Skip to main content

JOIE DE VIVRE

 


Chapter 4:

                     The Epic Rescue 

Before I had set out on my Rescue Mission, I had dropped a pink frangipani flower beside hu-mum, my eyes shining with unshed tears. I wonder if she had sensed that I was conveying a crucial message though I doubt that humans possess the gilt-edged intelligence of us cats.

Absent-mindedly, she had pressed the bloom between the pages of a diary, as I continued to stare at the pages on which she wrote furiously.

Muay’s love for frangipani flowers was something special. Every time we'd go frolicking on the front yard, she'd spot those delicate, fragrant blooms and would sniff the air around ecstatically, swivelling her head like a malfunctioning doll. 

Digging her claws into the bark she would climb the gnarly trunk with sudden bursts of energy. Zooming like an unguided missile from branch to boughs, Muay marked every territory on the tree with her toe beans.

Gently patting hu-mum's hand three times, the soft touch imbued me with a sense of purpose. I hope she realized that the three pats were a signal, indicating that “Muay will return to you in three full moon days’’.

The wordless communication was a wasted effort as she continued looking dazed and steeped in the melancholy of losing Muay.

I was determined to reunite Muay with hu-mum. And of course I'm clearly in the picture too. 

Just as I was finalizing my plan, Thorwynn’s words echoed in my mind. “Nyx’or, brave and cunning feline, I sense that you are preparing for a perilous journey. Muay's fate is intertwined with yours, and the threads of destiny are pulling you both towards a perilous path.”

I knew that she was ready to follow me into the unknown.

*****

I sat crestfallen by the wide window pane offering a panoramic view of the distant blue-green hillsides and the lavender fields. There was no way out to soak in the sunshine I craved for so much. How I longed to leap on the highest branch of trees and get a vantage point for myself. But there were none in sight. Just wide open spaces stretching endlessly. 

Fluffnut…hu-mum…my heart pines to go back to my loved ones. As I scratch desperately at the glass pane, I realise that I'm trapped here for life. I moan a pitiable meow and rest my head between my paws and that's when I hear a faint rustle and sway of the lavender stalks. Then, a dash of pure white snow amidst the darkening purple cover around the house under the dusking skies. 

Wait! Could it be…?! Yes! It was…It was Fluffnut! He did track me down! Now I can be rest assured that I'll get out of here in no time. He will rescue me out of this gilded cage, my knight in shining armor!

As Fluffnut paced back and forth outside the confines of my new home, my mind raced with schemes and counter-schemes. 

I knew that our window of opportunity was rapidly closing. My owner, a kind but firm woman, had installed a state-of-the-art catio, replete with stimulating toys and scratching posts. But I was determined to outsmart her and reunite with Fluffnut and my hu-mum.

Fluffnut got my attention by meowing softly, a low-pitched signal that only I could decipher. My ears perked up, and he gave me a surreptitious glance. He had slipped in through the back door, which the cook had left ajar while she was out in the vegetable patch. 

The game was afoot ! I was on my toes ready to spring into action!

Fluffnut hastily frisked me with a shiny bracelet he called the Ryujinite Crystal for any microchip and deactivated it instantly. Under the cover of darkness, we made our move. It was a moonless night. He darted towards the catio door, the magical crystal tearing apart the bars out of shape. My agile body easily slipped through the now distorted bars. I followed him close behind, my eyes shining with excitement. Happy days were just ahead and we would be one big family soon!

To be continued.....


PIC COURTESY: PINTEREST 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

CHẠ̀WKHRĀW (Chxw̒kh rxw̒)

  As usual, at the dot of 8 pm, the Guzheng plays its stirring chords, the haunting notes beginning a slow sweep, rising to a powerful crescendo and alternating with a tranquil ebbing of melody surfing me along the waves of soul-stirring, yet a serene stretch of an hour every day.  I make it a point to sit right beside my dining room window to bask in this lulling sound therapy as my neighbor downstairs diligently plays on this zither, oblivious to my admiration. What a luxury it is to have a live orchestra while I savour the last meal of the day. It's a welcome distraction to the otherwise jarring squabbling of the playful neighbourhood children.  The Chạ̀wkhrāw of this– that the musical household might move one day is a foreboding thought. Foreshadowing this, deeply ingrained in me is the shattering news I had received upon returning to Singapore after an 8 month absence here.  The Ramadan festive season was fast approaching at the end of March but the apar...

