Delta40
02-03-2009, 11:27 PM
The kitten was ugly. There was no doubt about that. One could say it was skeletal really. When Heather ran her finger across the tiny form there was none of that soft, fluffy sensation which you might expect to experience with five week old kitten. Rather, the outline of each little bone, jutted out as her tip ran along the frame.
Heather wrinkled her nose in tune with another sensation her touch communicated. Its coat felt grimy and murky. Her brain did its best to convince her what a kitten should be. Playful, soft and curious. It was none of these things. It smelled as bad as it looked, Heather decided as she considered the awkward looking creature.
‘Ouch!’ The kitten, perhaps affronted at the intrusive inspection, bit down hard on Heather’s finger. It stood in an A-frame position. Defensive. Each time it attempted escape from the kitchen bench it moved in a crab-like fashion. Heather thought it ludicrous that this tiny kitten even imagined for a moment it could make itself look a mite larger, let alone intimidating by adopting such a comical position. The kitten thought differently and each time Heather approached, it arched its back almost impossibly so, tip toeing sideways warningly to the nearest corner.
The kitten was lucky to be alive. Heather had driven down the road when the mobile phone on the passenger seat rang.
‘Hello?’
‘Hi Mum it’s me. Whatcha doing?’
‘I’m driving without the hands-free Jess. Is this important?’
No Mum. I guess I’m not important Why don’t you find something that is!’
‘Jess! That isn’t what I meant, you know…Jess?’ Too late. The line was dead and her volatile teenage daughter had found another excuse to vilify her. Nothing it seemed came out right these days. Heather felt the familiar cloud of red anger burst before her eyes. Later, grey melancholy would weigh heavily upon her but before it could, a tiny blot on the landscape dashed across the road. Heather braked suddenly and swerved sharply to the left. In an instant, she was pulled out of her distraction. With a racing pulse and shaking hand, Heather parked on the verge alongside the lavender bushes. She checked to see what she had hit. To her relief there was nothing. It all happened so fast. Thankfully, on a Sunday there were few cars on the road. Taking a final look she moved toward the car, when she heard a faint sound. It was pitiful at best. ‘Mi…ow’ Heather looked amongst the lavender bushes, inhaling the heady scent and in the third one, tangled in the mass of roots and stalks, she found a bedraggled tortoiseshell kitten.
On impulse, she bundled the creature, hissing and spitting at her into the back of her car and drove home.
Now, as she studied it like some veterinarian student, Heather started to have second thoughts. She was usually less spontaneous in her actions and this thing seemed quite distasteful.
‘You’re obviously starving. You stink too by the way but you might enjoy a bath better with a full tummy.’ Heather took a plain biscuit and softened it with milk warmed in the microwave. Once the bowl was placed before the creature, she found it quite hard to stay on the defensive A-frame and eat at the same time. It soon compromised and stuffed its little face like there was no tomorrow. Heather tried to stroke it but here it attempted to dodge gestures of affection. It was not willing to thank its benefactor just yet.
‘What’s you story little mite?’ The kitten looked like it had been dragged through something backwards. It had been either dumped or terribly mistreated. Heather’s heart lurched for this little bit of a thing in a huge world defending itself. It shouldn’t have to.
The kitten’s next compromise after feeding itself and drinking a sizeable amount of water was to not maintain the defensive stand at Heather while it enjoyed a very nice nap. It tucked itself between the far corner of the bench and the toaster, amidst bread crumbs; the place where heather didn’t wipe as often as she ought. Somehow, it was appropriate for this stinky, lurking, murky thing.
‘I’m going to call you Slurkie because you’re so many yucky things right now and I can’t think of one single name that fits.’ Slurkie stretched, yawned and curled into a ball.
Heather phoned Jess back. ‘You should come and visit Jess to see what I have got here.’
‘Why?’ demanded Jess moodily ‘What have you bought for yourself this time?’ Heather ignored the stab at guilt induction.
‘Nothing. Just come and see.’
‘Yeah well. Maybe later if I’m doing nothing.’
