Between Friends

The wind was chilly, blowing down from the mountains along the northern frontier of Idylland. The temperature was low, and skiffs of snow whipped around the corners of the buildings of the Cosy Apartment Feline Sanitarium.

 

It was a good day to be indoors. Dr Bellen enjoyed seeing the residents safe and warm on such days. Some were curled up in beds; others were peering out the windows from soft perches. One, however, was preparing to leave. As he neared Hector’s room, the doctor heard voices speaking from within the open door. He didn’t want to interrupt the conversation, so he waited in the corridor.

 

“Ai think ai has evrything,” Hector said. “Ai wont bee taking mutch. Theez little springie toys, an’ a box lid… Dr Bellen sed evrything will bee pervuided...”

 

“Queek er er week crik whee?”

 

“Beecuz it will bee mai home, Zofia. Ai will have mai own fambly, who will luv mee furever.”

 

“Pik pik queek er er wik mip.”

 

“Beecuz…wen ai go, another cat can take mai place heer, an’ maybe he’ll find his own home, too.”

 

“Mip creek week mikk mikk?”

 

“Well, yes, ai am a bit scaired. It’s a big a’venchure, yoo kno. Ai won’t kno ennybuddy, so ai will hav to bee brave. But soon ai will fit in, an’ the humans there will luv me. An’ there’s another cat there, an’—”

 

“Whee mip creek week?”

 

“No, ai won’t bee frends with her like ai am with yoo, Zofia. We’re bestest pals, yoo an’ mee. Heer, sit down.”

 

Dr Bellen heard the sound of two cats settling on a bed.

 

“See, Zofia, ai’m a black cat, an’ black cats dont get chanses like this mutch. Peeple don’t want us mutch… Wat? Ai don’t kno wai; it’s jist the way it is. So wen a chanse like this comes along, ai need to take it.”

 

“Crik whee mip mip.”

 

“Pierettes? Yeah, they mite turn out to bee pierettes...”

 

“!!” exclaimed Zophia.

 

“Or mebbe saccharin smugglerz...”

 

“!!!!” cried Zophia.

 

“Or mebbe people who reed Jackie Collins novels!”

 

“Quelle horreur!” shrieked Zophia.

 

“Hahahahaha.” Hector laughed.

 

“Kip kip kip kip kip kip kip kip kip kip kip.” Zofia laughed, too.

 

“But seeriusly, folks… If it duzn’t work out, Dr Bellen sez ai will come back to the Cosy Apartment sabbatarian, an’ ai will bee safe and welcome heer. ‘Wunce a sacarilium cat, always a sagittarius cat’. That’s wot the doctor sez.”

 

“Er wee pik.”

 

“Thank yoo, Zofia. Yor a good frend.”

 

Dr Bellen cleared his throat and entered the room.

 

“Are you ready, Hector?”

 

“Reddy, Doctor. Er, the trane won’t aksidently take see to Samarra, will it?” Hector looked sidelong at the human.

 

Dr Bellen smiled and answered, “No, Hector. You’ll be going in the opposite direction. Your trip to Samarra won’t be for many, many years yet.”

 

“Jist chekking…” Hector hopped off the bed, then turned and pushed his head against Zofia’s. “Dr Bellen will let yoo kno how ai am, Zo…”

 

Dr Bellen picked up Hector’s small collection of belongings - the box lid was a bit difficult for a feline to manage, anyway -  and walked with the black cat out of the room. In the corridor, Hector was concentrating on his great opportunity, and thinking about the future. He didn’t hear what Dr Bellen heard. A little, squeaky voice uttering one last wish for a friend.

 

“Queek er er week crik, Hector…”