Inspired by a story from Gingergoldfish, about John Tracy being re-incarnated as a cat, I decided to write a humouous short story. John the cat was created by Gingergoldfish, I hope he/she will not mind me borrowing him. Thunderbirds is a Gerry Anderson creation licensed by Carlton International Media Limited. This story is rated PG13 for sexual innuendo and is intended for entertainment purpose only.
A CAT CALLED JOHN by Amber Red
Lady Penelope's dainty feet were clad in expensive, pink designer stillettos. She tripped lightly up the steps leading to the Tracy family's luxurious villa. Her good friend and Head of the Household, Billionaire Jeff Tracy held out his hand to welcome her. He beamed a broad smile across a tanned face framed by a shock of silver hair.
"Good to see you again Penny." He extended his hand to help her up the steps. She tottered on three inch heels and Jeff wondered how on earth she kept her balence on them.
"So kind of you to invite us to stay Jeff." she trilled as she slipped her pale, slender hand into his.
Her butler Parker, plodded behind her laden down with suitcases. He was sweaty and irritable. He grumbled to himself and aimed a kick at a small white cat scampering around his feet.
"Gerroff you mangy little mog! I've just trudged up all those ruddy steps and you'll send me flying right back down em again. Go on shoo!"
Penelope's long tanned legs paused on the second from top step. She was wearing a low cut pink polka dot mini dress. She toyed with a strand of her long blonde hair.
"Did you say something Parker?"
Parker looked up at her and took a sharp intake of breath ."No nuffin mi'lady." Being a gentleman in spite of his rough diamond manner, he averted his eyes. Besides with temperatures well into the eighties he didn't want to get any hotter. Penelope then caught sight of the cat three steps below her. It was staring up at her with wide blue eyes.
"Oh what a gorgeous little pussy!" She stooped and held out her hand. He looked like the cat that had got the cream .'You took the words right out of my mouth honey!'
"I think it likes you." said Jeff. She scooped the bundle of fur into her arms. The cat nuzzled her cheek
"It's absolutely adorable. When did you get it?"
"It just appeared. A few weeks after John's ..." Jeff's voice trailed away. The memory of his son's death was still painful for him. Alan, his youngest son spoke up,"We named it after him."
"Well John." She planted a kiss on top of his silken head."You're just as adorable as your namesake."
The cat could not believe his ears. 'whaaat! You mean I've wasted a perfectly good human life without ever knowing that you thought I was adorable! I thought you were off limits. I thought you were after the old man. Now you tell me!' the cat leapt out of her arms and swished his tail.
"Oh dear it looks cross now. Perhaps it doesn't like being picked up."
"Never bothered it before." remarked Alan.
When Penelope and Parker reached the veranda they were welcomed by Jeff's elderly mother, Housekeeper Kyrano and his daughter Tin TIn. Kyrano took pity on Parker struggling with all the luggage. Lady Penelope was not known for travelling light.
"Please permit me to relieve you of one of the suitcases." volunteered the softly spoken Eurasian. On this occasion Parker was grateful for his offer of assistance. His shoulders felt as if they had been pulled out of their sockets
"Well fank you Mr Kyrano."
Kyrano looked slightly bemused. He never could understand Parker's cockney accent. Jeff escorted Parker to the guest suite to unpack Lady Penelope's extensive wardrobe. Tin Tin handed her good friend a Pimms and lemonade in a tall frosted glass.
"Thank you. You're an angel." purred Penelope.
The two girls sat on sun loungers in the warm afternoon sunshine, looking out onto the blue Pacific Ocean. They had a lot of gossip to catch up on. The last time they had met was at John's funeral eight months ago and neither had felt very much like talking.
"Hi Penelope." called Scott Tracy looking up from the newspaper he was reading.
"Great to see you again." his younger brother Virgil stood up, flexing his tanned muscular body.
"Come for a swim." invited Gordon Tracy playfully flicking water at her.
"Later perhaps." she replied, "It's good to see you all smiling again."
"We all feel that John is still with us."
"What in a spiritual sense?"
"Well yes...sort of."
"That's comforting for you."
The cat walked across the newspaper Scott was reading and flicked his tail against Scott's nose. Then he jumped on to the bottom of Penelope's sun lounger and made himself comfortable.
