I always had the feeling that Frau Parker did not like me

Perhaps she was frightened of my intellect which I tried to keep concealed

But my cat flap had betrayed me in its simplicity

I had written a paper detailing its construction and discussed the philosophy of my invention

The cat I explained was a creature of habit who unless feral shared the community of its home with that of its immediate exterior environment

That was why the cat flap was so important

It had to be simple

No abstraction was allowed

A domestic cat does not see colour only black and white and when it either leaves or enters its home its perceptions change totally

This I explained is why abstraction was not allowed as it would confuse the creature and in certain cases prove dangerous

Frau Parker had been widowed on the last day of the war when her husband who had never seen action fell on his spade whilst digging for potato’s

It was rumoured that she wore his last vest beneath her high collared blouse

New Objectivity was better understood when sourced to its original German and there on to its root

Neue Sachilichkeit

Sache had a general meaning of a thing a subject or simply an object whereas Sachlich could be understood as factual impartial or practical

Sachilichkeit was the noun form of the adjective/adverb that in most cases implied matter of factness nothing more

In other words when my cat flap was installed in to a door it was then best forgotten

Behind Frau Parker’s chair there was an open fireplace which was no longer used and an iron plate had been placed at the entrance to the chimney

Due to the construction of the chimney if it rained heavily then small drops of water could be seen dropping on to the decorated tiles where once the fire had roared

This made little or no sound but on the occasions when hail fell without any wind to discredit its downward journey then a light tapping could be heard

This irritated Frau Parker and she often fiddled with her pen

I could predict the weather by listening to the hail stones

Towards the end of the term Frau Parker was placed on long term sick leave

It was said that she had had a nervous breakdown

Our classes were subsequently cancelled and it was announced that the lectures concerning the decoration of cat flaps and other feline aids would be carried over to the Spring Term when it was hoped that Frau Parker would return