Monday 22 June 2015

We have a problem

and it is, I suspect, not one which will be easily solved.
The Senior Cat was out yesterday. While he was out someone we both know phoned and said very brightly, "I was just wondering if..."
Before she went any further I was thinking "No, whatever it is I don't want to know."
She wanted to bring a complete stranger over to our place for afternoon tea, "sometime in the next couple of weeks" because "he's such a lovely man, a real darling - and he would love to meet you and the Senior Cat".
He would? I wonder how he really feels. Does he, like us, feel embarrassed by this sort of behaviour? Does he also wish she would not issue such invitations and wonder if there is any way of avoiding them?
Although we have tried to put her off kindly she has done this sort of thing twice before. On the first occasion there was the excuse that one of the two people she brought wanted to know if the Senior Cat could do a small piece of woodwork for her organisation. He was happy enough to oblige because the organisation does good work. He didn't realise, and neither did I, that it was a ploy this person uses to provide herself with some company as well. 
The second occasion was even more awkward as she brought someone we had not met before but we knew a lot about through a mutual friend and, yes, there had been long term comments about meeting her.
But this time she just wants to bring a complete stranger because she is sure that this person and the Senior Cat will get along.  The Senior Cat is not unsociable, far from it, but he isn't interested in having complete strangers not of his choosing foisted upon him when he has other things he wants and needs to do.
He reminded me yesterday that someone has asked him to do something else for him. He promised it some time ago. It hasn't happened because Middle Cat was in hospital and he spent time he might have spent in the shed visiting her. The person  he promised completely understood but now he wants to get on with the task. 
And, believe it or not, I have work to do. If I take time out to entertain a stranger I am not interested in then I have to do that work later. I have tried explaining this, quite firmly, to this person. Oh yes, she tells me, she understands but... I think she does understand too but she believes that I can simply do the work later. 
It eats into writing time and, I know I shouldn't, but I resent that.
She means well. She is kind. She does do a lot to help other people. I know she is lonely. Neither of us want to hurt her feelings but we really, really don't want her to make a habit of this sort of thing. You see, we are busy people. We have lots we want to do. 
I think she needs more to do - but she says she is busy. 

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