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Jolinan straightened up, sighing as the creaks of age needled her back. “Where did you spring from?” She regarded the small, Harry Potter t shirted, trainer shod shape in front of her. “Did you come over the fence?”

Steel rimmed glasses slipping down her sharp pinched nose, Jolinan gazed suspiciously at the freckle faced, tousled hair boy… “Now, find exactly what in my garden” she enquired sharply, “what did you say you have lost?”

The boy returned her gaze cheerfully, his unformed features radiated innocent mischief, and his clear eyes gave only an indication of unabashed curiosity. “My kitten”, he said in a clear light voice” “My kitten Tobias” he repeated. He appeared to be about nine or ten years old, the age of toys, candour and rare adventure, before the age of insolence, secrets and misbehaviour.

Jolinan (by name but never by nature) stared at him with renewed hostility, “Your kitten you say” she pursed her lips as if about to pronounce disapproval of the boy, kittens or the affronting combination of boy and kitten. Instead she said ‘and what makes you think that it is here, in MY garden?”

The boy wiped at a wayward hank of hair, and gazing up at her enunciated slowly as if to a much younger child than himself, “It’s not an IT. He is a TOBIAS, and I saw him come into your garden under the fence. He’s a calico cat with a red collar. He’s not really a he any more, I mean” His voice trailed away uncertainly as he regarded the tightening crags and chasms etched by life’s travails in Jolinan’s face.

“I do know exactly what you mean” interrupted Jolinan, more to avoid any possible elaboration on the missing parts of the cat’s anatomy, than any acknowledgement of successful communication. “Yes you may walk with me and we shall search for err, Tobias the calico kitten” As she turned away to lead the boy down the path she was stunned to feel the warmth of a small hand take hers, about to snatch it away as if contaminated, Jolinan looked down, full into the trusting stare of those brown flecked green eyes. Forcing her gaze ahead Jolinan strode down the path tugging the boy behind her as he gazed around in wide eyed curiosity.