Lucky Ladlee- a big house and a fat wallet can’t compensate for a large heart.
After months of wandering the streets, can this stray cat finally find a permanent and loving home?
Story: S A Spencer
Photo by Akira
“What happened to her? Since last few days she is not coming
to meet us.” Leena asks me while we are halfway through our evening walk. We’ve
treaded the same route for almost ten years now, and it has become second
nature. Most probably, she was not even born.
“Sounding like she is your second daughter!” I chortle.
Leena replies with a mild giggle. “Then you are also her
father.”
“Maybe she is just a stray cat.” I reason to convince her,
but my eyes circle around in case she would be hiding next to a parked car. Initially,
we had thought she belonged to somebody. Possibly to the owner of the house in
front of which we met her for the first time a few months ago. Whenever we
passed through the house, she would be there to greet us, week after week.
“Mew”. The sound still rings inside my ears. She would come
running towards us and Leena would talk to her.
“Come on. How are you doing?” Every day, Leena addresses her
with these exact lines. The cat has no name. Had we known she is not a pet, we
could have thought of a name.
The cat walks alongside us, purring contentedly as it weaves
between our legs. We both are not fans of keeping domestic animal. The
temptation to bend down and ruffle her fur is strong, but I’ve always resisted.
No one knows where she would be lying. Sometimes I have seen her coming out of
the storm water drain.
But Leena and I both had got used to seeing her every
evening. Her daily presence made her a natural part of the walking routine. There’s
a nagging feeling that something is missing from our lives and we can’t quite
put our finger on it.
“Now I am sure she is not a pet cat,” Leena says.
“Did you plan to take her home and keep forever?”
Leena has always complained that I don’t love to keep
domesticated animals, citing thousands of reasons against it.
“No. Stray animals would never like to remain confined to a
home. They love to walk around the residential compound.”
“Right. Remember the day she came to us for the first time? As
we walked, she stayed by our side, occasionally looking up at us with hopeful
eyes, as if she was searching for a new place to call home.”
“So?”
“And we were uncomfortable to bring an animal to our life.” Leena
stills and glances at me.
“But she turned around and vanished after that.”
“Maybe she was disappointed that we didn’t show any
interest.”
“If that is so, why did she appear almost every day we walk
past this area? Did she hope one day we will change our mind to take her home?”
“Maybe. And the fact is, we didn’t.”
As we come to the end of Lilydale Drive and turn right to Paperbark
Road, a shadow of disappointment washes over Leena’s face. And a wave of guilt
ripples my heart.
“We both are stubborn people. Renie has frequently wondered
why she is an only child while her friends have siblings.”
We both have discussed this many times before. How do we
tell a twelve-year-old girl that her mother has some physical issue, and we can
never bring another baby to this world? We could have adopted a boy or girl. With
so many legal formalities involved, we doubt if we can spare enough time to
bring up another child, given how busy we both are in our respective careers.
I didn’t want to discuss Renie’s complain. She is still a
kid. “Do not worry about the cat. She wouldn’t mind like humans. Maybe she is a
real pet, and her owner is not letting her move freely on the road.”
Blood drains out of Leena’s face. “Maybe another family
already adopted her! Not every family is lucky to adopt, be it a human child or
an animal. A large heart is all that’s needed, not a big house or fat wallet.”
“How are you Leena?” a female neighbour comes from the
opposite direction holding the leash of her little dog.
Leena stops and bends down to ruffle the back of the dog.
“He is so cute!”
I manage an appreciative smile, knowing very well that I am
not a pet friendly person.
As we walk on the footpath once more, the leaves rustle
beneath our feet. A sudden gust of icy breeze sends chills down her spine. Thunder
rumbles in the distance as lightning flares in the sky. We both look up and can
hear the distant growl of thunder, a sure sign that the sky might pour buckets
soon.
“Let’s speed up. Rain might pour before we arrive at home.”
Without saying a single word, I pace along with my wife.
But within minutes, we come to an abrupt stop, and I can
feel the tension rising between us as we hear the familiar sound. ‘Mew.’
“Come Ladlee.” Leena is all smiles.
I also feel a grin on my face. Dark clouds loom in the
distance, and I can’t help but worry about the coming storm.
“We must hurry.” Leena gazes at me intently before looking
up at the sky, and then falls into step with me. Seeing the cat again has given
us reason to believe that she will return.
“Finally, you found a name for her?” I ask while loping.
Leena smiles back and asks, “For how many days will we
continue to refer to her simply as a cat? She’s alone and desperately
seeking the comfort of a family. A family which deserves her.”
As she speaks, her tone conveyed a sense of discontentment.
“She is following us.”
“Without a home, she’ll have to endure the rain and get
completely wet.”
Ladlee follows us. This time, she walked straight ahead, not
veering off course after just a few steps. She follows us to our home. “Today
she needs us, at least until the storm stops. Then the entire neighbourhood is
her home, anyway.” I chortle.
Leena smiles at me. Are we both granting temporary approval
for this? We may not be pet lovers, but we wouldn’t be heartless enough to deny
shelter to a helpless animal. I’m certain the cat is just as eager to find
shelter from the impending storm as we are.
Ladlee’s mew, as we open the door, is a clear indication of
her thankfulness. Renie comes running from her study room. “Oh, a cat.” The
smile on her face is not less than a few million dollars. “Mum, what is her
name?”
“Ladlee.” Leena smiles back. The rain bombs down, drowning
out all other sounds and turning the world into a blur of grey. I close the
main door.
“Thanks mum and dad. Is this my birthday present? She is so
lovely.” With a giggle, she scoops up the furry cat and feels its warmth
against her chest. “This is the best gift to me.”
Leena and I both stare at each other. Renie’s birthday is
only a week away. Last two years, she has always been after us to bring a pet
for her birthday gift, which we successfully ignored, saying we will but when
time comes.
She thinks the time has come.
“Let’s find how to register a cat we bring from the street.”
Words spill out of my mouth before I even comprehend.
Renie is already in her room with Ladlee in her arms,
showing her everything she possesses.
Leena grabs me and plants a lovely kiss on my lips. After
years, I feel the warmth of her kiss, but as our lips touch, I am transported
back in time. “You are the best dad, and also the best husband.”
Now we have an animal sibling for our little angel.
Please send your funny or other life experiences to me, and I will make a story and publish, acknowledging your contribution. Or, if you can write your own story, I will publish the same with your name as a writer. Writing should be between 1000-1500 words.
on Facebook and Twitter so that you know when a new story comes.
Do you like this story? Let your friends also read this.
Share through
Comments
Post a Comment