Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

The newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness throughout the world.

Special Treat – J. C. Breeze

February 10, 2008

                                  Shadow Cat’s Tail

                                         By

                        J.C. Breeze: all rights reserved

Sometimes you’ve got to take a break from the routine. I wanted to get away from our woods, snakes, big birds and wild turtles. They are nature’s gift to us but they can be intrusive. It was a Saturday morning and I decided to visit Northport’s harbor. The idea struck me that Shadow might enjoy with me the clean salt air. Just Shadow and me; would give us both an opportunity to enrich our relationship.

It has been a few years since he entered our lives. Terri was then and still is excited with the opportunity to make a home for a wild cat; leaving his feral life in the woods. The vet had advised us that it might take years for Shadow to fully surrender the instincts of wildlife. Some feral cats never change into domestic pets. And it must be said that at times Shadow behaves as though he carries the ghost of his feral existence; cautious of the hand that feeds him. But he has grown into a handsome cat and so has his social behavior.

Shadow was carefully carried to our car, a Grand Marquis. As we entered the vehicle I placed him carefully on the front seat. I checked the locks on all windows. For his security, the windows were closed except for two inches. Satisfied with readiness I pressed the ignition key. The motor came to life. I looked down at Shadow and thought that carmakers should install seat belts for pets. At the ready, I backed down the driveway. Terri stood at the top of the driveway waving. Reaching the roadway I turned the car and rolled away. Terri’s image was clear in my rear view mirror. She waved nervously, unsure of my idea for the day. Her attitude clearly reflected the bonding that she had developed with the orphan of the woods. My idea was to reach for a stronger relationship with Shadow too.

Terri’s figure in the rear view mirror got smaller and smaller as the distance between us increased. She stood on the driveway until the Grand Marquis turned south and out of view. Shadow and I were on a heading toward the village main street. Our destination was the bayport. My expectation for the day’s plan grew. I drove a course through Northport’s heavily tree’d residential areas. Rolling along the undulating roadways, the Grand Marquis easily climbed and descended the ways. Higher elevations provided views of Northport Bay’s coastline. From those vantagepoints we saw in the distance, on the waters, clusters of sailboats. They were heeling in graceful formations making headway under canvas blown full with wind.

Reaching the village dock, I slowed to a stop in designated parking. The bay’s waters and beyond lay before our eyes. The historic coastline was enchanting. My feline passenger was not likewise impressed. He leaped off the front passenger seat. In a flash Shadow was in the cavity under. I was not clear as to what was commanding his action. I glanced around our dock location. I could see nothing, nor did I hear anything, that would justify Shadow’s behavior. He growled as he struggled for space under the seat. I tried coaxing him out from the under. Shadow wasn’t buying my appeals. I reached down to grab hold of him. Shadow spit and hissed. I withdrew my hand quickly.  

We sat in silence interupted by efforts for a long time. My efforts were fruitless.

Still, I tried again. “Come on out Shadow. Look at this view. Take a deep breath of the clean sea air. You’re not gonna waste the beauty of this day in a hide-out, now are you?” I pleaded. I babbled on in an effort to soothe Shadow. I tried at length to talk him out of his hiding. “There is nothing out there that can hurt you. Come on; I’ll protect you. We’re not going to go outside. Look, I even have the windows mostly shut.”

There was no reaction from under the seat. I sat quietly. In diappointment I tried to urge Shadow out of his cave. I lowered my hand to the opening at the front of the underseat. Shadow hissed. I withdrew my hand, quickly again.

Time and tiring efforts passed. My patience diminished, “I mean really, you can’t stay under there forever. Look, darn it, if you don’t come out I’m going to take you home. If you don’t come out, I’ll put an end to this nonsense.”

The day was a bust. All my enthusiasm for a beautiful day, with my cat at the bay front of our coastal village, had been lost. This was typically the sort of thing that I found strange about Shadow. I felt that Shadow and I had faulty communication. I was just about ready to give up completely on Shadow when I saw his tail, emerged onto the floor from under the seat. “Is he coming out backwards”, I thought. His tail moved outward at four inches, but then stopped. It sometimes twitched fitfully; then stopped moving. His tail came out no further. Then it became motionless; the twitching had stilled.

