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Books - Cats - Life is Sweet!
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As Núria wandered the streets feeding the strays, she could feel herself sort of floating. The phrase “walking on air” came to mind. She hadn’t felt that way in a long while. Not since Rocky had waltzed into the café one day and decided that Núria, the barista who had crafted her extra-sweet chai latte, was going to be her new BFF. Back then, she’d had doubts too. Why would an outgoing, successful, and beautiful woman want to be her friend? As she got to know Rocky, she realized that they did have something in common. Núria’s calling was taking care of stray cats. And Rocky’s calling was taking care of stray people. Maybe she was just overthinking it. Núria stopped in front of Cat’s hedge. Her feet suddenly felt solid and grounded. She decided that she would go with the flow and stop worrying so much. She would get dressed up and go to Omar’s dinner with a bottle of wine and have some fun for a change. Screw all those kids who had ignored her. Screw all those people who thought she was weird. Screw all those guys who had called her a “crazy cat lady” and run off. She reached up to adjust her lopsided top-bun, and from the corner of her eye, she spotted a neon-pink Post-it note tucked inside the empty plastic feeding container. Huh. With everything going on, she’d almost forgotten about the mysterious stranger. She bent down to retrieve the note and read it. "Do you ever wonder if the cat misses you when you’re not around?" Núria smiled. But then she quickly covered her mouth in case the mysterious stranger was watching. It was an odd question. However, she had to admit that the thought had crossed her mind. If she stopped showing up one day, would the cats miss her too? Or would they just miss the food? People always joked that if a cat owner was murdered, their cat wouldn’t care; their dead body would become just another piece of furniture or a scratching post or, even worse, cat food. Núria disagreed, though. Cats did form bonds. Every time she went somewhere for just a couple of days, her cats would rush her as soon as she got home. From what she could gather, this rando was not a cat person. Which was fine and all. It certainly made her even more curious about the person’s intentions. In spite of Rocky’s teasing, she still wasn’t sure that this was a romantic gesture. One, because she looked like an absolute slob whenever she made her rounds. Two, because men were generally not shy about approaching women they were interested in. At least, that’s what she’d experienced in the bars that Rocky had dragged her to. Could it be a woman, though? Or a nonbinary person? Huh. The possibility hadn’t crossed her mind until now. Núria stared at the handwriting on the note, trying to analyze every letter—their curves and lines and dots. Well, not really dots, since the dot over the “i” looked more like an accent. Also, the letters were neater than most guys’ penmanship, but it didn’t scream “girly,” either. Then again, maybe that was stereotyping. The more she stared, though, the more confused she got. Did it even matter who this person was? Was she even interested? As much as she wanted to toss the note in the trash and forget all about it, she couldn’t help feeling intrigued. Maybe even flattered. It wasn’t often that someone was interested in her like that. The handful of relationships she’d had in her life had ended disastrously. Looking back, they hadn’t even been real relationships, not in the give-and-take sort of sense. It had been Núria doing all the giving and the men doing all the taking. That’s probably why she preferred the company of cats. There was no pretense when it came to her feline companions. When they were being sweet, they were being sweet... When they wanted to ignore you, they ignored you. Cats didn’t have a hidden agenda. Núria sighed and stuck the note in her pocket. She needed a double shot of espresso and some words of reassurance from Rocky before deciding whether to write back.
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The Mailman who had his route in the neighborhood had also become a friend. Then there was a local lady who had fed him from those items sold in the grocery. But then she had died and her husband was so distraught that he didn't think about feeding the cat... until much later, when the mailman got involved...
And then there was a writer who watched Nuria from his window every day and became interested in Cat, along with the woman he'd been watching, so much so that he built a little home in the alley next to his house, and started feeding Cat as well... And finally, there was a young girl who had come to town to find her sister, who became somewhat of a stalker once she had found her, but was still afraid to approach her... Five people--all five to have entered Cat's life with somewhat unusual backgrounds...
Take for instance, the night when Nuria had finally agreed to have dinner at the mailman's home where she met his partner and had a lovely dinner with too many drinks--and she was a little tipsy walking home and was accosted by a man who started touching her inappropriately. When Nuria started screaming, her stalker heard her, and so did Cat, who, although afraid of the traffic, immediately ran to help his friend!