Heather didn’t understand how they had got to this level. Nobody wants to give in thought Heather. She drove to the shop and bought some kitten biscuits. Slurkie was much more interested. The kitty actually purred as it licked its little chops. Slurkie had no idea why she was doing it. A couple of times the kitten forgot to arch its back at Heather but then Heather would make a loud noise and Slurkie would leap up hissing and spitting, taking Heather by surprise.
Jess arrived later in the afternoon. She feared a lecture from her Mum like a hole in the head. Heather understood so little about Jess, it was beyond a joke. They say parents know these things because they have already travelled the road of youth but Jess knew this to be total BS. In her case at any rate. Heather didn’t know halt the stuff that was going on in her life. If her Mum ever took the time to interest herself in Jess, then perhaps they might get somewhere, but she never did and what annoyed Jess more than anything, was her Mum claiming to understand! Jess hated the hypocrisy of the older generation. They couldn’t talk. Jess particularly saw no point in even trying to get through. She left home at 16 and sought the comfort of her friends who understood her better than her Mum ever would. Heather had no appreciation of her situation and the pressures she was under.
Heather felt the subtle change in atmosphere a soon as Jess walked through the door. Slurkie too, for its back arched up and a low warning growl emitted. The kitten was facing greater challenges as the day wore on.
‘Look what I nearly ran over after you hung up on me.’ Heather said this playfully with a hint of lemon. Jess looked over at the spitfire trying to look as lion-size as possible. It had no choice to do this when taking on the world.
For a brief moment, Jess’ heart melted inside. She felt the softening and smiled outwardly. ‘It’s gorgeous. It looks very lost and lonely though.’ She bent forward and put her finger forward. ‘Hey little guy. Do you miss your Mummy?’ Slurkie sniffed her finger but didn’t bite it like she had Heather’s. Instead she started to lick it.
‘You must have a gift. I’ve been feeding the little mite and all I get for my trouble is a sharp nip.’
‘Yeah well, perhaps young things cast out in the world understand each other.’ Heather opened her mouth to respond, swallowed her words and said nothing. Jess was very focused on Slurkie who was purring as she licked furiously. She was not about to tell her Mum about the tuna sandwich she ate on the way over. Heather indicated where the biscuits were and let Jess take over.
‘Do you want to give Slurkie a bath?’ Heather asked this after they had eaten a light meal of quiche and salad. She could feel the strain between them. There was this elephant in the room which Heather never seemed to get an opportunity to identify and talk about. Jess neither worked nor attended school. She ‘hung out’ with her friends as if it were her god-given right. Heather felt Jess asked a lot of her financially. Lately she had used the tough love approach Jess couldn’t take it. Heather wasn’t clear on it either. This is how they got into this mess. An elephant with no name. There was a line in the sand which Heather had drawn some time ago and told Jess once she crossed it, she could not live in the house. Jess leapt across, almost as if to call her bluff. She had been resentful of Heather ever since. Heather really wanted to introduce the elephant so they could work things out.
‘Sure. Will you help coz I don’t think Slurkie will like getting wet somehow?’ Together, they bathed the protesting kitten at the kitchen sink. Jess determined Slurkie was a feisty girl. The job was a giggle and they laughed at the wet sop shivering on the draining board. She resembled a rat rather than a cat. Jess used her phone to take a snap and send to her friends. Heather stood close by. Jess spontaneously hugged her as they watched the kitten frantically lick herself dry.
‘Can I come over tomorrow and visit Slurkie.’ Jess had picked up her bag ready to catch the 8.30 bus.
‘Sure you can. You’re welcome here anytime.’
‘I know,’ replied Jess fidgeting awkwardly. ‘But I wanna come over and see Slurkie. We have a lot in common.’ Heather’s heart ached for the girl who walked off alone, her hood pulled firmly over her curls. Hands thrust in pockets. Jess, stubborn, determined and tough. So young too, going back to where she thought she was supposed to be.
