For LWS, hope you are doing well in Vancouver. I miss you. ❤
1. Intro
Whoever said life’s better under the sun has no idea how much it hurts my eyes. Sure, I love lying in the sun to nap, but that’s only to make the day go faster. The real fun begins when the sun sets and darkness falls; that’s when the magic happens.
People call me by many names, but my Mom calls me Meow Meow, or Mew Mew, mostly the same sounds but with different tones when it comes to my brothers and sisters. I lost them when I was still a kitten, and life’s been pretty hard on my own since. Luckily the people in this neighborhood all have been very kind to me, welcoming me inside their homes and providing me with food and water. I switch around a few of them each week, but home is with Patty the building manager.
I have to admit, I’ve become very independent because of my upbringing, so I’m not a fan of sharing spaces with other cats that have lived a sheltered life, or to associate myself to a certain person. No one owns me, and I am a free agent to do as I please. No litter box, no collar, and definitely no locking me inside for a window ledge!
This is the adventure of my life, or so as I remember it.
2. The new girl
It’s been a while since I’ve met anyone new, and as much as I’m proud of my jumping abilities, I can only visit ground floor suites. I also have to be weary of not getting into icky situations where they sweep me out like the plague with a broomstick, or worse.
A few months ago, a girl moved in across the street, and I’ve been watching her from afar. It seems that she lives on her own, and recently bought a bicycle. She comes in and out of her sliding window doors during the day, and I kind of like her. I hope she likes me too.
Then the perfect chance came, she was having a party, and I can smell all the yummy food inside. I decided to venture in, and maybe even be part of the fun. As I was tip toeing underneath the table, I heard someone yell out in surprise, “Sophie, do you have a cat?”
There was a bit of fumbling, and I soon realized that I was not welcomed here; one of the guests was allergic to me. Just as I was about to retreat, Sophie caught me off guard and scooped me up. I instinctively drew out my claws, and before I knew it, a bloody streak came down on her arm. I wanted to apologize, but she already gasped in pain, threw me out of the window door, and shut it close behind her. I ran back home as fast as I could, sat on my bed, and licked myself clean as I tried to catch my breath.
I felt like a failure; our first meeting was an utter disaster! Patty came over and petted me gently on the head. “What’s wrong Sophie?” she asked. I looked up at her, only if she had knew what I’ve just been through, how I met a girl with the same name, and how shameful it was to be thrown out of the door. I didn’t want to think about it anymore, so I let Patty scratch my neck as I closed my eyes and tilted my head up.
3. Life with Sophie
It took me a full month to gear up the courage to see her again. It was a sunny afternoon, and I sat lazily on the front porch of the entrance way to her apartment building. As she rode by on her bike, I felt my heart starting to pound; what if she remembers that scar I left and runs away from me? After leaving her bicycle in the yard, she walked back towards the front door and saw me, trying to be as cute as I can. Then she smiled, and her smile was as warm as the sun. I hopped right away to her window door as she walked inside the building. This is going well, I thought to myself.
She soon came over to the door and let me in. Her apartment was small but tidy, and I walked straight into the kitchen area. She leaned down and petted me on the back, allowing me to smell her scents as I rubbed the side of my face on her. Now she’s all mine!
From then on, she would leave the window door open with just enough space for me to squeeze in. I would come over as often as I can to keep her company, and in turn she bought me a cute bowl and fed me every night. It’s not the same food as Patty and others give me, but Sophie says it’s good for me because there’s no grain.
Some nights Sophie would forget to leave the door open, but will always wake up when I call her to let me in. I also like to announce my arrival by going to her bed and wishing her sweet dreams. Sometimes I would sneak in on a rainy afternoon, nap on her cushiony chair, and wait for her to get back. She’s always in a good mood when she sees me, giving me treats and hugs. I’m not too fond of hugs, but I would do anything for those treats!
I’d say we have a pretty good life together.
4. Parting gift
Recently Sophie had been keen on putting a collar on me, saying it’s reflective and safer for me at night. She did however have the decency to remove that obnoxious bell, but when Patty saw it, she was quite amused by what was hanging on the collar.
It was a note left by Sophie, and to my horror, she’s leaving us! Patty had a long conversation over the phone, telling her my story, and giggling away. I sat quietly in the corner, looking out the window and seeing her place through the trees. I decided right then and there that I’m not going to go see her anymore, might as well cut it off now before I feel even more depressed. I’m always the one saying goodbyes, not the other way around!
Sophie still left the window door open for me every day, but I can sense her disappointment when I never showed up again. I saw the truck coming and going to take all her belongings, and finally her leaving with luggage through the front door. She looked around, probably for me, but I stayed home and pretended that I didn’t care.
A week after she had left, I saw the window door open again. I ran up closer to take a look, hoping she had changed her mind and came back. But to my disappointment, the apartment was empty, someone must have left the door open to vent out the new paint smell.
I sneaked inside the door; everything was oddly familiar except it was empty. I walked through the living room to the bathroom, hoping to find something that would remind me of her. Then there it was, hidden in a closet, a blue blanket.
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What does the blue blanket do? How will it change Sophie’s life? Stay tuned for the next chapters!
Side B of the track: My life with LWS
Sophie Ke 