The curb on the other side was near; he could almost touch it. Just a few more steps and he leaped, giving it all he had as a bicycle whizzed by, grazing the tip of his tail. Finally, he landed on the sidewalk. As much as he wanted to stop and rest after his traumatic ordeal, Rainbow Lady was in trouble. The man’s hand was even farther up her leg. It’s now or never… Cat growled and hissed with all his might before charging toward the man with his back arched, fangs exposed, claws extended, and fur standing on end as he readied himself for a fight. The man pulled his hand away from Rainbow Lady and whipped his head around just as Cat pounced on him, scratching the side of his face.
One cold winter day, Cheery Mailman had confided in him that even though he loved being a mailman, sometimes he wished for a higher calling, something that would give his life a greater purpose. In his own way, Cat had understood where he was coming from. There had been a time when he’d thought about what it would be like to live with a human. Cat had been born on the streets. His mother had eventually run off. His siblings had died, one by one. He’d never known a life other than being a stray. Sometimes, he passed by windows with chubby cats staring at him from inside a home, and he would wonder what it was like on the other side. But those notions usually left as quickly as they’d appeared. Cat loved his freedom. There was a wildness inside of him that couldn’t be tamed. He’d come to peace with that. Where the heck was Cheery Mailman, anyways? Cat stood on his hind legs with his front paws on the bench’s backrest. Once he had a good vantage point, he peered through the storefront window. It was a bit dark and there was a glare on the glass that made it hard for him to see the store’s interior. He jumped off the bench and sauntered over to the door, hoping for a better view. After a couple of seconds, he spotted Cheery Mailman standing several feet away from Sad Bodega Man, the one whom Smiley Lady had called “mahal,” whatever that meant. Cat understood that Smiley Lady had died. She’d been there one day, gone the next. Of all his feeders, she had been the most dependable, the one who showed up every day at the exact same time, rain or shine. That’s why he knew something had happened to her. It had made him sad. Really sad. His little heart ached at the thought of never again seeing the way her entire face would light up every time she spotted Cat through the back door. For weeks, he’d stayed away from the bodega. One day, though, Cheery Mailman managed to convince him to join him for a walk, a chat, and some creamy treats. Since then, he’d been visiting the bodega with him almost daily. Most of the time, he avoided looking inside at Sad Bodega Man. Seeing him reminded Cat of Smiley Lady’s absence. But today, he felt braver than usual. Through the glass, he stared right at him. The old man looked different. Much older. He’d lost some weight too. It was as if the life had been zapped out of him. Seeing him like that brought the feelings of sadness out of Cat once again. He went even closer to the glass door, craning his neck to figure out what was going on. After a moment, he realized that Sad Bodega Man was seated on a box, crying. His face was moist, covered in tears and mucus. His body sagged, making it seem as if his bones had suddenly melted. It was as if he was broken, like those discarded toys Cat would see out on the sidewalk on trash day. Part of him wanted to hightail it out of there. But the other part of him, the one that had loved Smiley Lady so dearly, knew he had to do something. He owed her that much. So when he saw Cheery Mailman trying to leave the store with embarrassment stamped all over his face, Cat stood his ground at the door, as if his butt and paws were cemented to the sidewalk. If he didn’t move, there was no way for Cheery Mailman to escape. He would have to stay inside and help Sad Bodega Man. If anyone could help that pile of depressed flesh and bone, it was Cheery Mailman. There was a reason that Cat had nicknamed him “Cheery,” after all. And it worked! Cheery Mailman turned back around and said something to Sad Bodega Man. After a second or two, he went over and sat next to him, not saying anything, while the old man’s tears streamed down his face, his body hunched over as he rocked back and forth. Even though Cat was incapable of crying, he had experienced sadness in his life. When his mother left, he’d felt abandoned and heartbroken. When his siblings died, leaving him all alone, he too had hunched over, curling into a ball of misery for days on end. It wasn’t until he’d found the kindness of strangers—strangers like Smiley Lady—that his grief had begun to subside. Until, finally, life had become bearable again. Now it was his turn to pay it forward...
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