! A shadow’s gone over it. Ahh!

Shhh! There’s a squeaky creak. I push the door wider. I’m inside the house - in the hallway.

It’s dark. There’s someone there! There’s a blur. Gone. No. He’s back. Oh. Ohhh. It’s a mirror. I love that mirror. I love its gold curly leaves and twisty vines. There’s Mother and Father and me and we are all in the mirror and I’m putting my new school cap on. And father says, “Off to your big school now, young man. And when you get back tonight we’ll have the new puppy! What are you going to call him?”

Another door. I know this one. Not even a squeak. But it’s dark. Will someone switch the lights on? Please? I can’t see! Where’s the thingemebob - the switch? … Ow. Ow. Someone’s hit me. Oh - it’s only a chair. It’s - my chair - my special Christmas chair. Hello. 

Oh, that’s good. I am sinking in my new chair, my Christmas chair. Oh yes. “Sit down, Dad, and just enjoy your Christmas Day in your new chair.” It is my Christmas Day and Jane and the family are all here with Janet and me. Little Jem has his new teddy and Jane is dancing and the others are laughing and they are all pretending to dance. "Have another mince pie, Dad." Don't mind if I do. And they're all pretending to dance and I'm joining in with a hand jive. “Come on Dad, up you and Mum get! Join us!” No. Most regretfully we oldies must decline your kind invitation. I shall dance in my chair, my new Christmas chair. But thank you for your most generous offer, my dears. "Oh Dad!" And they're all laughing and dancing ...

But I'm cold here now and it's dark. 

There are voices. I’m scared.

“It’s Dad. He’s sitting in the dark again! Dad? Dad! What on earth are you doing sitting in the dark? And he’s left the front door wide open.”

Who are you? Clear off or I'll … Come on then. I’ll go down fighting. I will. Come on!

“Dad. It’s Jane. It’s your daughter, Jane. I said I’d be along this evening. Jem’s home from uni and sends his love.”

I close my eyes and I’m drifting. I feel warm. Her soft voice is saying something. “Oh Dad. What are we going to do with you?” 

And now - here’s Jess. She's sitting on my lap She’s so very, very soft. Oh Jess, you lovely, lovely cat. Where have you been?