April 18, 2011

• Catnapped!: The Conclusion

  
  
  The story so far.
  

  Of course, as I sat in my dark office, thinking things over, I already knew who had stolen Ghost and Twitch. I was just going over all the facts to make sure I hadn’t missed anything. But I hadn’t.
  Instead of going right to the authorities, I decided to confront the culprit. No one kidnaps two kittens without a good reason, and judging the cat-napper’s character, I was sure there was a peaceful way to work this out.
  And so I found myself yet again walking up to the house on the corner of First and Main, past the Fiat Spider convertible, and ringing the doorbell.
  “Ah, Mr. Tigah, I didn’t expect you back so soon.”
  “Hello, Ms. Rumcake. May I come in?”
  “Of course. And I thought I already told you to call me Rummy. Now, would you like something to drink, or maybe a snack? I doubt you’ve had anything to eat all day.”
  My stomach rumbled in confirmation, but I couldn’t be deterred form my mission.
  “Rummy, I’m think we both know why I’m here.”
  “I’m guessing it’s not for another cup of hot cocoa.”
  “You have something that doesn’t belong to you.”
  “Oh?”
  “Two things, actually, which are probably missing their owner as much as she is missing them.”
  “But Detective, I already told you I was playing mah jongg at a girlfriend’s last night, the I-”
  “-then you walked home, because it was such a clear night, right?” I interrupted.
  “That’s right,” she confirmed.
  “Rummy, it was raining last night.”
  Her face drained of all color, and her head drooped a little.
  “That might’ve slipped your mind since you were too busy trying to get home with your stolen goods,” I continued. “But it wasn’t the only thing that you forgot. You left your step ladder under the same window you used to get in and out of Nani’s house. And I’m sure almost getting run over by Ms. Ivanov didn’t help anything. And you left yet another clue sitting in the middle of your living room; the litter box. You said you don’t have cats anymore, but the fresh presents left in the box tells a different story.”
  “Ok, ok, you caught me. I did it. But you don’t understand! I love cats! All my life I’ve had furry companions at my side, helping me through life. I decided to pass this on to my grandkids, and let them adopt my two cats. They lived nearby, so it was no big deal. But then, last summer, they moved, taking my lifelong friends with them. At first, I was fine. But it became so lonely around her. I found myself calling their names, only to remember they were gone. And my sister, she has eight cats! Eight! When she called, I could hear them in the background, mewing. It broke my heart..” She paused as a pained expression came across her face.
  “Then one day I was out walking, and I saw that young girl in her house, holding those precious kittens. She looked so happy. And I was so jealous. Didn’t I deserve happiness like that? I was one of the greatest racers of all time! Well, I made up some excuse to go up to her door, just so I could see them. That’s when I caught a glimpse of the window, and the plan developed in my mind. At first, I rejected it, but somewhere inside I knew I would try it. I was just surprised it actually worked. And they are such dears, cuddling up to me. I felt…loved.”
  “I know what happened wasn’t fair. But Rummy, what you felt, that loneliness, Nani is feeling that now. She misses her babies.”
  “I guess I didn’t think of it that way. I’ll return them. She’ll probably hate me, and turn me into the police. But, I did a terrible thing. I’ll understand whatever punishment they give me.”

  And there it was. Another case, wrapped up. That wasn’t the end, of course. I went with Rummy and explained the situation to Nani, who (although she was distraught at first, threatening to do something with a frying pan…?) understood, having been without her furry friends for a while. So, with a promise to never break into Nani’s house again, and swearing to bake a batch of cookies for Nani at least once every other week until death, Rummy was allowed to go free, and Nani was reunited with her beloved little ones.
  Now I find myself, again, at the corner of First and Main. Since my hands are full, I use my nose to ring the doorbell. Before the door opens, I whisper “Shhhhhh,” trying to keep the surprise quiet.
  Rummy opens the door, a look of surprise on her face.
  “Hello, Mr. Tigah. May I ask what that is?”
  “Hi Rummy. I thought I might bring you a little something to cheer you up,” I answer her, handing her the box.
  “Oh, why thank you,” she says, setting the box down and opening it. As soon as she sees what’s inside, her face lights up, and she lifts the two gifts from their shelter, cradling them.
  “I actually had planned on getting you one, but the guy said they were brother and sister, and I didn’t want to separate them.”
  “They’re adorable!” she cooed, hugging the kittens. “Thank you so much.”
  “No thanks necessary, ma’am, it’s all in a days work.”
  I’ve always wanted to say that!

  And so life in Xanga continues on. It’s not always easy, but we help each other out, and I’d like to think I help more often than others.
  
  —————————————————————————————————-
  
  Aaron Tigah………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..Like_A_Tigah
  Rumcake……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..bronze_for_gold
  Nani………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..Queen_of_You188

  • 10:12 pm
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