A Cat Named Max
This one I wrote a while back, I'm content enough with it, just not sure how to improve it if at all possible. Light and frivolus yet alluding to deep and underlying problems, that's just how I am, I have secrets. Secrets that are terrible, but I still keep them. This story is based on a strange happening in my old neighborhood on the Eastside. Any criticism is welcome, and please enjoy.
There once was a cat named Max, and this cat lived with this boy with this family on the lower east side of town. He was a stray cat and this family took him in off the streets. So the boy in this family was a lonely fellow and had always pined for a loving companion, him being the faithless wonder boy that he was. There would be someone for him but that would be later on in life and not of much concern to our modest little story here. In the meantime he would have ol' Max to keep him company. That was his name by the way, which of course you'll find out later. And the boy's name was Ali. Since we're naming names now, let us introduce to you the reader our cast of players for this oh so humble story. Now then we have the father, who we'll call the Father. Then we have the mother, who we'll call the Mother. Of course you know Ali, and then there's everybody else you’ll meet later moving on now. To Ali the cat was everything to him. Friend and partner in crime the two were in separable really. Sure, he had people friends but he much preferred cat people. Not cat people as in people who like cats but instead cat/human hybrids, don't worry about it Ali just was an imaginative young boy. On the home front everything was real peachy like with the arrival of Max, though it wasn't always this way.
Brisk the morning and cold the air that day the Mother came home from another one of her "visits" from her sister's house. Truth be told the Mother has been seeing the pastor of their church for years. She made no effort to hide it, the church knew what was going on, friends and family knew it, and she certainly made no efforts to hide it from the boy Ali. Though he made vague threats to reveal their secret, both he and the Mother knew that would not come to be. So all those who were of concern knew the score but just chose to ignore the problem, and it seemed everyone was aware except for the Father. He wasn't dense, naive maybe but not dense. Perhaps he just cared too much to notice, which seems to be a liability these days. Caring too much that is. So going back to the Mother she being on the road, the road that had a bit of a bend in it when you start on the incline - the east side of town being very hilly - and that's when the lightning bolt struck you could say. For when the Mother was reaching the bend a cat that was hiding behind the trash can the whole time it seemed waiting the opportune time to strike, leapt out. Of course the Mother was bedazzled and jumped like a cat herself before slamming the brakes. The cat he just stood there, him having the bejeezny sacred out of him as well. Startled, and still reeling from the shock the Mother slowly got out of the car and went to pick him up. She put him in the front seat and as they drove on the cat, well, he just leaned over the door surveying his surroundings as all the objects moved by at speeds he had never seen before. The Mother pulled into the driveway and then stopped the car to think for a minute. How on earth was she going to explain this? "Oh, hello dear, I just found this stray cat off the streets and I thought we'd keep it." Now the Father was never too keen on animals to begin with let alone a cat. They had talked about a dog before but it seemed they were gridlocked on the situation. Both on opposite sides, one for a cat the other for a dog finally, the Mother decided to do away with caution and hope that the cuteness factor would overrule. So she hoped and on she went.
Needless to say the Father was quite perturbed at the Mother's newly acquired stray. What with it being early in the morning and the Father not having his morning cup of coffee yet he was in no mood to argue. So he finally gave concede and the Mother went to Ali's room where he was still sleeping and surprised him with her offering. Immediately you could tell Ali was smitten with the kitten and he named him Max. From then on Max was an official member of the family and was treated as such. No more scrounging around the garbage pails for Max, no it was first rate grub all the way. It was October; pre-Halloween time at present and the whole neighborhood was in spirits accordingly. Personally the boy Ali hated Hallows eve or Hallows Suck as he called it. Something about dressing a fool and going about the neighborhood asking for alms didn't appeal to him. Go figure. Besides, Ali was never one for people anyway as mentioned before. So there was no need to go around the neighborhood for free loot, not that he was opposed to free loot mind you. When that hallowed eve finally came around Ali just spent the night with Max & Co. surprise surprise. Next month was November and again the neighborhood had caught that holiday fever. That seemed to be all the rage, catching fevers and the like but not for Ali. "No freaking way," he once said and the parents from that point on knew his feelings about such ritual obligatory festivities. Actually, the parents felt the same exact way. So it was a relief for them. Max didn't mind any of this so long as he got his cat nip and a good scratch behind that oh so sacred place behind his ear. And conversely if he didn't tear up any of the furniture, they wouldn't give him the boot. Max wouldn't really be kicked out but that's not to say the parents can't make empty threats.