HIRAETH

Most rainy afternoons make me jog down memory lane, to the rhythm of the downpours that cascades down in sheets. And I slacken to the percussion of the raindrops tapping against my window pane. Flashes of memories of the halcyon days of the mid 1970’s come back to find me, to haunt me like mists hanging heavy and still. My only solace at this juncture are my vintage albums. The windows to the past and my very own time machine.  Mulling over the pictures, I pen her a tribute: Once upon a time, there was a time when photos were Black & White, Monochrome, Sepia But the trees in your backyard were a much Idyllic Green--Verdant, Jade, and Lime. The fire in your hearth, a sunset Orange--red-hot, Amber and glimmering as you stoked it. The skies, immensely boundless, a much Pristine Blue--Cornflower, Sapphire and Azure, As you pointed out to me the floating frothy clouds, the eagles gliding with their fanned out wings; Or the occasional lone airplane soaring dominantly, a tiny speck hi...

ANAM CARA

The waves are soft and frothy. Laced with gossamer frills tenderly kissing the tips of my toes covered with the grainy sand of the rugged seashore where I'm sitting, wistful. A gust of briny breeze tousles my hair as I gaze as far as my eyes can see.  A flock of terns wheel overhead, their sharp, shrill cries punctuating the air as they dive and swoop over the surfs. A lone frigate bird , its crimson belly dazzling like a jewel skims majestically above, its long, slender wings outstretched as it rides the thermals high above the ocean. I absorb the sights and sounds of the late afternoon while absentmindedly scooping seashells beside me. As the afternoon phases, the furthest rim of the ocean is fringed in a gilded hem and the sleepy sun yawns, its dipping glow streaking the sky in a mellow tangerine and warm cherry. As I continue sitting there, the ships and yachts appear --specks of light from the portholes glimmering in the distance, reminding me of the phrase “That ship has sai...

GATOS MEUS QUERIDOS

Chapter 1                    Muay The Warrior Cat Muay Thai came to be called so for the feisty and spirited little thing she was, reminiscent of the intense and energetic martial art of Muay Thai . Her bold personality inspired me to give her a name that reflected her sass and vigor. Muay Thai's antics were the stuff of legends. She was a buzz of energy, always getting into mischief and mayhem. Whether she was chasing invisible bugs, leaping over furniture like an acrobat or wrestling with toys, Muay Thai was a force to be reckoned with. Her favorite pastime was "attacking" my hands and feet, using her lightning-fast reflexes and razor-sharp teeth. It was a game she loved, and one that always left me in stitches. Despite her tough-as-nails persona, Muay Thai was also a total softie at heart. She loved nothing more than curling up in my lap and purring contentedly, her eyes gleaming with adoration before snoozing into the deepest of sl...

INSIDIOUS

  The car juddered to a halt and refused to budge an inch forward. "Luke, I thought we had a full gas tank and the car was serviced just this weekend…what's wrong?" "I have no idea, Stella…We're in the middle of nowhere and my phone has no signal! But look there. It says 'Baby Museum' on the signpost. Shall we go in and see if they have a landline to get us out of this mess?" "Guess we have no choice. But I'm very uneasy, Luke. I just want to go home and rest. Our baby's due in a couple of weeks." "I'm so sorry, honey. But look at the brighter side. We can check out this place in advance." At the entrance were standees of Tinkerbell and Peter Pan. The lobby glowed with pastel pink shimmering lights. Mannequins of fairies lined the walls. Luke approached the front desk.  "Yes sir, we will have it arranged. Meanwhile, why don't the both of you take a tour of our museum?" Stella took Luke's arm and hobbl...