Chapter 1
Not long ago, in a fine old home where summer was just warm and winter was extremely cold, there lived an elderly human couple and three female cats. The cats were called The Aunties by one and all, even though, actually, none had ever been an aunt. Not that they knew of, anyway. But Aunties they were destined to be.
They were Aunt Daisy, Aunt Dahlia, and Aunt Delphinia. You might think, with their three flower names, that the Aunties had been litter mates or were at least related, but no. They were all older cats who had entered the household at different times, and all were devoted to the elderly couple they lived with and to each other, if a little less.
Aunt Daisy, the eldest, was a plump, sweet old tabby and white cat, with a gentle voice and twinkling golden eyes. So named for her bright, sunny personality, she lived to soak up sunbeams and empty food bowls. She offered wisdom and sympathy in a low, velvety voice, when asked. Dear old Daisy had plenty of both.
Aunt Dahlia, the youngest, was a tall, elegant beauty with luxurious long black fur and flashing green eyes. She'd been called the Black Dahlia by the many suitors she had cast aside with disdain, and she lived life with a dramatic flair. You might say she was a femme fatale among cats. Dahlia chattered incessantly in a sweet, sing-song voice, and gave a great deal of attention to her exquisite grooming.
Then there was Aunt Delphinia, a modern, extreme, show-type Siamese, which says it all. She was named after the delphinium for her deep blue eyes, which were slightly crossed but no impediment to her sharp vision. She rather resembled a well-bred vulture in countenance and a concentration-camp victim in body. Her voice was much like a police siren six feet from your door. The entire household was grateful that Aunt Delphinia rarely thought anything important enough to require her comments.
The three Aunties lived in perfect harmony, having long ago worked out their differences. They had set routines, they were well fed and cared for, the seasons changed when seasons should, and life was good.
Into this household one fine June morning scampered a very stripey orange kitten, all bones and ears, who had been found abandoned on the street. He was already several months old and gangly as a teenager; no adorable baby, he. But he needed a home, and the elderly couple would give him one. The little guy could hardly be named after a flower, so he was just called "the little nipper", and Nipper he became.
The Aunties were not pleased. But they saw their duty.
Chapter 2
That summer saw the raising and education of Nipper, a totally new experience for all three aunts. Aunt Daisy raised him kindly, and taught him the things a well-mannered house cat should know. Along with ethics and etiquette lessons, she taught Nipper feline philosophy and history, and she was always - well, nearly always - patient with him. He grew into a well-behaved cat, because kindness is the best teacher.
Aunt Dahlia then took Nipper's higher education upon herself, teaching him music and drama, culture and the arts, and regaling him with tales of her colorful past. She even tried to teach him to sing and dance, but soon despaired of that. He learned a great deal, however, because enthusiasm is a great teacher.
Then Aunt Delphinia entered the scene, looking a bit displeased although, on the other hand, she always looked that way. Has this boy been instructed in the hunt and the martial arts? she screeched. And screamed the answer herself, No, he has not! Grumbling over this glaring omission, Delphinia took Nipper in paw, and expertly taught him by example of stealthy comportment, athletic prowess, and the finer points of the Kill. He learned quickly and well, lest she feel the need to instruct him vocally. The instinct for self-preservation is a good teacher in more ways than one.
When Nipper was grown and educated, all three Aunts took great pride in how well he turned out. He was now a large, handsome orange cat of great strength and cunning, a flamboyant enthusiasm for life, gentlemanly manners and a kind spirit, and he loved the Aunties dearly. All the seasons had gone by and it was almost June again. Life was good.
Then suddenly the household turned upside down.
The elderly couple were gone, both of them, in a matter of days. First the dear old man had fallen down the steps, injuring himself, and was taken away - to where, the cats did not know. Then the dear old woman became very ill, and she was taken away, too. Strangers came into the house every day to feed the cats, but hardly spoke to them. The strangers were busy gathering clothing and personal effects of the old couple to take away, too. And the four cats had no idea where their loved ones were, or what was to become of them.
Aunt Daisy forgot her sunbeams and even her food bowl, as she sat in the middle of the kitchen and howled in despair. Aunt Dahlia cried incessantly, pacing nervously all over the house, and forgetting even her daily grooming and beauty routines. Aunt Delphinia was the worst, for she crept into a corner and was silent. Silent for days on end, with her deep blue eyes getting lighter and lighter.
It was time for Nipper to repay them for all they had done for him. He saw his duty, too, but he hadn't the faintest idea how to go about it.
Chapter 3
Then one day the stranger who came in was a very young man. The three Aunts disappeared under a bed, into a closet or into thin air, but Nipper held his ground and sat staring at the man.
"Hi there, fella", the young man finally said. "You must be the little Nipper. You're not so little any more, are you?"
Nipper stared.
"I bet all you guys miss Grandma and Grandpa a lot", the man went on. "They miss you, too. Talk about you all the time, make us promise to feed you certain stuff and get here every day."
Nipper stared.
"They're getting better, you know," said the man. "Grandpa has a new hip. He just can't walk too well yet. Grandma hates the nursing home. She's rarin' to get out of there, but..." He sighed, and so did Nipper. Nipper was a well-educated cat, but he didn't understand English.
The young man opened the kitchen door to let in the warm breeze while he busied himself filling kibble bowls, refreshing water bowls, and dishing generous portions of canned food onto plates. Nipper knew very well the screen door was old and didn't latch properly. He also knew this young man knew where their loved old people were. When the man went to tend to litter boxes, Nipper pushed the door open and ran to the driveway. There was the very same big car he'd been taken to the vet in. He shuddered. Didn't want to get in that! Next to it was a small white car with - what? A big square hole on top! He jumped up to look inside. This must be the young man's car.
Then the man was at the door, carrying the old woman's light summer robe and shouting "Hope I see all of you tomorrow, guys! It's my turn all week!" He locked the door with a key while Nipper jumped into the car and hid behind the seat. Then he drove off with a roar. And with Nipper.
That's how, after the Aunties had frantically searched the house for him for two days and a night, Nipper was able to bring them news and ease their fear of being abandoned. The young man carried him back into the house, laughing, while Aunt Daisy, Aunt Dahlia and Aunt Delphinia all sat waiting at the door. They all fell upon Nipper at once, kissing him, patting him, or swatting him (as the case may be) and demanding to know where he'd been and why!
And Nipper told them wondrous things. How the young man hadn't seen him when he'd stopped at the nursing home, and carried the robe inside with Nipper at his heels. How the people inside had chattered and laughed to have a cat for a visitor. How the young man had scooped him up and argued with a nurse before carrying him into the room where his grandma was. Their old woman, their very own! And how she had held him close, laughing and crying.
Then all the clatter and voices, as the door to her room opened and an old man in a wheelchair came through it. Their old man, their very own! And even though Nipper didn't understand English, he knew perfectly well that both of their dear old people were saying important things, and making promises to him. Promises that he now made to his dear Aunties. They're going to come back, he said. They will come home. You'll see.
The old woman came home in the middle of summer, and the old man was home before the season turned to Fall. The three Aunties were so pitifully grateful and relieved to see them again. But they had trusted that they would, because their Nipper had promised them.
Life was good again.
NEXT: The Grand Hotel Caper
BACK: Ancient Fears
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