"Poor John." she continued. "He spent so much time away from us all. Up there all alone in Thunderbird Five. It's such a shame he never got to marry or father children.."
The cat tried to surpress a hiccough, 'Aw stop it will you. You'll have me in tears in a minute. Don't worry I aim to make up for my lost life. I have nine of them now and boy do I intend to use them!'
"Oh it's making a funny noise. Do you suppose it might have a hairball?"
'No. Not any more. I left that on Dad's bed as a little thank you present, for all the life I wasted while he had me stuck up there in space.'
"Poor kitty." Penelope tickled the cat's ear. He climbed onto her chest and began to burrow his face into her cleavage. There were certain advantages to being a cat. You could do this sort of thing without getting your face slapped. Penelope just laughed and gently caresed his back. The cat began to purr like a steam engine.
"Is it a he or a she?" asked Penelope.
"I'm pretty sure he's a 'he'." answered Scott. "That's why we decided to name it after John."
"H'if you h'ask me, John's a bit of a daft name for a cat." announced Parker who had just returned from unpacking the cases.
"Oh I think it suits him ...that's if it is a him. How can you tell with all this fur." Penelope turned the cat over, lifted his tail and began to examine him closely.
'Whoa lady! A guy doesn't like this kind of scrutiny you know!"
"Guess we'll have to take him to the vets soon." said Alan.
'The vets? THE VETS!!!'
"Yeah. You know ..." Alan made a snipping gesture with his fingers. The cat howled.
"Oh don't Alan. It's almost as if the poor thing can understand you." The cat leapt off Penelope and began to turn his attention to Tin TIn, just to annoy Alan. He rubbed his face round her legs purring loudly. Tin Tin tickled his chin. Life was pretty good as a cat. He was certainly attracting more attention in this life, than he ever had in his previous one.
"There's no need to take him to the vet. We don't have any other cats on the island." argued Scott.
The cat's happiness was short lived. There was always a downside!
"Well that's good news for him then." said Penelope.
'GOOD NEWS! You call that good news! Good news - I am going to be allowed to keep my equipment in tact. Bad news - I'm not going to be able to do anything with it! Life is so full of cruel ironies'
"Oh look at it's poor face." crooned Penelope, "It looks so sad."
Parker laughed, "It's only a cat!"
'Only a cat! Get a load of the hardware buster!' The cat flexed a front paw and unsheathed needle sharp claws. 'Hows this for a fistful of barbed wire?'
"Never been much of a cat fan myself." admitted Parker, "They're lazy, useless animals."
The cat who had been licking his paw, shot him a withering look. 'Useless? I'll show you who's useless. Bet you can't do this!" the cat rested on his haunches and haughtily lifted his back leg. He then began to groom a most private part of his body.
"Hey that's a neat party trick you've got there John." laughed Gordon as he hauled himself out of the pool.
"Yeah. A real conversation stopper." put in Virgil.
"But not the sort of thing to do in front of a lady." warned Scott primly.
The cat paused, with his leg sticking up in the air and a pink tongue protruding from his mouth.' Oh yeah. Sorry. Being a cat I tend to forget about that sort of thing. Besides I was rather enjoying myself.'
"John always liked cats." remarked Tin Tin. "In many ways he reminded me of one. So cool, aloof and agile. I'm glad we can keep this one. It reminds me of him in so many ways."
"Well I hope John never did that in front of you." said Alan indicating the cat who had returned to complete his grooming.
"He could never have reached before." joked Gordon, who then yelled "Ouch!" as the cat sank his claws into his leg. Gordon snatched Scott's paper and flapped it in the cat's direction. "Ouch. It's drawn blood!"
The others laughed as Gordon dabbed at a red spot of blood on his shin.
The cat decided it was time to make himself scarce. He ran playfully from the veranda and skittered across to Kyrano's vegetable garden. Kyrano was raking a fine covering of soil over newly sown seeds. The cat watched, crossing his legs in anticipation, until Kyrano had completed his task. He then walked to the middle of the plot and began to dig furiously with his front paws. Then he positioned himself with a satisfied squat, over the hole he had just dug. Kyrano shouted something in his native language. The cat ignored him and carried on being a cat. He enjoyed being a cat. he could now do whatever he wanted. No-one would take him for granted again.
THE END
second try at setting the html , also corrected typing errors this is my first post and I am still learning how to use my computer.\par \par \par }