"Muzi has started sleeping in Naanaa's spot by my door. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't think Muzi even knew for sure that Naanaa was gone."
"He's a special kitty."
"Yeah well, it's not his fault. Roxy bit him on the head when he was a kitten. He hasn't been right since."
"What?! And you kept her? Katy, you have a child!"
"She's not vicious. Look, you know how she has that super-short hair? Well she has almost no hair at all on her belly, and it's sensitive. When Muzi was really little, and we were all laying on my bed just dozing, he tried to nurse from Roxy. It surprised her and she reacted the same way she would have if a puppy had done the same thing - she put her mouth around his head. Only Muzi was a lot more fragile than a puppy, and one of Roxy's canines actually punctured his skull. He was nearly comatose for two days before he started walking and eating again. I think he had some brain damage. Anyway, it really wasn't either of their faults. They were just doing what kittens and dogs do."
"... If you say so."
"So yeah. Anyway. Muzi is special. Naanaa always looked out for him. Now, he's a little more lost than usual."
Sniff. Sniff-sniff. A barest flicker of movement touches his whiskers to Muzi's fuzzy black face. A slightly broken purr greets Naanaa in return.
(Brother.)
(Mom sleeps.)
(I know. It's ok. Sleep too.)
Through the closed door - he doesn't notice that it's closed. He feels the path to take, and takes it.
The altar calls him, but he doesn't want to rest right now.
Mom is there, sleeping on the big bed with the dogs at her sides.
The smaller dog lifts her head and snuffles. (Naanaa. I know you.)
(I know you, Bella.)
(Roxy sleeps.)
(She's old.)
(Mom sleeps. Mom is sad.)
(I know. I will help.)
(Ok. Help.)
With Bella watching, Naanaa curls up on the pillow next to Mom, a sentinel for dreams.
"He's a special kitty."
"Yeah well, it's not his fault. Roxy bit him on the head when he was a kitten. He hasn't been right since."
"What?! And you kept her? Katy, you have a child!"
"She's not vicious. Look, you know how she has that super-short hair? Well she has almost no hair at all on her belly, and it's sensitive. When Muzi was really little, and we were all laying on my bed just dozing, he tried to nurse from Roxy. It surprised her and she reacted the same way she would have if a puppy had done the same thing - she put her mouth around his head. Only Muzi was a lot more fragile than a puppy, and one of Roxy's canines actually punctured his skull. He was nearly comatose for two days before he started walking and eating again. I think he had some brain damage. Anyway, it really wasn't either of their faults. They were just doing what kittens and dogs do."
"... If you say so."
"So yeah. Anyway. Muzi is special. Naanaa always looked out for him. Now, he's a little more lost than usual."
Sniff. Sniff-sniff. A barest flicker of movement touches his whiskers to Muzi's fuzzy black face. A slightly broken purr greets Naanaa in return.
(Brother.)
(Mom sleeps.)
(I know. It's ok. Sleep too.)
Through the closed door - he doesn't notice that it's closed. He feels the path to take, and takes it.
The altar calls him, but he doesn't want to rest right now.
Mom is there, sleeping on the big bed with the dogs at her sides.
The smaller dog lifts her head and snuffles. (Naanaa. I know you.)
(I know you, Bella.)
(Roxy sleeps.)
(She's old.)
(Mom sleeps. Mom is sad.)
(I know. I will help.)
(Ok. Help.)
With Bella watching, Naanaa curls up on the pillow next to Mom, a sentinel for dreams.
The bite really happened! Roxy was a cranky old bitch even back then, although she really wasn't trying to hurt him. Between her surprise and her awful depth perception (she's a boxer, but has a face like a pug), she kind of 'missed' and got him harder than she meant to. Poor Muzi was never very clever after that, but he was always a huge love bug and a pro snuggler. I swear he must have been part Rag Doll.
ReplyDeleteFor this story I'm trying to recall actual conversations and events, and build Naanaa's story around them. It's quite an exercise.