Fiction
Untitled Story – 1
Last modified on 2009-08-16 22:14:35 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Chapter 1: The Beginning of the Miracle
Once upon a time, there lived a lonely cat whose name he himself did not know. As far as he could remember, he never had a family, nor does he need one. Unlike others of his kind, he is a smart cat. By patiently listening and learning throughout his life, he thinks that he can now understand human speech if he tries hard enough. But that is expected, since he is a smart cat. He does not know why, but cats to him are disgusting. Who wants to be like a cat? His ideal life would be living as a human, civilized and smart, not wild and instinctive like how cats are. As he enters an unfamiliar section of town, looking for food, he mentally compliments himself once more for devising such a brilliant way to be fed. After all, for a cat, he thinks way too much.
The process is incredibly easy. Something he learned from experience is that cats are considered to be “cute” by these superior humans, but only sometimes. Within a short time of that realization, he perfected all the ways a cat can act that would make him cut. He does not need to startle humans with sudden jumps, showing fangs, or random clawing, because those actions make cats unfavorable in their eyes. If he loiters around some outdoor cafe or restaurant, putting on his sweetest expressions while mewing softly and expectantly, then he wil not fail to be fed. The other stray cats, of course, are too stupid to think of such methods. When will they learn that jumping from roof to roof, diving into garbage, and making a raucous will only make humans hate them? But then again, today is a good day: This nice lady shared with him half of her delicious hotdog. He shall leave his usual rants about his own species for another time.
”To survive is to have an open mind.” This has been his favorite motto, out of many, for quite a while. He was able to survive by looking through the eyes of humans, not only his own. Because of this, he always knew when one wants to do him harm or give him a treat. This ability gives him much freedom, for it allows him to traverse safe streets without the constant worry of danger. On one sunny morning, he decides to leave the busy atmosphere of the city to follow an unknown path into the woods. Even though he has never been here before, he could sense its unusual calm and serenity, as if this forest is a dreamland that no one has ever discovered before. After a short stroll, this lonely cat spies a small log residence that he almost missed. This decrepit dwelling, although located just slightly off the path, blends in so well with its wild surroundings that one could have easily glanced pass it. This smart cat, disregarding all reason, instinctively begins to approach the house.
As he arrives at the entrance, he suddenly becomes aware of movements nearby, but they do not startle him. He creeps slowly to the corner of the house, peeking around to witness an old woman tending to her rather large garden. For someone who has been watching humans his whole life, this particular old woman is strangely mesmerizing to look at. Without realizing it, he has crossed the distance and is sitting on her side. The old woman stops her work and looks over when she notices the cat, but she is not afraid of him. Like the cat, maybe she could sense whether or not there is danger, and this cat is certainly not a threat.
”Well well, what have we here?” The old woman speaks in a shakey and harmless tone, but it was enough to bring the cat out of the enchantment.
”My name is Ginger, and I wonder what yours is,” says the old woman. Then she chuckles, “Of course you can’t understand me. After all, you’re just a cat.”
But the cat did understand what she was trying to say, even if he did not understand her words. Then, Ginger removes her gardening gloves and picks up the cat carefully and tenderly. Leaving her garden unfinished, she brings the cat inside of the house. He makes no protest to these actions, because he is wanting to see the inside of this house. The cat comes to realize while in the old woman’s arms that this is a first experience to him. He has longed to be like a human, but he has always looked at them from afar. Now, for the first time, he could really see through the eyes of a human, through the eyes of this gentle woman named Ginger.
The inside of the house is very disappointing to the cat. It is devoid of technology, precious paintings, trophies and medals, and other expensive objects that any civilized human being should have. It seems as if this woman does not need much to live, and the mere necessities are enough to make her happy. Ginger does not put the cat on the ground, but instead, she places him on a rather dusty table. After making sure the cat will stay put, she leaves for the back of the room and starts working with what looks like a makeshift stove.
”Are you here to stay with me?” Ginger asks while turned around. “If so, then we should give you a name.”
Her voice has a hint of a command in it, as if this woman is certain that the cat came to become hers. She then continued after a pause, “Let’s name you Gelus. It’s a good name for you. Oh, even if it sounds like jealous, it is spelled G-E-L-U-S. It’s a fitting name for you, because you are jealous of humans, aren’t you?”
Of course, the cat cannot disagree, but he could not begin to explain how she can read his mind. Maybe some humans are also smarter than others, similar to how he is smarter than other cats. To show his acknowledgement, he nods behind the woman’s back, no doubt that she could sense his nod.
Ginger turns around to give the cat a quick smile then says, “Good good, so you are the companion that I have been looking for.” As the woman resumes cooking her brunch, Gelus jumps down from the table clumsily to explore the house. He is surprised at his imbalance, but at the same time not surprised since he has abandoned such silly actions a long time ago. To start, there is only one room. The kitchen, the bedroom, and the living room is just one room, with no indication of where a bathroom might be. He immediately notes that the table is one of the “newest” objects in the house, for the lack of a better word. The bed looks homemade, having a thin mattress on top of a few pieces of wood nailed together. There are two wooden chairs, both expectedly dusty but surprising sturdy. He climbs on one of the chairs to have a better look around, and then spots a shelf near the only window in the house. On the shelf is a picture frame, without a picture inside. But the frame is not empty. Inside of the frame is simply a silhouette of a cat.
