I called into a nearby nursing home today, so see an elderly gentleman friend who is just out of hospital after an operation. The gentleman in question is very old and very frail, with much ill-health. Indeed, it's a surprise he's still here at all, with everything he has wrong with him, but he hangs on in there and he's normally as bright as a button and full of happy chat, even though he is quite sick.

Anyhow, I got some flowers to take plus a couple of "get well" cards - one from Vernon, Nathan and I, and one from Waffles, Francis and Marble. My friend always asks how the cats are doing - especially Waffles. My friend knows how much I am besotted with my cats and I think he feels a certain affinity with Waffles, as it's quite remarkable that she too, is still here following her terrible accident some time ago.

The card from Waffles Francis and Marble had a little picture of a cat with a bandaged tail on it, and contained the message "Get well purrs".

My friend was sat on his bed, which faced his window that gave a glorious view of the landscaped grounds of the nursing home. It was a sunny morning, so the view was very pretty. Just as he had opened the card from the cats and read it, appeared a pretty little tabby and white cat outside his window. It stopped, put its nose to the window and stared in. My friend said, "Oh look at that! What a pretty cat!" My response was, "Waffles had a word with the local cats, this morning, via the feline grapevine. She asked if they could just pop along and check you are fine." "Oh how kind!" said my friend. He then looked at the little cat outside and said, "Run along now - you can tell Waffles I'm feeling much better today, and thank you for asking." Whereupon the little cat at the window turned round and walked off.

The timing was simply *purrfect*!

Copyright © Helen Simmons
November 15, 2001