The day was overcast and cloudy, bringing a chilling gloom to the world. Everything was quiet, like a calm before a storm. Nothing seemed to stir except for the constant roar of traffic that seemed never to end on the London streets.
Out of the gloominess shot two streaks of gold, orange, red, black, and white fur. Side by side they raced, keeping close to each other. The streaks slid along several allies before stopping in front of one of London’s busy streets. Once they stopped, it was plain to see that they were two cats, a young tom and a young queen. And anyone who was familiar with London could have recognized them as Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, the notorious duo of Victoria Grove.
The two cats watched the cars go by, waiting for a lapse. “Boy, do Ai ‘ate streets,” Rumpleteazer whined, clutching Jerrie’s arm firmly.
Jerrie held her close. “Yer jes fine, Teaza. Ai won’ letcha git ‘urt.”
Teazer nodded. Jerrie eyed the traffic for a moment, then charged out into the street, dragging his sister along with him. He pulled her to the middle of the street, where they stood on the white lines, free from cars. Teazer was literally shaking in Jerrie’s arms. She gripped him tightly, her tail pulled tight around her leg. Jerrie gave her a comforting lick before dragging her across the other half of the street. A car horn blared at them, narrowly missing Jerrie’s tail. Teazer grabbed her brother and hauled him onto the sidewalk next to her.
“Thanks,” Jerrie gulped, checking his unscathed tail.
“No prob,” Teazer said, hugging him tightly. “Ya’d do the saime fer me.”
“In a second,” Jerrie promised. “Come on. Le’s git outta ‘ere.”
Teazer agreed. The two calicos headed down the street. Teazer hugged Jerrie gently. “Ya’re me bes’ pal, Jer,” she said softly.
“Ya’re mine too,” Jerrie agreed. He held her tight and breathed in her comforting scent. “Come on. Le’s git ‘ome.”
Teazer nodded and followed him. They came to another street. The junkyard was just beyond that. Teazer sighed. “Do we gotta cross thi’ street?” she whined.
“Don’ worry, Teaze. Le’s jes cross. The junkyar’s on the other si’.” Jerrie squeezed her paw. “We’ll wai’ til the street clears.”
“Ai don’ wanna,” Teazer mewed. “Le’s taike the long waiy, Jer. It’s saifer.”
“Don’ be a fraidy-cat,” Jerrie teased. “Ya’ll be okaiy. Nothin’s gonna ‘appen.”
Teazer clung to Jerrie tightly as if he were a life-raft. Jerrie watched the traffic for a moment, then tugged on her paw. “Come on, Teaza.” Teazer looked up, frightened. “Come on.”
Teazer followed Jerrie, but she seemed stiff and mechanic. A crack of thunder startled them both, sending Teazer running ahead of Jerrie to the safety of the white lines. Jerrie hurried to catch up with her. He grasped her paw and tugged. “Almos’ thare. Come on.”
Another crash of thunder filled the air with noise for a moment. So much noise, in fact, they didn’t hear the piercing shriek of a semi-truck horn. Jerrie gently yanked Teazer forward.
Suddenly, out of the gloominess came two bright lights, unmistakably those of a semi-truck. Jerrie gasped and jerked Teazer’s arm hard. “Quick, le’s go!”
Teazer’s reaction was slow. Jerrie was literally trying to pull her behind him. The horn sounded again, echoing through the air like a death toll. Jerrie gave one last desperate pull, and, even though Teazer was moving as fast as she possibly could, tragedy struck.
Jerrie was knocked aside, landing a few feet away, but Teazer, whom he had been pulling behind him, was caught in the path of the speeding truck. “Jerrie!” she screamed, her voice echoing like a pleading soul. The last thing she ever saw was Jerrie’s look of fear.
“Teaze!” Jerrie yelped. Her scream echoed in his ears. He lunged to her side and touched her cheek. Another car horn in the distance startled him. He had to get her off the street. He leaped to his feet, picked her up, and dashed for the sidewalk. He headed for the safety of a nearby alley where he laid her down to examine her.
Her beautiful fur was streaked with crimson. He body was twisted at an odd angle, indicating a broken neck. Her eyes were half shut, her lips parted slightly. Her Woolworth pearls she had always worn in place of her collar lay broken next to her, the pearls scattered across the street, twinkling like tear drops on the black roadway. Jerrie grasped her paw. “Teaze? Rumpleteaza!” He held her limp paw for a moment, then dropped it. “NO!” he screamed. “No! Oh, Heavyside, no!” Tears, hot and bitter rolled down his cheeks, dripping off his whiskers in a regular waterfall.
He collapsed next to her still figure, sobbing in anguish. He buried his face in her white breast fur, stroking her cheek gently with his paw. He kissed her face over and over again, heart-wrenching sobs trying desperately to choke themselves out of his throat. He rubbed her paws with his own, wishing he could pour his own life into her. But there was nothing he could do. She was gone, no doubt killed instantly by the oncoming semi. He sobbed into her fur, holding her close to him, caressing her head and face gently, weeping.
Jerrie lifted his eyes to the sky. “Why?” he yelled at the top of his voice, even though his lungs burned over his pounding heart. “Whyja let her die? What’d she eva do?” His wild screams pierced the sky. “Le’ me die too! Kill me too!” He collapsed next to her, holding her body to his chest tightly. He could feel the places where her neck had broken. He shuddered and prayed to the Heavyside it had been quick and painless. He closed his eyes and prayed he too would die.
“Mungojerrie?” came a voice nearby. Jerrie shot up sharply to see Munkustrap, Alonzo, Tumblebrutus, and Plato standing nearby. Their faces were masked with worry.
