Cherry Ghost

Ten

The next morning he awoke to see sunlight flickering through the gap in his curtains. Rubbing his eyes he reached for his glasses and glanced over to the clock on the table next to his bed. "Ten to six already!" he mumbled and swung his feet out from under the heavy goose down duvet. Swiftly locating his slippers on the rug he grabbed his gown from the foot of the bed and padded through into the kitchen where he instinctively reached for the kettle on the edge of the Aga and walked over to the sink to top it up. As the water gurgled down the spout he raised his eyes to look out into his yard and caught his breath. Quickly turning off the water, he replaced the kettle on the Aga and returned to his bedroom and sat on the edge of his bed. Then remembering he hadn't eaten anything yet, he quickly went back through and dropped a couple of slices of bread into the toaster and took out the jar of marmalade from the cup-board.

'That should give me a couple of minutes' he said to himself as he went back to get dressed.

"I'm off out again Woody" he whispered as the tabby nuzzled his big toe as he struggled to put his sock onto his left foot without kicking him in the head. Always the left foot first. Something he'd done from childhood. Just didn't feel right if he didn't do it in that order. He didn't know why but had long since given up caring why.

"Out of the way old boy. Let this old man get dressed in peace"

Woody simply flopped to the floor where he was. He stuck a back leg nonchalantly in the air and began diligently cleaning himself, completely ignoring the request to move.

"Cheers Woody!" he muttered as he stepped over the prone animal before reaching for his jeans and thick navy wool sweater and finished getting dressed.

Having successfully completed his task without step-ping on the cat he headed back into the kitchen and banked up the Aga. After purchasing the bothy, he had soon learnt how to place the logs and coals into the fire so that it would continue to burn slowly for a number of days without going out. This was an important skill as it removed the need to always have to relight it in order to get heat and hot water each time he re-turned home. Something that was not only time consuming but also really frustrating when all you wanted was a hot bath and a warm house to come back to.

His toast and mug of tea was nearly cold by the time he was done but it would have to do, he had no time to make some more. The tide would be turning soon. Checking he had his phone and wallet in his pocket he grabbed his jacket and started heading through the door. Not knowing how long he was going to be away from the house, he turned back and grabbed a tin of cat food and quickly filled Woody's dish and topped up his biscuits.

"Take care of the place mate!" he whispered as he rubbed him softly under his chin. "I'll see you when I get back". Woody purred quietly whilst tucking into the food and flicked his tail briefly from side to side in acknowledgement as if to say 'Thanks, but can't you see I'm busy here!'

He sat on the wooden stool by the back door and pulled on his boots that had mercifully dried out from his jour-ney along the cliffs the other day. One of the many benefits of keeping the Aga burning away slowly, even in the 'warmer' summer months, was that his clothes and footwear soon re-turned to wearable condition. His shoulder caught his beech walking stick as he finished tying his laces and it came clatter-ing down with a crash. Woody flinched and shot out the cat flap in disgust but it served to remind him to take it with him. The path was likely to be slippy from all the rain and the storm may have caused further damage to the steep descent he would encounter before he reached the cove.