"The Poet's Cat"
Part 2
by Breyll & Vagabond
~ Orli ~
When I woke up again, the morning sun was sending her first
warming rays through the window. The storm had finally blown over, but the
sand outside still looked wet. I wondered with a shudder, if I would have
survived the night, if I had been forced to stay out there.
My human still had one of his large hands resting on my back, warming me and
making me feel safe and protected. Sleepily, I blinked up at him. His head
rested against the back of the armchair and he was snoring contentedly. He
looked so peaceful and calm.
I rested my head on my frontpaws and watched him, strange feelings welling
up in my small chest. The evening before I had spend much more attention on
his house then on him. Now, I truly looked at him and realised, he was quite
handsome. In a roughed way. I might not have a human body anymore, but that
did not mean I could not appreciate human beauty.
All I really wanted, was to stay on his lap and wait for him to wake up, to
see him smile down on me again. To feel liked. But my body started to demand
attention. I really needed to go outside to use that giant cat toilet called
beach.
I eased out from under his hand and soundlessly jumped down to the floor.
Maybe I could get outside and back onto his lap, before he woke up. But a
quick circuit of the ground floor rooms showed me, that no window was open.
The only way outside was the closed frontdoor.
I sat in front of it and carefully considered the handle above me. I should
be able to jump on it to open the door. I did not remember him locking it.
I would just have to be careful not to hurt my paw again.
I managed to time my jump so well, that I hit the handle on the first try
and I landed on the floor with a loud thud, while the door opened. Hoping,
I had not woken my human up, I slipped outside.
~Viggo ~
The warm tickling of the sun on my nose gently awoke me.
I was a little confused when I realized, that I was not in my bed and it took
me a moment to remember what had happened the previous night. I stretched
and yawned and looked out the window. Nearly no evidence of the storm remained.
Only some pieces of flotsam the sea had washed ashore, were strewn over the
beach.
It looked like it would be a wonderful day. The sea was incredibly blue and
the sky even more. Gulls were circling and I knew from experience, that the
sand would soon be warm and soft, when I walked over it with naked feet.
Maybe I could go for a little walk with my new housemate... - But where was
my kitten? He was definitely not in this room. Maybe in the kitchen, looking
for more food?
A bit stiff and sore from my night in the armchair I headed towards the kitchen
– and stopped in my tracks, when I noticed the open frontdoor.
Had I again forgotten to lock the door? I really was a careless dreamer...
Of course I was not hiding anything precious in my house, but there were one
or two things rather important to me – not the least my own life.
Shaking my head about my carelessness, I went to the door to close it, when
I remembered my kitten. Had it used the opportunity to steal away?
I sighed disappointed. I shouldn't have fallen in love with it so quickly.
I had already feared it to be a mistake yesterday evening. My life was marked
by the habit of loosing those things or people I liked.
Or watching them walk out the door...
~ Orli ~
When I came back around the corner of the little house, I
found my human standing in the doorway, still dressed in the rumbled clothes
of the previous day - with a generous amount of cat hair on his pants.
He was staring out at the sea, an decidedly forlorn expression on his face.
He looked so sad and lonely, I suddenly found myself quickening my steps to
get back to him.
He was about to turn away, when I reached the door and happily rubbed against
his leg, to alert him to my presence. He looked down at me, a mixture of surprise
and fierce joy in his eyes and a beautiful smile spread on his face. With
a start I realized, that he must have thought I had run away.
"Well good morning, kitty." he exclaimed and picked me up to nuzzle
his big nose in my fur and then arrange me in his arms. 'He likes me' I thought,
feeling utterly surprised. 'He really actually likes me'. The thought left
a sudden, warm feeling of happiness in my stomach and I snuggled closer to
him, softly pawing his face, to make sure he knew I liked him as well.
~ Viggo ~
'He has come back!' my heart celebrated and could hardly
believe it.
"You went for a little morning walk, didn't you? Right you are, the beach
is wonderful this time of morning..." Happily babbling, I carried my
new friend back into the house, to make some breakfast for both of us.
Weird, how his soft purring could fill me with such warmth and contentment.
Only now did I realize, how much I had wished for a bit of nearness, some
sign of affection. I pressed a soft kiss onto the cheeky tip of his cat ear.
I was feeling nothing but gratitude in that moment.
"Would you like to stay with me?" I whispered in the little ear,
that was twitching attentively. "I promise, I will take good care of
you, Kitty – And perhaps you could take a little care of me? What do
you think?"
~ Orli ~
What I wouldn't give, to answer that questions with words.
He liked me! He liked me and he wanted me to stay! As words were beyond me,
actions would have to be sufficient. I carefully got on my feet without dropping
out of his grasp, and then looked in his eyes as emphatically as I could possibly
manage. Hoping he would understand, I licked his nose softly, tasting his
skin and thoroughly enjoying it.
He looked at me in surprise, obviously not sure what to make of this not very
cat like behavior. "You are a strange cat, you know?" he told me.
"But I take that as a *yes*." Yes! My brilliant human!