Jerrie didn’t say anything. He couldn’t. He felt stiff and numb. He couldn’t move, only stare sadly at the group.
In an instant Munkustrap noticed the drying blood on Rumpleteazer’s fur and the odd angle of her neck. He moved to Teazer’s side and touched her neck gently with a paw. His eyes filled with tears. “Oh, Jerrie, I’m so sorry.”
Again Jerrie said nothing. His gaze fell to Teazer’s face, and he stroked her arm gently. Silent tears streamed down his cheeks.
“What… what happened, Jerrie?” Tumblebrutus asked softly, moving to stand next to Jerrie. Jerrie looked up again.
“A truck,” he said flatly. “Ai… Ai tried ta ‘elp ‘er. “’Onest ta Heavyside Ai did!” His voice broke, and he buried his face in his paws. Why didja hafta die, Teaze? He thought.
Munkustrap motioned Alonzo to his side. “We need to tell the tribe.”
Alonzo nodded. The four toms bent down to pick up Rumpleteazer’s body. All of a sudden, hate, bitter and hot, flowed through Jerrie’s veins and seared his body. He leaped to his feet and knocked Plato off his feet. Plato landed, hard, on the pavement.
Tumblebrutus touched Jerrie’s shoulder to calm him, but Jerrie tossed him away. Munkustrap and Alonzo gasped and tackled Jerrie, holding him firmly. He was no match for the two older, stronger toms. He collapsed weakly in their grip. Tumble and Plato got shakily to their feet.
“Jerrie, we’re just going to take her back to the junkyard,” Munkustrap told the younger tom soothingly.
Jerrie showed no signs of comprehension. “Ai shoulda saved ‘er,” he muttered. “It’s me own fault.”
“No it’s not,” Alonzo said, though not loosening his grip on Jerrie’s arm. “I’m sure you couldn’t have done any more, Jerrie.”
“Ai coulda saved ‘er!” Jerrie insisted, hanging his head in shame.
Munkustrap waved Alonzo away and rested Jerrie’s face on his shoulder, a very unusual display for him towards any cat. Jerrie took the comfort and cried into Munkustrap’s gray tabby fur, holding his friend tightly in a hug. He sobbed and cried, tears pouring from the very depths of his being as he tried to understand, to feel, why this had happened. Why? Why? That was all he could ask himself. Why her? She had never done anything wrong before. She was sweet and caring and loving like any other cat, but she was special. But now that specialness was gone. She was gone.
Finally, even though Jerrie had not stopped crying, Munkustrap and his friends picked up Teazer again and carried her to the junkyard, Jerrie trailing numbly behind, ears, tail, whiskers, and head drooping.
Once inside, they were met first by Rum Tum Tugger. He came up to them with a big smile, but it froze and melted into a look of shock and horror. “Rumpleteazer,” he said softly, as if making it final. Munkustrap nodded once. Tugger looked sadly at the group. “We better tell Old Deuteronomy.”
He reached out his paw to stroke Teazer’s cheek, but Jerrie suddenly leaped forward, nearly blinded by his own tears, and hissed at Tugger angrily. Tugger leaped back.
Alonzo sprang forward and planted himself like a brick wall between the two. “Easy, Jerrie. Calm down.”
Jerrie stared at Alonzo for a moment, then turned and fled. He raced across the back of the junkyard until he came to the box that he and Teazer had shared. He flung himself onto the pillow and sobbed, his head pounding, his chest heaving wildly as he tried to breathe. His eyes burned, his body felt limp, and his throat was dry and scratchy. He sobbed madly, not thinking, just crying.
He could hear Munkustrap calling the tribe together. A few seconds later he heard a small cry from the group. No doubt they had seen Rumpleteazer’s corpse. He grew silent, waiting to hear what would happen.
“Rumpleteazer was hit by a truck,” Munkustrap’s voice announced, floating over the wind to him. “We must tell Old Deuteronomy.”
“Where is Mungojerrie?” came a voice that sounded like Jellylorum. He could hear quiet sobbing from the group.
“He’s alright,” Munkustrap said. “He’s really taking this hard. I suggest we all leave him alone for a few days.”
“He’s dangerous,” Tugger muttered, followed by a sharp shh! from Bombalurina.
“He is not!” Munkustrap snapped. “He’s really broken up though. It’s a big loss for him.”
“I agree with Munkustrap,” Jennyanydots said. “We should leave him alone for a while.”
A sigh emitted from the group. Jerrie buried his face in the pillow. Angry thoughts assaulted him. Whyja hafta die, Teaze? Ya neva did nothin’ bad. It’s me own fault. Ai shouln’ta made ‘er come. It’s me own fault she died. They don’ want ya aroun’ anymore. Ya’re a murderer na.
“Mungojerrie?” came a soft voice nearby. Jerrie looked up to see a pretty, young, calico kitten standing nearby, her face streaked with tears. He glared.
“Din’t ya ‘ear wha’ Munkustrap said? Leave me alone, Jemima!” He pulled a blanket over himself.
Jemima didn’t move. “Oh, Jerrie, I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“Go awaiy!” Jerrie growled fiercely.
Jemima stepped back a step and nearly bumped into Munkustrap. He held her up. “Come on, Jem. Let him be.” Jemima unwillingly followed him, glancing back at Jerrie.
Once they had gone, Jerrie peered out into the darkening junkyard, just as rain began to fall with a soft pit-pat. He stared blankly at the sky, tears still streaming down his cheeks….