So then, on to December now. It was a bit uncold for such a time of the year though it was still cold enough to freeze you nips off. Regardless, thems were the facts. As a member of the family Max was entitled to presents like anyone else. Christmas was the only such holiday that Ali didn't mind for obvious reasons of course. So maybe he wasn't THAT different from all the other boys. With his own money Ali decided to get Max a present. Exactly what he would get him he wasn't quite sure, then he finally came to the conclusion that he would get him a ball and rope. Surely that would keep Max busy for a while Ali thought. Now mind you Ali was never one for buying gifts for even people but he thought he would try something new. He was doing a lot of things like that lately, trying new things, that is. So when Christmas eve finally rolled around Ali let Max out for a bit assuming the Mother would let him back in. It was getting late and the Mother whisked Ali off to bed. Ali slept well that night, not that he usually slept bad but he was just quite comfortable. Dreams of happiness and merriment seemed to be on the menu that night but then suddenly took a turn for a bit of the unmerry when in the dream Ali seemed to lose Max and kept slipping and slipping away and Ali couldn't get him back. It woke him from his sleep and then Ali realized it was a dream and thought nothing more of it. "Who puts much thought into dreams these days anyhow?", the question seemed to be asked. That morning when Ali got out of the bed he seemed to be all shagged and fagged from the day before which was weird because he didn't do much then. In any case Ali proceeded with the rest of the family to gather 'round the Christmas tree where all the presents lie. In the center below the tree there was the present that Ali wrapped himself for Max in all it's amateur glory. Only there seemed to something a miss, where was Max? Nobody ad noticed for they were all groggy and the like so they weren't in the best states of mental readiness. First Ali checked the dining room where Max's bed was by his food, not there. Then his room, nope his parent's room next, no luck there either. He searched high and low through out the house and he wasn't there so he went outside and called his name but there was no answer except for the wind that seemed to be insulting. Ali spied the pseudo-tree house that lay across the bare limbless tree which was just a piece of flat board where Max frequented from time to time and sadly he was no where to be found. Later on he found that the Mother had not let Max back in for she did not know that he was out and in a rage Ali blamed the whole fiasco on her. Of course there was no one to blame Ali realized and so he went to sulk in his room.
It was an ungood Christmas day that year, the parents later told the boy that they would go out searching for Max but they never did t'was just to console the boy until he was in better spirits. They weren't bad parents for not searching so, they were just realistic. Getting another cat was out of the question; Ali would have none of that especially since they haven't even found Max for the boy still held out hope. That night Ali just slept by the fire until it burnt out. All the presents were gone and opened except for Max's that lay there bare and alone. How Max was doing or where he was nobody knew, all that could be hoped for was the best. The next morning Ali seemed cheerful enough until he realized the events of yesterday. That's when reality decided to come down crashing again on poor little Ali. His parents really were concerned about his well being and hoped he would get well soon for it hurt them to see their only child like this. In actuality Ali wasn't as gloomy as it would seem, he was depressed to be sure but what could he do? A few days went by and the family clan had long scraped the search party idea and just tried to live their life. Then the lightning bolt struck once more when the Mother was out taking the trash she saw up on top of the hill down the street Max the cat. Right away she dropped what she was doing and went to try and call Max over, and for a minute it seemed to be working since he was trotting down the street when suddenly the neighbor's dogs saw Max and barking away. Immediately Max was frightened and ran away out of sight and at that point the Mother gave up and walked back some but when she turned to look back Max was there again and she tried once more to call him back and finally Max was scared off for good by the neighborhood dogs. Oh, how the Mother regretted to tell her family about this incident. Here she was so close to recapturing what was once thought lost and she let it slip away. Such is life, or C'est la vie as the French would say. But what the French don't have a saying for is how bad it can feel when life isn't so cheery.
After much thought and consideration the Mother finally told the boy of the day's happenings and told him that Max really did try to come back but that his efforts were thwarted by the dogs from across the street. That gave the boy some comfort and made him think that eventually things would be alright. Tout va bien, at least the French have a saying for that. However, Ali did always harbor a grudge against those neighbors with their dogs. Soon enough though the boy would forget about all of this and be gone somewhere content enough with just being.
