Meow! Meow! Meow!
My siblings wouldn't stop, they were looking for their mother, our mother.
Meow! Meow! Meow!
I was recently born, I still wasn't able to open my eyes, but I could hear them quite clear.
Meow! Meow! Meow!
They were hungry, and I was too. I looked forward to her coming back soon, it had been hours.
Meow! Meow! Meow!
I really couldn't tell where our mother gave birth to us, but by the feeling of it, it was a nice and warm place.
Meow! Meow! Meow!
I twisted my ears at the recognition of delicate, yet quick, steps. The sound got closer and closer.
"There, there, my little kitties, mommy's here with you." I relaxed at her words, finally going to get fed.
Meow!!!
All of my brothers and sisters meowed in excitement, so synchronized, like a chorus. There were eight of us, the exact number our mother could breastfeed us.
None of us could open our eyes yet, so momma would put her paw over our heads, giving us a reassuring pet, and guide us towards her belly, feeding us.
"Thanks!" I squeaked out, genuinely appreciating her risking her life to keep her offsprings safe. I might've not yet been able to see, but I was able to express myself.
She smiled at me, I think, and licked my right ear, so softly, as if being careful not to hurt me. Such a vivid memory. "I love you. I love you all." Her voice was so calming to us, we would literally stop meowing just to hear her talk.
Several days passed, and I could finally open my eyes, along with my other siblings, except for the kitty with silky smooth, bright orange fur. She was so sensitive to light back then, and was also my only sister.
Not that she was exclusively the only female in a breeding of males, there were two other females, but she's always been special for me.
After getting used to my blurry vision, I could depict we were in a dark place, but not so dark, there was some light too. It seemed to be an alley, a back alley. A place that apparently no one got close to, but that didn't mean we were safe at all times.
We got quickly used to our mother not usually coming back. You could see the worry in her eyes and movement every time she left us to go on her way to find more rats to eat, a cotton bed for us, or even something that we could use as an excuse to have some fun, a toy.
Every day that passed, we got hungrier, the milk was scarcer and mommy's returning would be rarer. She sometimes couldn't find anything to eat for herself to give us more of her nurturing milk.
We adapted to not eating for long periods of time, we actually got surprised whenever our mother came back with something instead of when she came back with nothing.
At night she would usually sob, and whisper to herself in disagreement, fearing that someday there won't be enough food for us, and that she might lose us.
I never mentioned it, not only because I couldn't yet talk very fluently, but because I didn't want to worry her. We were eight kittens, that was enough of a problem to stay alive.
Although I didn't talk to her about her depressions, that doesn't mean I did nothing to calm her and keep her inside her sanity.
"Mommy." I would call out for her every time the sun would've already set. I was always the last one to fall asleep, next to my orange sister.
Sometimes she would wipe her tears off, or simply stop mourning, but she would always come to me. "You should be asleep by now." She never said it in an angry voice, nor in a desperate one, but in one that would always release the tension in my body. "Would you want me to sing to you?" Oh, those words, they were ever so fulfilling with love and kindness.
"Please, mommy." My words would always make her smile, a smile that made me know she was there for me, that we were a family, that no matter what happened, she would never let go of me.
I see the moon, the moon sees me,
shining through the leaves of the old oak tree.
Oh, let the light that shines on me,
shine on the one I love.
Over the mountain, over the sea,
back where my heart is longing to be.
Oh, let the light that shines on me,
shine on the one I love.
I hear the lark, the lark hears me,
singing from the leaves of the old oak tree.
Oh, let the lark that sings to me,
sing to the one I love.
Over the mountain, over the sea,
back where my heart is longing to be.
Oh, let the lark that sings to me,
sing to the one I love.
"Good night, my dear." Those were the last words she'd say after singing me to sleep, before kissing my fragile head and try to get some rest on her own.
I miss all of that.
But that's how a stray cat's life is, hard.
YOU ARE READING
La Bella Vita Di Un Gatto Nero
Adventure"A cat has nine lives; for three he plays, for three he strays, and for three he stays." Chat, a black cat, adventures himself after he is left alone on the wonderful world of France, accompanied by his sister, Rouge. They both stray the streets as...
