Passionate Mick
by Elizabeth Peter

Shortly after our holiday we moved to a new flat also on the first and second floor, this time over a shop, and we had access to a very small garden at the back.  It meant that for the first time Mick and Seamus could get out into the big wide world. There was a small tree in the yard which, as it was summer, was in full leaf.  However come Autumn it began to lose its leaves and Mick, not knowing about trees, would sit under the tree waiting for a leaf to come spinning down, whereupon he would pounce on it, kill it, and then triumphantly bring it up the stairs as a trophy to lay at our feet.  The first time it happened I praised him lavishly and pinned the leaf to the wallpaper.  This, as it turned out, was not a good idea.  He constantly brought leaves to us and would not budge until we had pinned them to the wall.  The wall was eventually covered in dead leaves, which was, we explained to visitors,  Micks’ leaf collection.  Unfortunately he sometimes got tired or lost interest or simply was diverted by something else and he would drop the leaves on the stairs.

Mick loved to play games on the bed, leaping and stalking as we ran our hands about under the doona.  Perhaps we should not have been so encouraging about joining us on the bed.  One Sunday morning, we were indulging in that wonderful Sunday morning pastime, which childless couples can do without fear of interruption. or so we thought.  Whilst under the doona and in the missionary position Niall began to suddenly flick has arm backwards.  When I asked him what the hell he was doing he just answered cryptically it’s the bloody cat.  I looked over his shoulder to see Mick perched on Nialls backside with his paws firmly gripping the doona.   Passion is not something easily put to one side and so we decided to ignore him and to carry on.  This proved to be impossible, for there is nothing more destructive to passion than laughter, and laugh I did, every time I saw Micks head bob up and down up down over Nialls’ shoulder.

Mick thought it was the best game ever.