The Cat Read online

  *

  He heads into the lounge.

  The cat follows him. Meows softly as it rubs itself against his leg.

  He puts his coffee on the small lounge table and picks up the cat.

  Kisses its belly and rests it in his lap.

  “Another Christmas, Tiger. Another year just you and me, you know.”

  The cat purrs softly and strokes its long tail in his face.

  “I gotcha, you know, great presents this year. I hope you like ‘em. Got ‘em all at, you know, our favourite place. You know which one that is right?” He looks at the cat excitedly.

  The cat meows and sits up in his lap. It starts licking his hand.

  “It’s your birthday too, Tiger, you know. You’re one of the kittens born on Christmas day. Great day, you know, to be born. Blessed. But you’re not a kitten anymore, are you? I’ve had you five years now, you know. Not sure, but I think that makes you thirty-six years old. None the wiser though.” He rubs the cats head.

  It meows loudly. It stretches on his lap; opens its paws widely. Then jumps off and runs to the Christmas tree. It meows and starts rubbing its ginger body against the big box towards the front.

  “Wanna open ‘em now?” He gets off the couch.

  The cat starts scratching the box and meows more.

  “A’ight. I’m down with that. You got me somethin’ for Christmas?” He goes on his knees beside the cat.

  It stares at him with a twist of the head.

  Then.

  It sits up straight, front paws in the air. It starts moving them one by one from right to left, making circles in the air. It then meows and does a back flip. Lands perfectly on its hind legs and as soon as it lands, it slowly, very dramatically, falls to the carpet and plays dead.

  He smiles widely; the big gap between his two top front teeth clearly visible. The golden cross on his top left incisor too.

  “That’s tight, Tiger! Great stuff. Didn’t think you’d ever do that. And without me, you know, askin’. He rubs the cat’s belly.

  It sits up straight and stares intently at the box as he picks it up.

  “I’m sure you’re gonna love this one. Walmart had it on special. I didn’t need to use any coupons. Got to use those, you know, for some other stuff. Also for you, you know.”

  He starts unwrapping the present.

  “I’m gonna have to cut the chip away with a knife. Struggled to get the damn thing off. Why they have all these chips all over their stuff, I have no idea. They probably, wanna know, you, you know, Tiger, got one of their things for Christmas.”

  The cat twists its head and stares at him curiously, as if listening intently.

  “You should have seen the queues. It was absolute madness. All those welfare folk raided the place. Waited in the aisle for longer than two hours. But it was worth it. Had to get my best buddy some presents, you know, for his birthday and Christmas.”

  He stares at the cat and leans closer to its head. It licks his right cheek and pats him with a paw on the left. It then sits back again and meows as it stares at the huge box in his hand.

  “Apparently everywhere else the machines for the welfare folk were off. Only Walmart’s was workin’. Suspicious to me, Tiger. You know. Hoggin’ the market for themselves is my guess. Their fault that everyone’s chippin’ their entire products. We need to get us a new favourite place, you know. Next time you should join me and see what I’m talkin’ about. A’ight.”

  He neatly folds the wrapping paper. He eyes the cat.

  “Gotta save the paper, you know. There’s still next year. God willin’. He takes the golden cross around his neck and kisses it.

  “The way the people were carryin’ on at Walmart, and with all their stock gone, was like there was some impendin’ doom comin’. Like there was gonna be no tomorrow, you know.”

  He rubs the cat’s back and puts the box down.

  “We should be grateful we still have today. Wouldn’t wanna spend it with anyone but you, big guy.”

  The cat gets up and rubs against his body. It purrs loudly and slaps him softly with its tail in his face.

  “A’ight. You ready? Close your eyes.”

  The cat goes on its hind legs and puts its front paws over its eyes.

  “Hope you like it, Tiger.”

  He pats the cat softly on its head. Rubs its paws and tickles its belly.

  “A’ight. Open up!”

  The cat removes its paws from its eyes. It immediately gets up and runs straight for the present.

  “Meeeeeeeeoooooooowwww!”