Sheela hadn’t spoken for 20 years — then Marley reached out his paw

Karen with Marley (Picture: Karen Anstiss)Sitting on the sofa, Marley reached out to Sheela as she was knitting. ‘Hello sweetie pie,’ she said to Marley, a seven-year-old cat, whose paw was now on Sheela’s leg.
Looking on, I was astonished. This woman had been kept mute for over 20 years as a slave in London, and in three months of knowing her, these were the only words in English I’d ever heard Sheela speak.Sheela is a guest at Caritas Bakhita House – a safe h