The Man was very sad. He knew that the Cat’s days were numbered.The doctor had
said there wasn’t anything more that could be done,that he should take the Cat
home and make him as comfortable as possible.
The man stroked the Cat on
his lap and sighed.The Cat opened his eyes, purred and looked up at the Man. A
tear rolled down the Man’s cheek and landed on the Cat’s forehead.The Cat gave
him a slightly annoyed look.
“Why do you cry, Man?”the Cat asded.“Because
you can’t bear the thought of losing me? Because you think you can never replace
me?”The Man nodded “yes.”
“And where do you think I’ll be when I leave
you?”the Cat asked. The Man shrugged helplessly. “Close your eyes, Man,” the Cat
said. The Man gave him a questioning look, but did as he was told.
“What
color are my eyes and fur?” the Cat asked. “Your eyes are gold and your fur is a
rich, warm brown,” the Man replied.
“And where is it that you most often
see me?”asked the Cat. “I see you…on the kitchen windowsill watching the
birds…on my favorite chair…on my desk lying on the papers I need…on the pillow
next to my head at night.” “Then, whenever you wish to see me, all you must do
is close your eyes,” said the Cat.
“Pick up that piece of string from the
floor——there, my ‘toy.’” The Man opened his eyes, then reached over and picked
up the string. It was about two feet long and the Cat had been able to entertain
himself for hours with it. “Now take each end of the string in one hand,” the
Cat ordered. The Man did so.
“The end in your left hand is my birth and the
end in your right hand is my death. Now bring the two ends together,” the Cat
said. The Man complied.
“You have made a continuous circle,” said the
cat.“Does any point along the string appear to be different, worse or better
than any other part of the string?” The Man inspected the string and then shook
his head “no.”
“Close your eyes again,” the Cat said.“Now lick your hand.”
The Man widened his eyes in surprise.
“Just do it,” the Cat said.“Lick your
hand,think of me in all my familiar places, think about all the pieces of
string.”
The Man felt foolish, licking his hand, but he did as he was told.
He discovered what a cat must know, that licking a paw is very calming and
allows one to think more clearly. He continued licking and the corners of his
mouth turned upward into the first smile he had shown in days. He waited for the
Cat to tell him to stop,and when he didn’t, he opened his eyes. The Cat’s eyes
were closed.The Man stroked the warm, brown fur, but the Cat was gone.
The
Man shut his eyes hard as the tears poured down his face. He saw the Cat on the
windowsill, then in his bed, then lying across his important papers. He saw him
on the pillow next to his head, saw his bright gold eyes and darkest brown on
his nose and ears. He opened his eyes and through his tears looked over at the
circle of string he still held clutched in his hand.
One day, not long
after, there was a new Cat on his lap. She was a lovely calico and white…very
different from his earlier beloved Cat and very much the same.