“Come on big guy. You were doing fine. Don’t stop now,” I said in an effort to encourage a complete withdrawal from the underseat. I used cat like communication as in “meow” and “purrrs” to get Shadow into a conversation. I received no response.

My patience had reached the limit.

HOMEWARD BOUND:

Fed up, I left the village. Traveling Main Street on my way home, I avoided the scenic route. I was traveling at speed limit eager to separate myself from my passenger. Shadow remained under the seat. Only his tail lie exposed at the same four inches as before. For the entire ride home it did not move. Shadow stayed absolutely noiseless in his cavity under the seat.

Terri was at the front door. I drove under the canopy of trees onto the shaded driveway. “How did it go?” she asked.

“Lousy” I replied impatiently. “That cat has been hiding under the seat ever since we arrived at the wharf. Just when I think I understand Shadow he throws me a curve.” I exited the Grand Marquis closing the door behind me on the driver’s side. On the front passenger side I left the door open allowing Shadow to leave the car on his own terms.

I walked with Terri to the front door of our home. “Tell me what happened”, Terri earnestly asked.

I gave her a full report of the trip. I even included my conversation in “meows” and “Purrrs”.

“What else did you do? Did you frighten him?”

“I didn’t do anything to that cat. It was just like I said. And no I did not frighten him. For heaven sake, don’t you get it? The cat is weird!”

We sat in the kitchen no more than three minutes when we both heard scratching at the front door.

“Wait here”, Terri said. “I’ll see who it is.”

She walked to the front door. The noise sounded as it was coming from the floor. Looking down she saw Shadow. He was anxiously pawing at the screen door. Terri opened the door. 

“Well look at who has decided to rejoin the world,” she greeted.

Shadow entered and ran a path directly toward me. With a graceful leap he was on my lap. Shadow purred noisily. I looked at Terri puzzled. She didn’t get it either. He stood on all four and kneaded my lap with his front paws. Shadow held his tail upward. 

“What the heck is this all about?” I exclaimed. “I don’t get it.”

“Neither do I” Terri said. “But he sure is trying to tell you something.”

Terri and I sat at the kitchen table. We continued to review the events of the day. Shadow continued his extraordinary display of attention. He sat on my lap as I reached across the table. Shadow purred like a smooth motor.

“Did you leave the car door open?” Terri reminded me.

“I’m sure I did,”

“I’ll go and close it “ she offered.

Before I could try to get upright she was up and gone; to close the car’s passenger side door. I sat at the table. I fondled Shadow’s soft coat. We were doing very excellently.

Suddenly I heard Terri scream. Shadow leaped from my lap in panic. He disappeared up the stairs into one of the bedrooms. I jumped out of my chair and ran to see what was wrong on the driveway. There was Terri hiding behind one hand as she tried to cover her face. Her other hand, and arm fully extended pointed to the interior of the car. The look of fright was on her face. The interior of the car was openly visible, as the front passenger door was still swung open wide.

“I get it now, I get it now” she yelled repeatedly. “That cat you find so difficult to understand saved your butt today.”

“What …….what are you talking about?”

“Look; in there on the floor in front of the seat. Isn’t that the tail you were telling me about? Isn’t that what you saw earlier?”

I looked into the car and spied a twenty-four inch snake on the floor. It wasn’t partially under the seat anymore. It was a dark grey unmoving snake; dead. I realized then that I had mistaken it for Shadow’s tail.

“Don’t you feel guilty? Shadow was trying to protect you from what he thought was a threat from wildlife.”

“Oh my!” I gulped.

J. C. Breeze

jtcjc@optonline.net

***Published by rosannecatalano.net Dec. 10, 2007

Cats meow for writers & readers e-zine

I am a retired executive. I have spent all of my 36 years in the main frame and network computer industry; with national and international distribution. The firms were, Sperry Rand, and a unit company within ITT. Amongst my managment assignments is the development of an Information Services section; designed to distrisbute product promotion articles to all marketing offices. I also wrote and edited material.

In addition I have written some articles that have been published in industry media; in the USA and Canada. 

My degree is from New York University

My activity now is writing short story fiction and golf.