Dear Reader,
Today our guest writer is Devon Murphy, one of the 2021 Honorable Mentions from my Write a DearReader Contest. The quality of writing in the 2021 Write a DearReader Contest was outstanding. Thank you so much Devon for sharing your story with us.
Tribute to 'Lectric
1980. I was young, broke, and killing time when I fell in love. In the mall pet shop, surrounded by puppies, a tiny jet-black kitten crouched in a cage. Periodically she exhibited her terror and bravado by hissing and lashing her tail. When the indifferent teenage clerk put her in my palm, she proclaimed herself with four feet tipped with miniature daggers and an infuriated growl that transitioned into loud purring when I cuddled her. I lost my heart and maxed out my credit card to take her home.
As a kitten, she was in constant motion--tearing around puffed up, jumping, climbing, playing with everything--such a live wire that I named her 'Lectric. Starting that first night, she insisted on sleeping under the covers touching me. Her favorite place was my lap. When displaced, she would resort to covert creeping up, only to freeze when I looked at her--as if immobility rendered her invisible in her lap quest.
With the exception of my husband, who she adored; most folks she merely tolerated, and a few she outright despised. When the hated few visited, we soon learned she had to be shut in our bedroom lest they sport bloody ankles. Considering her track record, we were concerned about bringing our infant son home from the hospital. She surprised us by taking ownership of him. Even when he was not-so-gentle with her, she was patient and kept her wicked claws to herself. He learned to walk chasing her long black tail while she deliberately twitched it just out of his reach. As he grew, he became another beloved lap to sneak up onto, and the most generous human with treats.
She was fearless in prowling our neighborhood. Rodents, birds, and snakes were stalked and toyed with, then laid as offerings at our back door. I discouraged another favorite entertainment--vigorously grooming herself just outside the fences while our neighbors' dogs barked themselves hoarse. When a big and boisterous puppy was added to our household, she quickly established her dominance in spite of the immense size difference.
One spring I installed a cat door. 'Lectric loved it so much that the first week she brought inside a live garter snake, a live wren, and two dead mice as gifts. Much to her dismay, the cat door was permanently closed after I arose one morning to find seven cats lounging in the living room and the big bowl of cat food empty. She had thrown a cat-party, complete with snacks!
Years passed and she became a frail little old lady. For her last couple years, she looked more like hide stretched over bones than a viable feline. Her once-beautiful shiny black coat was dry and ratty, and her long tail with the crook at the end had bald spots. The highlight of her old age was when we installed a wood burning stove in our drafty old farmhouse. Although for us it was a cost-saving measure, for her it was retirement to Florida. Most of her last winter was spent purring on a soft rug in the warmest place in the house--right in front of the stove. She received one more retirement gift. For the first time in years, a mouse made it inside our house. In spite of diminished eyesight and being totally deaf, she had it before we knew the mouse was present. I came downstairs one morning to find her proudly playing with it on the kitchen floor.
I have had other cats since 'Lectric. Although I love them too, I know she will always be my favorite--and not just due to her seventeen years with me. She was a one-of-a-kind personality. Thanks to a petite black cat, the places I lived during my younger adulthood were more than just houses--they were home.
-- Devon Murphy
Honorable Mention, 2021 Write a DearReader Contest
Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
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