Inside Slurkie ventured into the next room, wide eyed. She suddenly caught her reflection in the china cabinet and immediately went into her A-frame defensive stance. As far as she was concerned, the world was always throwing scary challenges her way.
Heather wrinkled her nose in tune with another sensation her touch communicated. Its coat felt grimy and murky. Her brain did its best to convince her what a kitten should be. Playful, soft and curious. It was none of these things. It smelled as bad as it looked, Heather decided as she considered the awkward looking creature.
‘Ouch!’ The kitten, perhaps affronted at the intrusive inspection, bit down hard on Heather’s finger. It stood in an A-frame position. Defensive. Each time it attempted escape from the kitchen bench it moved in a crab-like fashion. Heather thought it ludicrous that this tiny kitten even imagined for a moment it could make itself look a mite larger, let alone intimidating by adopting such a comical position. The kitten thought differently and each time Heather approached, it arched its back almost impossibly so, tip toeing sideways warningly to the nearest corner.
The kitten was lucky to be alive. Heather had driven down the road when the mobile phone on the passenger seat rang.
‘Hello?’
‘Hi Mum it’s me. Whatcha doing?’
‘I’m driving without the hands-free Jess. Is this important?’
No Mum. I guess I’m not important Why don’t you find something that is!’
‘Jess! That isn’t what I meant, you know…Jess?’ Too late. The line was dead and her volatile teenage daughter had found another excuse to vilify her. Nothing it seemed came out right these days. Heather felt the familiar cloud of red anger burst before her eyes. Later, grey melancholy would weigh heavily upon her but before it could, a tiny blot on the landscape dashed across the road. Heather braked suddenly and swerved sharply to the left. In an instant, she was pulled out of her distraction. With a racing pulse and shaking hand, Heather parked on the verge alongside the lavender bushes. She checked to see what she had hit. To her relief there was nothing. It all happened so fast. Thankfully, on a Sunday there were few cars on the road. Taking a final look she moved toward the car, when she heard a faint sound. It was pitiful at best. ‘Mi…ow’ Heather looked amongst the lavender bushes, inhaling the heady scent and in the third one, tangled in the mass of roots and stalks, she found a bedraggled tortoiseshell kitten.
On impulse, she bundled the creature, hissing and spitting at her into the back of her car and drove home.
Now, as she studied it like some veterinarian student, Heather started to have second thoughts. She was usually less spontaneous in her actions and this thing seemed quite distasteful.
‘You’re obviously starving. You stink too by the way but you might enjoy a bath better with a full tummy.’ Heather took a plain biscuit and softened it with milk warmed in the microwave. Once the bowl was placed before the creature, she found it quite hard to stay on the defensive A-frame and eat at the same time. It soon compromised and stuffed its little face like there was no tomorrow. Heather tried to stroke it but here it attempted to dodge gestures of affection. It was not willing to thank its benefactor just yet.
‘What’s you story little mite?’ The kitten looked like it had been dragged through something backwards. It had been either dumped or terribly mistreated. Heather’s heart lurched for this little bit of a thing in a huge world defending itself. It shouldn’t have to.
The kitten’s next compromise after feeding itself and drinking a sizeable amount of water was to not maintain the defensive stand at Heather while it enjoyed a very nice nap. It tucked itself between the far corner of the bench and the toaster, amidst bread crumbs; the place where heather didn’t wipe as often as she ought. Somehow, it was appropriate for this stinky, lurking, murky thing.
‘I’m going to call you Slurkie because you’re so many yucky things right now and I can’t think of one single name that fits.’ Slurkie stretched, yawned and curled into a ball.
Heather phoned Jess back. ‘You should come and visit Jess to see what I have got here.’
‘Why?’ demanded Jess moodily ‘What have you bought for yourself this time?’ Heather ignored the stab at guilt induction.
‘Nothing. Just come and see.’
‘Yeah well. Maybe later if I’m doing nothing.’
