Mei and Ginger part 1

Meiling Jade Carter is 8 ½ years old. She has black hair, almond eyes and a cheeky smile. She loves Ginger her fluffy-fat cat and gooey raspberry jam.
But, the sweet delicious jam will get her into trouble! Let’s find out what happens….

“She’s gone!” Mei whispered into Ginger’s furry ear. Gently putting him down, she tiptoed to the walk-in pantry. Leila, her babysitter, had gone to the back room to finish packing her jam orders.

This was a dangerous mission, but with Ginger, or ‘Cat Burglar’, as she decided to call him today, she could do it. She would have to be very sneaky! As if knowing what they were up to, Ginger quietly crept behind, his little paws making hardly any sound. Mei turned to look at him and smiled. “Good kitty,” she whispered, bending over and patting his furry head.

Slowly she turned the pantry door handle, looked around, and quickly and silently slipped inside. She clicked the door shut and breathed!
“Phew!” She leaned against the door and took a few more breaths. Recovering, she looked around. “Ok Ginger, where do you think she put it?” Mei looked at each neatly stacked row of jars. Hopefully it wasn’t on the top shelf. She would never be able to reach it! Pointing her index finger, she began to read the labels. “Apricot, plum, orange…” Her mouth began to water as she imagined the sweet deliciousness.

“Meow!” Hearing Ginger’s call, Mei turned and saw the heavenly sight of RASPBERRY JAM!

“Good boy, Ginger,” she whispered as she reached for the jar. “Gotcha!” Triumphantly she held it up and then opened the lid. “Mmmm!” How she loved jam! Especially Leila’s homemade jam. Her stomach growled and she giggled. “I think I’m hungry, Ginger.” He purred as if saying he was too.
Mei looked around for a spoon or fork or something to scoop the jam with. Nothing. Shrugging, she plunged her fingers into the soft, sticky, warm goo and stuffed a chunk into her mouth. Oh, it was delicious! Greedily she took another chunk and gobbled it, licking each sweet finger.
Next to her, Ginger started purring and rubbing his fur against her leg. “OK, OK!” Mei took a tiny scoop and gave it to him to lick. “Ginger,” she laughed, “your tongue tickles!”

A few more times she dug her fingers in the jam and savoured the sticky, red yumminess, Ginger purring next to her for more. “No Ginger, you will get sick if I give you more. Be a good kitty and stop purring.”

Suddenly Mei heard the sound of the doorbell, then footsteps echoing on the timber floor in the hallway.
“Oh no! Mum’s here!” Mei grabbed the jam jar and hurriedly covered it, hiding it behind some big sacks of flour. She opened the pantry door and bolted to the kitchen to wash her hand and face.

When Mum walked into the kitchen, she found Mei colouring in.
“Mum, you’re back!”
“She was the perfect angel,” Leila started to say.
Relief flooded through Mei. She picked up Ginger in her arms and held him close. He smelled sweet.
“Purr…”Leila and Mrs Carter laughed. “Yes, you too Ginger!” Leila patted him on the head.
“Are you still OK to look after Mei and Ginger on Thursday?’ Mrs Carter asked.

Whilst they chatted, Mei packed her books and coloured pencils and placed them in her little bag. She felt guilty.
She picked up Ginger again and gave him a little kiss. “We weren’t angels, were we Ginger?” Slowly she made her way to the car outside. Ginger smelled so good that her guilt started to disappear as she thought of the delicious jams that awaited her on Thursday afternoon.

“You know Ginger, jams are to be enjoyed! We shouldn’t feel bad, right? I mean, who else will enjoy Leila’s jams?”
Thursday afternoon couldn’t come soon enough. When the coast was clear, she repeated her mission into the pantry.

“Excellent!” Just as she thought, one more jar of raspberry goodness. Hold on, this was only half filled. Interesting! Oh well. As she gulped another handful of jam, the doorbell rang.

Mei froze. Her mum wasn’t supposed to be home for another half hour. Oh no! Will she get caught?……………

What do you think will happen? Leave a comment below….  (Read part 2 here)