The Cat Who Liked Rain

‘No,’ said Lukas. He didn’t want to tell him how he’d sent a letter to Rainy-Weather Land. Whirlwind and his friends might think that was a childish thing to do, and start asking awkward questions. It was best to say nothing at all.

‘We’re going to start building a skateboard track now,’ said Whirlwind. ‘Guess where it’s going to be!’

Lukas only liked guessing when he was sure he was right. But he had no idea where Whirlwind and his friends were going to build their track. So he said nothing.

‘There,’ said Whirlwind, pointing.

Lukas followed the direction indicated by Whirlwind’s finger — and had a terrible shock.

Whirlwind was pointing straight at the old currant bush.

‘It’s a good place,’ said Whirlwind. ‘We’ll pull down that old bush. Then we can build our track.’

‘But you can’t,’ said Lukas, and he felt a lump in his throat, growing bigger and bigger.

‘Why can’t we?’ asked Whirlwind. ‘Just wait and see. We’re off now to get some of the wood we need for making the track.’

And they raced away.

Lukas stared after them. Now all his joy had vanished again. Why did they have to build their track in the very place where the currant bush was standing? Surely that wasn’t possible? It was Night’s place, and nobody was allowed to touch it.

Lukas didn’t know what to do next. How could he explain to Whirlwind that they would have to build their track somewhere else?

What should he do? How could he defend his currant bush. All by himself? Night would never come back if the currant bush was no longer there.

He tried to think of a solution. The currant bush was wild. That must mean that nobody owned it. Maybe he could buy it for the thirty-two kronor he’d saved up. But who should he pay if nobody owned the bush? Could you say that it was Night’s bush because he was the only one who used it? But Night was missing, of course. And Night was only a cat. No, that was no good. He must think of something else.

He walked slowly over to the currant bush. There were only a few dried up, half-rotten currants left, on the end of one of the branches.

‘It’s not possible,’ he said to himself. ‘Whirlwind can’t be allowed to pull down the currant bush. If he does, Night will never come back.’

Although it was damp on the ground, Lukas sat down. How would he be able to defend the currant bush? When he was on his own, and up against all Whirlwind’s gang?

Dad, he thought. He’ll understand. He’ll have to help me. We’ve been out in the forest together, and talked. He knows what it’s like to love a cat more than anything else in the world.

Lukas stood up and went indoors.

‘Do you still not want any breakfast?’ asked his mother.

‘I’m not hungry,’ said Lukas.

It wasn’t true. He was hungry. But he didn’t think it was right to eat when somebody was going to destroy Night’s currant bush.

‘Are you ill?’ his mum wondered.

‘No,’ said Lukas. ‘I just want to be left alone.’

Beatrice looked hard at him, but she didn’t say anything. She left him alone with his thoughts.

Lukas sat down on a chair by the window and looked out. He hadn’t bothered to take his boots off. There was a pool of dirty water on the floor, but he didn’t care.

I hope it takes a long time, he thought. I hope it takes ages and ages for Whirlwind and his friends to collect all the wood they need for the skateboard track. I hope they don’t have enough money to pay for it all. I hope, hope, hope... But most of all he hoped that they wouldn’t have time to dig up the bush before his dad came home for his evening meal.

Lukas was so nervous that he had stomachache. He couldn’t sit still on the chair any longer, and went to the kitchen.

‘Is Dad coming home for dinner tonight?’ he asked his mum.

‘Haven’t you taken your boots off?’ she said. ‘Look, there’s dirt all over the floor!’

‘Is Dad coming home for dinner?’ Lukas asked again.

Beatrice looked at him and frowned. Lukas couldn’t tell if she was angry or worried.

‘What’s the matter with you?’ she wondered.

‘Nothing,’ said Lukas. ‘I just want to know if Dad’s coming home for dinner tonight.’

‘He’s coming home for dinner as usual,’ said Beatrice. ‘Why ever shouldn’t he?’

‘I don’t know,’ said Lukas. ‘But I need to talk to him.’

‘Can’t you talk to me just as well?’

‘No,’ said Lukas. ‘Only Dad understands this.’

To avoid having to answer any more questions, he went back to the chair by the window. But first he took his boots off in the hall.

Whirlwind and his friends still hadn’t come back. But there was a long time to go before his dad would drive his lorry back home for dinner.

Would he get back in time?

Lukas waited. And waited. And waited.

Nothing happened. He occasionally went to ask his mum what time it was.

Nothing happened.

Then everything happened all at once.