As I was standing in his arms anyway, I climbed his shoulder, careful not
to burrow my claws through his clothes. I felt him wince slightly and was
even more careful, till I had ascended to his shoulder, where there was just
enough room for me to stand. He turned his head and looked at me sideways
and I looked at him. "Mew." I said as firmly as I could
~ Viggo ~
So it was decided. I wouldn't be alone anymore. Suddenly,
I was feeling very alive. I remembered a hundred things I wanted to do. Things,
that had been abandoned since... since *he* left.
I didn't want to think about him. That was long ago and definitely over. He
had made his decision and there had been nothing I could do about it. I, 'the
dreamy poet', as he had often called me, sometimes in jest, sometimes with
a cruel edge.
In the end, I just hadn't been what he wanted, hadn’t given him what
he expected from me. For me, it had always been enough just to have each other,
but that had not been sufficient for him. Nothing had ever been enough for
him, not even me. And finally, he had just walked out the door after a horrible
fight. It had been a stormy night, just like yesterday.
Since then, my poems stayed unfinished and the last stroke of the brush was
missing in my paintings, as a piece was missing in my heart…
And now another stormy night but brought to me my little guest. "Almost
like fate, isn't it?"
The kitten had listen to my story all ears and big eyes, as if it really understood
what I said. Now, he tenderly rubbed his head against my cheek and softly
he licked the tears away, that I had tried to suppress for so long and that
now ran down my face.
~ Orli ~
How could anybody treat this generous, gentle man so mean?
How could anybody in his right mind leave him? Whoever had hurt him like that,
better shouldn't cross my path or I would use my claws on him!
I jumped down to the kitchen table. Better to distract him from his sadness.
So I went over to the fridge and rubbed against it suggestively. Viggo immediately
laughed. "You do know, what the important things in life are, don't you?"
he asked and I mewed in agreement.
He opened the fridge and we both peered inside. Nothing much expect vegetables
and marmalade. He was obviously not prepared for a completely carnivore guest.
He seemed to think so as well, because he closed the fridge and swept the
kitchen with his gaze. "I wonder where I put that can of tuna..."
he mused aloud and my heart leaped in joy. Tuna! The heavenly gift! I rubbed
against his leg again, to get him to think faster.
~ Viggo ~
"Oh don't look at me like that!" I laughed. "With
your beautiful chocolate eyes you could make me dive in the sea for fish myself."
While I spoke, I searched the cupboards and finally found the hoped for can
of tuna, plus a ceramic bowl that I had handpainted long ago. That would be
a wonderful bowl for my kitten. Better than the old plate anyway.
"Well, what do you think? With a bowl like that, the food is double as
good, isn't it?"
If better or not – the bowl was empty in the blink of an eye. Next,
he jumped onto the table, where my freshly made breakfast waffles were smelling
deliciously and with some loud mewing he announced, that he was going to help
me devour them.
~ Orli ~
For a while we were both happily munching on his food. It
was so nice of him to allow me to stay on the table. He had put the bowl on
the floor but that was forgivable. And it was just so nice to nibble the waffles
from his fingers.
When we had finished eating, he eyed me curiously.
"So, Kitty," he said, "what am I going to name you, as you
have decided to stay." I looked at him thoughtfully. I really didn't
care what name he chose. As long, as it was not too stupid. I wasn't even
sure, what my name had been. Just that it certainly had not been a stupid
one.
"How about we consult with the experts on this." he ventured. I
had no idea what he was talking about, but when he got up and left the kitchen,
I followed. He went to the living room and started searching his many books
for a specific volume. At last he seemed to have found, what he was looking
for. He sat down in the armchair again and I jumped onto the armrest to watch
what he was doing. "Now let's see..." he said and opened the big
book.
~ Viggo ~
"Shakespeare." I almost sighed the name. "He
was such a wonderful poet. His texts are so full of emotion and wisdom –
and his characters are as well. It won't be a shame to be named after a character
of Shakespeare, don't you think?"
I caressed my cat's head lovingly and he mewed – rather doubtful, but
not altogether refusing to listen. "We'll just let fate decide. I will
open the book on one page and will read you the names of the acting characters,
and if you like one you just mew, okay?"
The cat sniffed the book, looking distrustful, but then he licked my hand,
which I interpreted as consent. "Here we go."
For a moment, I let the book rest in my hands, feeling it's weight, breathing
the smell of old paper. I closed my eyes while my fingers were slowly caressing
the cover and then the thin pages between.
I let my thoughts drift, completely concentrating on the task of finding a
beautiful name for my cat. Then I opened the book on my knees.
"As you like it", That's a fitting title, isn't it?" I winked
at my cat and started to read. "Let's leave out the women, okay? So we
have… 'Jaques'? – Better name for an old body servant. Hmm...
how about 'Oliver'? – That's a nice name... isn't it? But it sounds
like a big round cat. No, *you* need something more striking... oh yes...
what do you think of 'Orlando'?!"
I enthusiastically looked at my little furball and gently tugged his ear.
"Would you like that? Orlando... Orli! That sounds nice, really cute.
And I think it fits you very well!"
If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to: Beryll & Vagabond
go to PART 3