A sign of life from Flat Kathy!

If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably been wondering how Flat Kathy is doing, and whether she is alright, since saying goodbye to Paprika and Oregano on 19 August 2013.

I wish I could’ve said that she’d managed to write it from the airplane, which is currently ferrying her to Western Australia to visit Gudrun in Karratha. But alas, she hasn’t.

I suspect it’s because she hasn’t yet had an opportunity to buy a postcard or a stamp, or to borrow a pen. Or she may be too preoccupied with the in-flight entertainment or be chatting with her friendly fellow-passengers. I just hope that the very strict Australian customs officials haven’t arrested her or something frightening like that. She’d watched a couple of episodes of ‘Border Security’ with me, so I hope it impressed upon her how important it was to comport herself properly and not to get up to any mischief.

As to the lack of updates on her blog – that, I’m ashamed to admit, is entirely my fault. And after she had given me such firm instructions to boot. Sigh. I fear that our professional relationship is currently on a tenuous footing, and that I may well be fired as her official biographer, if I don’t pull up my socks.

Well, today, a postcard was waiting for me at the post office!

I rushed home immediately, waving it excitedly as I charged into the house.

“Miss Tuffy-Cat! Look!” I cried, rushing down the passage to my office to present it our little snuggle-bunny, who was curled up in her customary position in front of her oil heater. “Look! A postcard from Flat Kathy! They must have posted it from Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.”

Miss Tuffy-Cat is missing Flat Kathy

Miss Tuffy-Cat jerked her head from the warm pillow with a startled look that spoke volumes. After apologising sheepishly for waking her up in such a thoughtless manner, I placed the postcard gently in front of her.

“Look, Miss Tuffy-Cat,” I said, pointing, “she’s even addressed it to you.”

“Ah well, in that case,” she replied. “Would you mind reading it to me?”

So I did:

Flat Kathy has written a very nice postcard!

“You know,” remarked Miss Tuffy-Cat, surreptitiously blinking away a tear. “I miss our yellow friend. She spreads so much joy around, doesn’t she?”

A lump had formed in my throat, so I just nodded in agreement. We sat quietly for a few moments, gazing down at this sign of life from the other side of the planet.

“Right, well, I’d better go and find Gilbert the Gnome,” I declared, shaking off the melancholic mood. “Giiiilbert! Where are you?!”

I found him deep in conversation with our sweet pepper plant, whose leaves have recently been decimated by some or other caterpillar. The dear thing had generously presented us with one single huge and luscious sweet pepper, but this seems to have sapped all its strength. Gilbert’s been trying to give it a bit of TLC, sadly to no avail.

“Gilbert! Look – a postcard has arrived from Miss Flat Kathy!”

“Ohh! Vill you rread it vorr me, pleece?” he said in his characteristic German accent, his blue eyes all bright and shining.

Afterwards, he asked me to take a photo to post on Flat Kathy’s blog.

“Pleece vill you say zat I miss herr cheerful smile und herr playful cents of humor,” he insisted. “Qvote me.”

So there you have it.

Gilbert the Gnome is delighted to hear from his cheerful friend