Heather didn’t understand how they had got to this level. Nobody wants to give in thought Heather. She drove to the shop and bought some kitten biscuits. Slurkie was much more interested. The kitty actually purred as it licked its little chops. Slurkie had no idea why she was doing it. A couple of times the kitten forgot to arch its back at Heather but then Heather would make a loud noise and Slurkie would leap up hissing and spitting, taking Heather by surprise.
Jess arrived later in the afternoon. She feared a lecture from her Mum like a hole in the head. Heather understood so little about Jess, it was beyond a joke. They say parents know these things because they have already travelled the road of youth but Jess knew this to be total BS. In her case at any rate. Heather didn’t know halt the stuff that was going on in her life. If her Mum ever took the time to interest herself in Jess, then perhaps they might get somewhere, but she never did and what annoyed Jess more than anything, was her Mum claiming to understand! Jess hated the hypocrisy of the older generation. They couldn’t talk. Jess particularly saw no point in even trying to get through. She left home at 16 and sought the comfort of her friends who understood her better than her Mum ever would. Heather had no appreciation of her situation and the pressures she was under.
Heather felt the subtle change in atmosphere a soon as Jess walked through the door. Slurkie too, for its back arched up and a low warning growl emitted. The kitten was facing greater challenges as the day wore on.
‘Look what I nearly ran over after you hung up on me.’ Heather said this playfully with a hint of lemon. Jess looked over at the spitfire trying to look as lion-size as possible. It had no choice to do this when taking on the world.
For a brief moment, Jess’ heart melted inside. She felt the softening and smiled outwardly. ‘It’s gorgeous. It looks very lost and lonely though.’ She bent forward and put her finger forward. ‘Hey little guy. Do you miss your Mummy?’ Slurkie sniffed her finger but didn’t bite it like she had Heather’s. Instead she started to lick it.
‘You must have a gift. I’ve been feeding the little mite and all I get for my trouble is a sharp nip.’
‘Yeah well, perhaps young things cast out in the world understand each other.’ Heather opened her mouth to respond, swallowed her words and said nothing. Jess was very focused on Slurkie who was purring as she licked furiously. She was not about to tell her Mum about the tuna sandwich she ate on the way over. Heather indicated where the biscuits were and let Jess take over.
‘Do you want to give Slurkie a bath?’ Heather asked this after they had eaten a light meal of quiche and salad. She could feel the strain between them. There was this elephant in the room which Heather never seemed to get an opportunity to identify and talk about. Jess neither worked nor attended school. She ‘hung out’ with her friends as if it were her god-given right. Heather felt Jess asked a lot of her financially. Lately she had used the tough love approach Jess couldn’t take it. Heather wasn’t clear on it either. This is how they got into this mess. An elephant with no name. There was a line in the sand which Heather had drawn some time ago and told Jess once she crossed it, she could not live in the house. Jess leapt across, almost as if to call her bluff. She had been resentful of Heather ever since. Heather really wanted to introduce the elephant so they could work things out.
‘Sure. Will you help coz I don’t think Slurkie will like getting wet somehow?’ Together, they bathed the protesting kitten at the kitchen sink. Jess determined Slurkie was a feisty girl. The job was a giggle and they laughed at the wet sop shivering on the draining board. She resembled a rat rather than a cat. Jess used her phone to take a snap and send to her friends. Heather stood close by. Jess spontaneously hugged her as they watched the kitten frantically lick herself dry.
‘Can I come over tomorrow and visit Slurkie.’ Jess had picked up her bag ready to catch the 8.30 bus.
‘Sure you can. You’re welcome here anytime.’
‘I know,’ replied Jess fidgeting awkwardly. ‘But I wanna come over and see Slurkie. We have a lot in common.’ Heather’s heart ached for the girl who walked off alone, her hood pulled firmly over her curls. Hands thrust in pockets. Jess, stubborn, determined and tough. So young too, going back to where she thought she was supposed to be.
Inside Slurkie ventured into the next room, wide eyed. She suddenly caught her reflection in the china cabinet and immediately went into her A-frame defensive stance. As far as she was concerned, the world was always throwing scary challenges her way.