The Tail of Two Kitties

Not long ago, in the pastoral township of Redmond, found nestled between the wooded shores of Lake Sammamish and a verdant valley, whose rich dark soil grew an abundance of plants, sat a house.

This house, unique in many ways; its vivacity in color and texture, expression of self-sufficiency, and commitment to historical relevance, was the subject and focus of many a discussion. The inhabitants of this unique dwelling were a happy lot and carefree in every way, but one.

The oldest child of the handsome couple had a lifelong dream of being lulled to sleep by the deep and melodious purr-ings of a kitten. In vain she endeavored to gain her parents' favor for many, many a year. Promises of pleasant company, an effort free coexistence with the felines and child, and an on-going sally finally gained a favorable outlook by the patriarch.

A witty and comely maiden, the child took advantage of delay in travel and forayed her mother into a shop whose sole purpose was the sales of dependent creatures. Upon one of the shelves sat a gracious feline whose pelt was a unique shade of smoky blue. The color one would expect to find in the early morning light, as the sun rises on a cloudy day, and that light is filtered through the risings of the hearth's fire.

Alas, there was no assistant available, and so the shopkeeper bade them to return in three days. With a loose promise and a strong hope to distract her daughter, the mother took her child to another shop along the row that sold sweets and other pleasantries.

Many hours had passed, finding the family gathering after the evening meal had been finished and the remnants stored away. The determined child engaged her father in a witty debate regarding the charms of the smoky-blue creature. Moderating the conversation, the mother was quick to support the father in the reasons to not engage in such a responsibility and debt, but she also expressed the many joys and travails learned that only a pet could teach.

The father was willing, happily, to be persuaded at this point, for he had seen the longing over the years in his daughter’s eyes. Three days passed and the family journeyed to the shop. Upon arrival the shopkeeper assisted the family in engaging the cat. It was a tearful and disappointing moment when the cat turned her claws upon them all. She had suffered abuse as a kitten and needed solitude to be happy. The parents quickly surmised that for their daughters dream to come true, kittens were the answer.

Three days passed again, and in that time the family had searched the lands and found what their hearts hoped for. A brother and sister who bounced about like Spring Lambs, were sweet in disposition, engaging to the eye and appreciative of their adoring new family. Names were dispensed, one from each child. The girl naming the girl, the boy naming the boy. Thus, Tessa and Milo came to live and happiness overflowed.

The happiness remained for quite some time, until an evil force descended upon the land, causing mayhem and mischief to follow. It was to the sorrow and concern of the mother when she entered her bedchamber to find a malodorous scent saturating the air. Quickly she rushed to find the source, but could not. It was a sad, almost tragic, moment when the daughter, the arbiter, found the source.

Concern worried her face when she quietly dispensed to her mother that one of the kittens, the female, had relieved herself on the bed. Sensing her child’s fear that the kittens would be banished, the mother quickly hid her disappointment and spent considerable time and effort rectifying the mishap.

Leaving the most grotesque and repulsive minutiae to the reader’s imagination, it suffices to add that the original deposit had been expanded upon and that much effort was spent over the length of the evening. The mother, a woman who generally was found to be meticulous in her appearance, could be found damp from her exertion. The father, similar in nature, was in a state of discomfiture.

The daughter’s willingness to assist had impressed both parents. For the sake of expedition, she stowed away in another chamber of the house with the kittens, hoping that their removal from sight would prevent removal from home.

The woods behind the inhabitance grew dark as the sun set, and still the parents toiled. Opened windows drew in the fresh scent of warm summer air, and with it, the sounds of the snapping branches in the woods.

Catching his wife’s worried eye, for many creatures lingered in the woods at night, the husband stated, “Not to worry, perhaps only raccoons.”

The wife, who was in need of relief, swiped her arm across her glistening brow and said, “We could wrap the kittens in bacon and see what happens.”

After much laughter at such an indiscreet and audacious comment, the couple finished their toil and eventually found their way to another, more cool and pleasant smelling location, and found deep, deep sleep.

It remains lost upon the family as to why the kitten exerted such careless disregard. As is generally the case, caution was applied, and the kittens suffered a smaller range of territory to stalk and purvey. The child who had longed for such company was joyful to see affection for her beloved creatures applied to them by her parents. She knew that all was well, that it was not only her that truly loved the kittens, but they as well.