Memoirs of Tubu - Tale Of A Tail

Part 2 - Queen Kathrine

She arrived at our house in a shoulder bag – a ball of fur that just fit into Granma's palm. The moment she arrived everyone started kuchi-kooing - o so cute, o so tiny, awww, ooooo, and all possible expressions that are usually reserved for me. They all seemed excited about her and guess what – even my own mother and Aunt Goldie started drooling over that thing. That's what I used to call her then – That Thing.

I was trying to have an afternoon siesta on the sofa when the doorbell rang. That really was an intrusion! I mean, who would want their sleep disturbed after a nice lunch of rice and lamb curry? Granma opened the door and Volcano came running. A young girl wearing jeans and a jacket was standing there with a bag on her shoulder. Granma invited her in but she kept standing there.

'Is it safe to come in with him over there?' she pointed at me and asked.

'He is harmless (a lie) and doesn't mind outsiders (an even bigger lie). You can safely come in.' I was surprised how Granma could lie without even batting an eyelid.

They thought I was asleep, but I was noticing everything with my eyes half-closed. This girl put her hand inside her bag and took it out. It purred softly, meawww. My left eye was fully open by now. Granma was holding it to her chest and stroking it so gently, just the way she used to hold me when I was a baby (I still am). Volcano took it from Granma and started cuddling it.

'You can give her boiled fish and milk. She is on solid food,' the girl was telling Granma. My ears pricked. Why was she telling all that?

'I don't think you will have any problem with her.' She patted that thing and got up to leave. When she opened the door and it was still on Granma's lap, I knew it was time for me to remind her. I leaped from the sofa and called out to her. The girl was already on the stairs and I don't know why she started screaming and running. I was just trying to remind her that she was leaving her kitten behind.

'Tubu has gone out and chasing that girl. Get him inside,' the housekeeper was screeching like a banshee. I always knew she was a dumbhead. Grandpa came and picked me from the last step of the stairs.

'Don't chase people who visit your house, Tubu. Bad boy!' I was surprised that Grandpa was scolding me. No point in trying to be a Good Samaritan.

Inside was an atmosphere of celebration. Someone put it inside my baby cot. How preposterous! 'Keep Queen Kathrine away from Pluto. I don't think he is going to like her,' Bully declared.

I was gone only a few minutes and already she got a name and a cot to sleep in. Bully was damn right; I was not going to like that intrusion in my life. I walked up to my bed and just sat there. With all that noise around, my Saturday afternoon nap was now a thing of the past. I needed to think; I needed to think very hard to find a way to get rid of this problem.

I must have fallen asleep – you know all that thinking hard had taken its toll on me. The room was dark except for the streetlight coming through the window, creating a rectangular shape on the floor. The whole house was deathly quiet. Suddenly there was a little noise – I would not have been able to pick it up if the house was not this quiet. Then a slight movement under the bed caught my attention. I realized that the noise was coming from there. I sat upright. What could it be? All of a sudden, something jumped on my back from nowhere, hit me on the head lightly, and disappeared under the bed with lightning speed.

I felt a little scratch where I was hit on the head. It didn't take me long to realize who it could be. I ran under the bed but could not get hold of it. It disappeared behind a box near the wall. I wish Granma did not keep this place so cluttered. She can be messy. I kept very very quiet. I wanted it to think that I was gone. The trick worked. It cautiously crept from behind the box. The tiny head turned and it caught sight of me. Scared, the little brat ran out from under the bed and jumped on Grandpa's writing bureau, knocking off a vase. It fell on the ground with a loud thud and shattered to pieces. The noise was enough to awaken the whole house. I could hear the rushing of feet. It was safe to stay where I was under the current circumstance.