Before Gelus could think more, like he usually does, Ginger is now done making brunch. She places a hot pan on the table then some eggs and sausage on a plate. This time, she puts the plate on the ground.
”Here Gelus, have some food,” Ginger says. “I’m sure you’re familiar with human food. You probably eat them all the time.”
Once again, Gelus cannot disagree. Being somewhat hungry, he gratefully accepts the food. It is warm to his liking and is quite delicious. He prefers this type of food anyways; he does not recall ever eating cat food.
”What a nice day today for gardening,” Ginger notes. “Let’s go for a stroll after you finish that meal there. The beauty of life depends on how much you understand nature, and we can’t do that if we are inside this gloomy place all day long.”
Gelus looks up for a moment then continues to finish his meal. He thinks that this woman is nice, and has already made up his mind to stay with her. Not only can he understand her, but she can also understand him. She also makes good food. This is what he has been wanting his whole life, so why not? Now he can live with a human and perhaps experience the same. For a smart cat, he wonders why he has not thought of this idea before. It is quite ironic–this cat reveres humans but prefers his freedom from them. But maybe it is his time to settle down with this Ginger. As he finishes the thought, he finds his plate finally empty. For once, he does not feel sleepy after such a big meal.
Walking alongside with Ginger in the woods proves to be an interesting experience. It is less of a walk but more of a narrative, since Ginger shares with the cat any, and everything, on her mind. But the tranquility of the woods is what unites the two together. Even though both feel at ease walking between the trees and shrubs, they are still two beings not native to living with such places; one lives in a shelter and one lives roaming the cities. And in the middle of such wilderness, they feel more connected, more eager to share their experiences. Was this Ginger’s plan all along? Maybe this old woman is more lonely than he. What Gelus wants is to to live with her and experience the life of a human. What she needs, is him.
”It all started quite long ago,” Ginger begins to tell her story, “when I was first born in these woods. The only person I that remember is my father. He would not say what happened to my mother, except that she fulfilled her role and is now living her own life. If that meant she died, then my father did a terrible job at giving the hint. But I believe that she did not. Somewhere, she was living her own life, not caring about me, or my father. But all I needed was my father, because he was always there.”
”We lived a happy but simple life in this very same cabin. Can you believe that it was smaller and more run-down than it is now? We have spent our whole life in there, living amongst the woods yet never a part of it. I could not imagine living without him, in another family.”
Well, I couldn’t imagine growing up with a family, the cat mentally argues. What is so good about family anyways? But then Gelus realizes that he has failed to look through the eyes of a human. A cat as a beggar, like he, can live a good life. A human as a beggar is the lowest of the low, having no pride and honor. This is, the cat thinks, must be why humans want a family. Without a family, they would be beggars, and the only way to survive is to benefit from a mother or father’s fortunes, then the cycle repeats. Gelus is thoroughly convinced that this is the case.
”And so our lives had been until I was sixteen years old. One day, my father went hunting, and he never came home. I did not know what happened to him. He could have been injured deep in the woods or he could have ran away for reasons I would not have understood. I spent days in the forest searching for him until I was sure that he is gone forever. After that, I continued to live in the cabin. My home was the only thing I had left from my childhood, and I was intent on changing it at least as possible, while making it more habitable.”
”I learned the arts through my father. I learned how to cook, how to hunt, how to grow crops, how to build, and how to live. He left behind all of the necessary tools, and I had the knowledge, so all that is needed was a bit of work. Hunting was never my strength, and the sight of death did not please me anyways. My father actually left behind quite a bit of money; I didn’t know he was that rich. But I relied little on that money. I only used it to get materials to grow my own garden. In time, I actually made money by selling my goods to the market. There was no need to mingle with the educated and civilized. My home is the forest.”
”Then a few years later, a cat just like yours came by. The only difference is that he was injured. He had a collar so I knew that he belonged to someone. I took care of him for a while then released him. I wasn’t worried if he could find his way home, since he was as smart as you. From time to time, he came back regularly to visit me, until I suspected that he passed away. But he came back, time after time, even when he was old and feeble. I was certain that I want a cat for a companion. And I would wait until one who comes to be again, one who needs me.”
”That may not make any sense, I know,” Ginger chuckles. “But that is how I think. Maybe my mother and father did not leave me on purpose, but there is no certainty. Perhaps you might say I never trusted humans again. Whatever the truth may be, cats are worth trusting. They care about others, and so I care about them.”
Once more, Gelus finds himself at the entrance of the log residence. They are finally finish with their afternoon walk. Even though it was an enjoyable experience, he already misses the comfort of that small cabin. When Ginger opens the door, Gelus quickly runs inside, forgetting his usual elegance. After all, it has been a long day. He is used to sleeping in the afternoon after his meal, and now he wants his dinner so he can take a long nap into the night. What a day for him indeed. But he is now one step closer to becoming a human, because Ginger has given him a name.
Dinner has the same feel as lunch, only now Ginger manages to stir up some salted meat, potatoes, and carrots. He still could not eat on a table or chair, but that would be blasphemy in the eyes of humans, so Gelus is fine with the current arrangement. While Gelus is eating, Ginger leaves the house to tend to her garden. For the first time since his arrival at this home, he is alone. But this time, he actually feels lonely. Finish with his dinner, he lays down next to the bed, intent on waiting for Ginger to come back. But before that would happen, this smart cat falls into a deep sleep. Like humans, he has many things to dream about, and this night was exceptional.