Every Halloween there is a trailer that picks up all of the kids and takes them house to house. We parents follow behind on foot, four wheeler or truck. This year the trailer stopped at a house that nests in a valley. There was an avalanche of princesses, warriors, ghouls, and fairies; down the driveway toward the warmly lit house.
"Lord, let me never forget this moment!" I prayed aloud. My heart captured the moment and stored it away with other Life Treasures.
The above has nothing to do with today's blog but has been twirling about my mind all week and so I thought I'd share it. Halloween was super fun! The boys had a grand time and we parents enjoyed one another's fellowship as we paraded behind them. What I really wanted to write about is a follow up on my cat Sinclaire.
As my readers know she left us. We thought her dead but 2 months later found her weaving through the tall brown grass of our neighbors yard. I beckoned to her but she played dumb. The cat obviously knows how to get home but has chosen a new abode.
Her new home is that of a recently widowed woman whom the neighborhood calls "Mom." (Did I use "whom" right? "Who" sounded weird...) Mom is the owner of the horses Stormy and Trigger; nemesis' of our dog Drake. I find it to be no coincidence that Sinclaire has chosen them as allies since Drake is her reason for leaving.
Whenever we drive by Mom's yard the kids beg me to drive slowly in hopes of catching a glimpse of our cat playing in the yard. I decided that I really should have words with Mom so that she is not worried about the creepers who keep stalking by her house.
One day as I picked the boys up from the bus stop, a truck pulled into her driveway. I followed it in. Surprised and wondering faces emerged from the truck.
"Hi!" I cheerily called, "I'm your neighbor from up the hill!"
"Michelle?" Mom guessed.
"No, but very good! It's Michal. I met you and your husband once before when we first moved in. I was sorry to hear of his passing."
"Thank you."
"I actually have stopped by to tell you sort of a funny story. You see, we had a cat that left us about 2 months ago..."
"Oh!" Mom gasped and her eyes darted to who I later learned was her daughter. (Her son-in-law had already parted us and gone to the barn to tend to the horses.)
"We have seen her playing in your yard..."
"I suppose you want her back," she said as tears sprung to her eyes.
"Actually, no. Though we love her, it seems she has chosen to not return home. It would not be difficult for her to do so!" I went on to tell Mom about our new dog and the riff it's caused. "We are relieved to learn that she is not actually dead as we had thought but alive and well with you!"
"I love her dearly. She has been such great company!"
"Yeah, she's a talker!"
"Oh she is! Would you like to see her?" At that, she opened the front door. "Sissy! Come here Sissy!"
Out skipped "Sissy" who greeted Mom with chatter while weaving between her legs.
"Well hello Sinclaire!" I said to my cat. I swear to you she stopped mid-weave and looked at me in horror.
No! They've come for me! was written all over her face. She hid behind Mom's legs like a shy toddler.
"Don't freak out you ungrateful thing! I'm not bringing you back. It's clear you've made your choice and it's a good match."
"Are you sure the boys are OK by it?" Mom asked with a nod toward my sons.
"Yes," Drew said, "It's good to see Sinclaire smile again."
"She's a good fit here," added Gabriel. "We'd be happy for you to keep her."
"You can come and see her whenever you'd like," offered Mom.
"Yes, I did not come to take her back or to tell you so you'd feel bad but mostly I did not want you to be scared because we keep driving slowly by your house to get a look at her. I find it fascinating, really."
"Well thank you so much!"
"Come here kitty...." I got down and beckoned to her so I could pet her. She stayed close to Mom and then finally approached me. I pet her a bit and then picked her up for a snuggle.
It's a lie! She really is going to take me!
Sinclaire wiggled and wriggled until I put her down and she ran off.
"There she goes to the barn," Mom commentated. "She loves to sit with the horses."
"I'm sure she does..." I could just picture the three of them commiserating and plotting against Drake.
We went on swapping stories about our cat. It seems that everything I would not allow Sinclaire to do in our home (jump on counters, drink from faucets and cups, etc) Sissy has full permission to do at Mom's. In short she is in Hog Heaven!
"Thank you so much for letting mom keep her," her daughter whispered to me as she walked us to the end of the drive. "Sissy has been a real blessing and comfort to Mom since Dad died this Spring."
"When we saw that she'd been living here we thought the same thing! We figured she was being loved and keeping her company. This is so much better then wondering if she'd been eaten by something!"
I'm so glad to know she is safe. Happy that she is bringing joy to someones life and home. Bitter that she left us. How dare!
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