Sitting in the living room on a rainy and windy evening last year in October we heard a weak grievous meowing from outside. We went out and caught sight of a black scared kitten under the bushes. She was afraid of us but didn’t run away, just kept the distance. My wife gave her some pieces of sausages, which were eaten at once. We thought that the kitten might have born in spring that year. We saw, that she didn’t want to come closer so we decided not to force her to come in. After a while the kitten disappeared in our neighbor’s garden. We supposed that she wanted only to eat something and she went home.
Next day she stood in front of the terrace door opening to the garden. We fed her again, and in the daylight we could see how lovely and beautiful she was. Some day passed, but she didn’t leave us and we had a feeling that she needed a companion. Although we have two middle-aged cats at home we let her stay with us. Only trouble was that our cats wanted to play with her, but she was afraid of them at the beginning. That is why she lived outside and didn’t want to enter the house. We made her a padded paper box to sleep in it on the terrace. We begun to call her “Chibi” (meaning of this word in English is little rascal. November became very cold in my country so Chibi tried to get into the house in spite of my other cats were there. They got used to each other in some days, but relationship was based on
common respect between the cats.
So Chibi began her new life in our family, and we were sure that our Lord sent this lovely fur angel to make our life more colorful and happy and to give Chibi a second chance to have a family,
which would not chase her away.
When I had my meal she always sat on the chair next to me and asked for just a small piece from my meal. The only thing she insisted on was her regular midnight walk. It was her everyday routine. She left about eleven o’clock and returned about half past one, after midnight. Usually I go to bad late, so I waited for her almost every night. I liked her so much that sometimes I didn’t go to bad before three o’clock. I wanted to be sure that she returned.
On the night from the 7th to the 8th of March 2003 she didn’t come back. I got up several times to see if Chibi came back. But she was missing on the next day and next night. I went along the garages, hoping that somebody accidentally shut her in. I called her but there was no meowing for replay. I was so nervous that could not sleep two nights. I was just waiting for her and asked the God to bring her back.
On the 9th of March I had to face the facts. I found her body on the roadside. She was hit and killed by car. That night, two days ago our lovely Chibi made her walk to the eternity. I cannot imagine how could it be happened. It is so safe street. Well-illuminated, wide grassy surface on the both side, no obstructions, speed limit 30 miles. I am not going to judge the driver. Our Lord will do that.
After founding Chibi’s body I bounded her than placed into my car and we went to the uptown forest near to my house. Although I’m 45 years old man I could not help my tears when I buried her. She wasn’t even a year old. I don’t know what was her life before that October’s day when she turned up in our garden, but I’m sure she was happy with us
like we were with her.
In the Book of Life her destiny was to die in the dawn of her life. Her paw prints are still on the plastic chair on the terrace, I cannot wash them out. Her toys still on the floor of the living room, her blanket still on the place where she slept. Nobody in my family want to move them away. I’m still looking at the garden through the window after midnight waiting for her coming home, although I know Chibi is walking on the sky together with all passed beloved pets.
Chibi, you will be always on our mind,
| Arpad Lakatos |