Red Cat In The Morning Sun
Looking Out On the World
Dear friend,
Up and over the fence at the bottom of our garden the sunlight strikes the brick of our neighbours houses yellow gold. The risen sun strikes the head and front paws of the ginger tom cat who lives behind us. His face poking out of the gap of an upstairs window. Earnestly eyeing the birds, in a feathered feline tennis match.
The first time I saw him up there my heart beat skipped, it being a long way down for a little cat, but he’s well coordinated so now I just watch him and wish he’d come live with us.
Did I tell you about Chester?
In my wallet I have Mam’s handwritten note with the website and phone number for the Carlisle and District Cat’s Protection League. There’s a time, two forty, and a date, Tuesday 15th January.
I’m not sure of the year.
I’m only just realising that this can’t actually be the reminder to get Chester. We got him when I was sixteen. We’d never even heard of the internet back then.
Maybe Mam was thinking about getting a new cat? They never did.
When I see our neighbours cat I can’t help but think of him. He was such a gentle boy. I’d been pestering for a cat for ages, and one day Mam and Dad went ‘shopping’ in Carlisle. I stayed at home with Kevin.
They came home with a tiny ginger kitten. He was no bigger than a hand. The cutest little thing, we all fell in love, him falling asleep curled up with me and Kevin in front of the gas fire.
They could be like that Mam and Dad. They’d get a kick out of making a nice surprise for us. Mam had picked Chester out of a litter who were chasing ping pong balls in a in a woman’s bathtub. That was all the information we got about his origins.
I felt for him, being taken away from his family like that for the first time. Me and Kevin were his brothers now.
When he got old and it was his time, I came up from London to be with him. He was at the bottom of the stairs, telling us in the way he always did, with a look, that he wanted something. This time it was release.
At the vet’s as he left his body, I saw him fly around the room, circling over head. He followed us home for a while, but didn’t stay long. He had places to go. Cats can’t help exploring.
Funny how some people still wonder of animals have souls.
Our animals are our teachers.
The little cat’s ducked inside now, and Chiara and me are getting ready to travel to The End of the Road music festival in Dorset.
I’ll be posting from the road.
Till tomorrow
Love
Mikey