“Hi daddy, oh, hello mummy! I found a new friend out there in the sand while I was walking home from school.” Both Sybil and George were sitting on deck chairs with their eyes closed soaking up the sun on an extremely warm winter’s afternoon. “Her name is Melody,”

continued Rosa not taking much notice of what her parents were doing.

George was the first one to turn to face his daughter and open his eyes. “Whoa, Rosa! What are you doing?” he shouted which in turn made Sybil snap her eyes open and look in the same direction as her husband. She shrieked. Rosa blinked and wondered why her parents were freaking out.

“What’s the matter daddy?” she asked sounding bewildered. “don’t you like Melody?”

“No, it’s not that. I’m sure Melody is very nice but, but you see Rosa, Melody is a cat.”

“No daddy, that’s where you’re wrong. She is a kitten, not a cat. At least that’s what she told me, right?”

Melody, who was sitting behind Rosa looked very perplexed. It was the first time anyone had shown they were frightened of her. “That’s ok,” replied Sybil, “Rosa dear, what you fail to grasp is that kittens grow up to be cats.”

“I know that mummy,” snickered Rosa, “remember I go to school.”

“Yes, but did you know cats eat birds, birds like us?”

Oh,” replied a crestfallen Rosa. “I thought she was very cute, and she has no idea where she lives, so I told her she could move in with us.”

“That’s until there aren’t any of us remaining. She could eat all of us.”

Rosa didn’t believe a word her father said. She turned to look a Melody who was still sitting behind Rosa and hadn’t moved.

“Would you eat us?” she asked the kitten.

“Why would I do that?” she replied. “I don’t eat birds.”

“No not yet. But when you become a cat, you will.”

Not wanting to entice the kitten anymore, George grabbed hold of his wife by her wing and flew up onto the roof of the nest. Melody needless to say, was becoming a little self conscious. George asked Rosa to join them, but she refused.

“Well, if you get eaten,” replied Sybil diplomatically, “don’t blame us.”

But before Rosa could answer, Julia walked out on the deck and shrieked as soon as she saw the kitten. She immediately flew up onto the roof to join her parents.

“Julia, why did you do that?” asked Rosa.

“Because cats eat birds like us,” she reminded Rosa.

“But Melody is a kitten not a cat.” Rosa liked Melody and didn’t want to lose her as a friend. “But she has nowhere to live. She has no idea where her parents are or anything like that. Dad, you told us that as good Jews we have to look out for all who aren’t doing as well as we are.”

“Well,” replied George, “that’s quite true. But there are exceptions to the rule and cats are the exception.”

Melody decided to make her move. So, she got up, walked past Rosa and climbed onto one of the deck chairs. She raised her head to address Rosa’s parents. What was amazing was that all along Rosa stood there right in front of Melody not once thinking her life was in danger. “Rosa’s parents,” she began.

“You can call us George and Sybil,” replied Rosa’s mother which caused George to look at her incredulously. “Until she eats us,” he mumbled.

“Ok thank you. George and Sybil.”

“But just because I said it like that doesn’t mean you have to address us that way. You can say Sybil and George, not George and Sybil.”

“You’re nuts!” replied George tapping his head with his wing. Sybil who was beginning to feel less intimated by Melody rolled her eyes.

“Anyway, Sybil and George, I was brought here by some fishermen in their truck and once they had finished fishing one of the men picked me up and said to the others do we need her anymore and they shook their heads and so he threw me out.” She began to sob.

“Horrible!” said George, “that always gets to me.” Rosa walked up to Melody and put a wing around her shoulder. Julia believing she was no longer in danger flew back down to the deck and patted Melody’s head.

Melody continued. “So, I’m an orphan now. I have no idea where my parents are, and I don’t know where to go or what to do. I was looking for somewhere to go when Rosa came up to me and asked me what was wrong, and I told her.”

Sybil followed Julia and flew back down to the deck leaving George the only one on the roof. “Come on down George,” asked Sybil but he shook his head. She then began singing ‘Macho, Macho Man,’ a song he hated because Sybil had sung it to him too many times. But it had its desired results.

“Ok,” replied George flying down on to the deck. “But you can’t live in the nest.”

“Why is that daddy?” asked Rosa.

“Well, when she gets bigger, she won’t fit.”

“That’s ok Mr George,” Melody said sniffing slightly, “I can sleep under the nest.”

“You can be our watchdog!” shouted Rosa and the rest of the group including Melody looked at her. Rosa shrugged her shoulders, “I’m only trying to help, guys.”

“It’s ok,” said Melody, “I know you mean well. But I can be your cat guard.”

“Sounds good,” replied Julia willing to take a chance. Melody was getting excited.

“Let me tell you of some of the bad people around. There are the seagulls.” Julia felt it was her responsibility as chef to educate Melody.

“Oh yes, I chased a few before,” replied Melody, “how about the crows?”

“No!” shouted Timmy walking out on the deck after finishing a science project at school, “they are Falashas.”

“Falashas?” asked Melody.

“Who’s this?” asked Timmy completely ignoring the fact that Melody was a cat.

“She’s an orphan cat,” replied Sybil.

“Kitten,” replied Melody, “don’t make me grow up faster than I want to.”

“Sorry,” Sybil rolled her eyes.

“What type of kitten are you?” asked Timmy.

“Siamese,” replied Melody.

“Siamese!” the rest shouted.

“Oy vey,” Timmy slapped his forehead. “We have Indians, we have Tibetans, we have Ethiopians, and now we have a Siamese. This is becoming very cosmopolitan. Do you make Pad Thai?”

“No silly,” laughed Melody, “I’m still too young to go in the kitchen.”

“Me too,” replied Rosa, “which means I have a friend to play with when Julie makes dinner.” “Doesn’t your mother cook dinner?” asked Melody and Rosa coughed.

“You don’t want my mother to make dinner. You’ll die if you eat her cooking.”

“I think I’m going to feel at home here,” and with that, Melody lay down on the deck chair and began to purr.

“I think that’s great for now,” replied George, “but if you want to lay down on a deck chair do it on that one, this is my deck chair, and I don’t want to get cat hair all over it.”

“Hello, hello, hello everyone,” they heard Elizabeth’s voice from inside, “is everyone outside in the sun?” she asked walking out and seeing Melody she shrieked.

“Remember,” said Rosa, “you asked for enemies. Well, Elizabeth is the number one enemy.” Melody didn’t believe her and smiled at Elizabeth on the roof.