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1950 – MY BEST FRIEND

This is a photo of me and my best friend Tigger. I had a black cat before this, but I can’t remember his name. I do remember that he gave me ringworm, which I was never told was not actually a worm, so was quite frightening. I had to go to hospital and have an ultraviolet light shone on my hair and then I think they put ointment on me and pulled some hairs out. I don’t know how often this happened, but it was more than once.

As for the cat, they killed him.

Then Tigger arrived and was my best friend until I was sent to boarding school.

While I was away at school, they killed him too, but told me he pined away because I wasn’t there, which meant it was my fault.* He was three years old. It was many years before I realised that cats are far too selfish to pine away.

When I was fourteen I built a big cage in my parent’s flat and got eight budgies and each one was a different colour.

While I was on holiday in Cornwall at Aunt Pam’s, my stepfather gave them and their cage away to an old people’s home.

*I think a pattern of guilt was emerging here.