There once was a cat named Max, and this cat lived with this boy with this family on the lower east side of town. He was a stray cat and this family took him in off the streets. So the boy in this family was a lonely fellow and had always pined for a loving companion, him being the faithless wonder boy that he was. There would be someone for him but that would be later on in life and not of much concern to our modest little story here. In the meantime he would have ol' Max to keep him company. That was his name by the way, which of course you'll find out later. And the boy's name was Ali. Since we're naming names now, let us introduce to you the reader our cast of players for this oh so humble story. Now then we have the father, who we'll call the Father. Then we have the mother, who we'll call the Mother. Of course you know Ali, and then there's everybody else you’ll meet later moving on now. To Ali the cat was everything to him. Friend and partner in crime the two were in separable really. Sure, he had people friends but he much preferred cat people. Not cat people as in people who like cats but instead cat/human hybrids, don't worry about it Ali just was an imaginative young boy. On the home front everything was real peachy like with the arrival of Max, though it wasn't always this way.
Brisk the morning and cold the air that day the Mother came home from another one of her "visits" from her sister's house. Truth be told the Mother has been seeing the pastor of their church for years. She made no effort to hide it, the church knew what was going on, friends and family knew it, and she certainly made no efforts to hide it from the boy Ali. Though he made vague threats to reveal their secret, both he and the Mother knew that would not come to be. So all those who were of concern knew the score but just chose to ignore the problem, and it seemed everyone was aware except for the Father. He wasn't dense, naive maybe but not dense. Perhaps he just cared too much to notice, which seems to be a liability these days. Caring too much that is. So going back to the Mother she being on the road, the road that had a bit of a bend in it when you start on the incline - the east side of town being very hilly - and that's when the lightning bolt struck you could say. For when the Mother was reaching the bend a cat that was hiding behind the trash can the whole time it seemed waiting the opportune time to strike, leapt out. Of course the Mother was bedazzled and jumped like a cat herself before slamming the brakes. The cat he just stood there, him having the bejeezny sacred out of him as well. Startled, and still reeling from the shock the Mother slowly got out of the car and went to pick him up. She put him in the front seat and as they drove on the cat, well, he just leaned over the door surveying his surroundings as all the objects moved by at speeds he had never seen before. The Mother pulled into the driveway and then stopped the car to think for a minute. How on earth was she going to explain this? "Oh, hello dear, I just found this stray cat off the streets and I thought we'd keep it." Now the Father was never too keen on animals to begin with let alone a cat. They had talked about a dog before but it seemed they were gridlocked on the situation. Both on opposite sides, one for a cat the other for a dog finally, the Mother decided to do away with caution and hope that the cuteness factor would overrule. So she hoped and on she went.
Needless to say the Father was quite perturbed at the Mother's newly acquired stray. What with it being early in the morning and the Father not having his morning cup of coffee yet he was in no mood to argue. So he finally gave concede and the Mother went to Ali's room where he was still sleeping and surprised him with her offering. Immediately you could tell Ali was smitten with the kitten and he named him Max. From then on Max was an official member of the family and was treated as such. No more scrounging around the garbage pails for Max, no it was first rate grub all the way. It was October; pre-Halloween time at present and the whole neighborhood was in spirits accordingly. Personally the boy Ali hated Hallows eve or Hallows Suck as he called it. Something about dressing a fool and going about the neighborhood asking for alms didn't appeal to him. Go figure. Besides, Ali was never one for people anyway as mentioned before. So there was no need to go around the neighborhood for free loot, not that he was opposed to free loot mind you. When that hallowed eve finally came around Ali just spent the night with Max & Co. surprise surprise. Next month was November and again the neighborhood had caught that holiday fever. That seemed to be all the rage, catching fevers and the like but not for Ali. "No freaking way," he once said and the parents from that point on knew his feelings about such ritual obligatory festivities. Actually, the parents felt the same exact way. So it was a relief for them. Max didn't mind any of this so long as he got his cat nip and a good scratch behind that oh so sacred place behind his ear. And conversely if he didn't tear up any of the furniture, they wouldn't give him the boot. Max wouldn't really be kicked out but that's not to say the parents can't make empty threats.
So then, on to December now. It was a bit uncold for such a time of the year though it was still cold enough to freeze you nips off. Regardless, thems were the facts. As a member of the family Max was entitled to presents like anyone else. Christmas was the only such holiday that Ali didn't mind for obvious reasons of course. So maybe he wasn't THAT different from all the other boys. With his own money Ali decided to get Max a present. Exactly what he would get him he wasn't quite sure, then he finally came to the conclusion that he would get him a ball and rope. Surely that would keep Max busy for a while Ali thought. Now mind you Ali was never one for buying gifts for even people but he thought he would try something new. He was doing a lot of things like that lately, trying new things, that is. So when Christmas eve finally rolled around Ali let Max out for a bit assuming the Mother would let him back in. It was getting late and the Mother whisked Ali off to bed. Ali slept well that night, not that he usually slept bad but he was just quite comfortable. Dreams of happiness and merriment seemed to be on the menu that night but then suddenly took a turn for a bit of the unmerry when in the dream Ali seemed to lose Max and kept slipping and slipping away and Ali couldn't get him back. It woke him from his sleep and then Ali realized it was a dream and thought nothing more of it. "Who puts much thought into dreams these days anyhow?", the question seemed to be asked. That morning when Ali got out of the bed he seemed to be all shagged and fagged from the day before which was weird because he didn't do much then. In any case Ali proceeded with the rest of the family to gather 'round the Christmas tree where all the presents lie. In the center below the tree there was the present that Ali wrapped himself for Max in all it's amateur glory. Only there seemed to something a miss, where was Max? Nobody ad noticed for they were all groggy and the like so they weren't in the best states of mental readiness. First Ali checked the dining room where Max's bed was by his food, not there. Then his room, nope his parent's room next, no luck there either. He searched high and low through out the house and he wasn't there so he went outside and called his name but there was no answer except for the wind that seemed to be insulting. Ali spied the pseudo-tree house that lay across the bare limbless tree which was just a piece of flat board where Max frequented from time to time and sadly he was no where to be found. Later on he found that the Mother had not let Max back in for she did not know that he was out and in a rage Ali blamed the whole fiasco on her. Of course there was no one to blame Ali realized and so he went to sulk in his room.
It was an ungood Christmas day that year, the parents later told the boy that they would go out searching for Max but they never did t'was just to console the boy until he was in better spirits. They weren't bad parents for not searching so, they were just realistic. Getting another cat was out of the question; Ali would have none of that especially since they haven't even found Max for the boy still held out hope. That night Ali just slept by the fire until it burnt out. All the presents were gone and opened except for Max's that lay there bare and alone. How Max was doing or where he was nobody knew, all that could be hoped for was the best. The next morning Ali seemed cheerful enough until he realized the events of yesterday. That's when reality decided to come down crashing again on poor little Ali. His parents really were concerned about his well being and hoped he would get well soon for it hurt them to see their only child like this. In actuality Ali wasn't as gloomy as it would seem, he was depressed to be sure but what could he do? A few days went by and the family clan had long scraped the search party idea and just tried to live their life. Then the lightning bolt struck once more when the Mother was out taking the trash she saw up on top of the hill down the street Max the cat. Right away she dropped what she was doing and went to try and call Max over, and for a minute it seemed to be working since he was trotting down the street when suddenly the neighbor's dogs saw Max and barking away. Immediately Max was frightened and ran away out of sight and at that point the Mother gave up and walked back some but when she turned to look back Max was there again and she tried once more to call him back and finally Max was scared off for good by the neighborhood dogs. Oh, how the Mother regretted to tell her family about this incident. Here she was so close to recapturing what was once thought lost and she let it slip away. Such is life, or C'est la vie as the French would say. But what the French don't have a saying for is how bad it can feel when life isn't so cheery.
After much thought and consideration the Mother finally told the boy of the day's happenings and told him that Max really did try to come back but that his efforts were thwarted by the dogs from across the street. That gave the boy some comfort and made him think that eventually things would be alright. Tout va bien, at least the French have a saying for that. However, Ali did always harbor a grudge against those neighbors with their dogs. Soon enough though the boy would forget about all of this and be gone somewhere content enough with just being.