Teardrop Fiction

[Ratkity]

ERRANDS

It started out like any other day. The night before was cool and fall was in the air. The campground was quiet after a weekend gathering of people going to some apple or grape fruit festival. All I know is that there were some happy loud campers in the park last weekend and a lot of empty bottles in the trash on Monday morning.

The owner lady and I spent the morning waiting for the propane guy to come fill the big tank. I supervised from the hood of her car (a nice warm place on the cool morning). After the tank was filled and the big smelly truck drove off, Renee lady said something about running errands. Normally, I just look my handsomest and wish her well, but it appeared I was preventing her from leaving because I was on her transportation device; minor detail. I deftly jumped down and watched her prepare for her departure. Of course she forgot something and ran up to the apartment to get it. I peered in the open door and sniffed. It smelled faintly of vanilla and coffee. I climbed in to have a look around. I batted the dangling tree ornament on the rear view mirror a little bit. That’s where the vanilla scent came from. I checked out the empty coffee cup in the holder. She liked cream in her coffee. There were a couple of wrapped up mints in the tray with some sticky pennies. In the back seat there was a balled up sweatshirt right next to this nice warm spot on the back seat where a sunbeam was shining. Next thing I knew, I was curled up asleep.

I woke up a little while later when my sunbeam moved. I stretched and looked out of the window to realize that the sunbeam wasn’t the only thing that had moved; so had the car and it was still moving! I jumped into passenger front seat and leaned on the owner lady’s purse. I think I scared the wits out of the owner lady because she screamed and jerked the car a little. Probably a good thing she wasn’t going very fast in the store parking lot. After her initial shock, she seemed to calm down and said I might as well accompany her on all her errands; letters and a small box mailed in one place, wrapped dresses picked up at another. She drove through one place where she got a cup of coffee and something she called a scone. I tasted the scone thingie and wasn’t that impressed, but liked how much cream and that white fluffy stuff she put on her coffee. She let me lick the lid! She got groceries at one place and I got to inspect the bags she put in the back seat. We are gonna have chicken sometime this week! I made my way back to the front passenger seat as she buckled up to drive somewhere else. She had the window cracked a bit and I could smell real cheeseburgers when we went past this one place... the smell was heavenly! I wanted her to stop there so bad, but she didn’t, alas.

One last stop and she came back with one bag fill of things in plastic wrap along with some of my favorite crunchie and wet food. She bought one thing that was obviously not for me. Hrmph. It was a rawhide bone. I knew who THAT was for. Dog and Tex had both been scarce since the snake incident. I wonder if that’s why she got so much chicken.

We made it home safe and sound. I sauntered out of the car as if I rode with the owner lady all the time on her errands. I ran into the apartment and sat on the window sill watching her put away the groceries and other items and trying to figure out what we were going to have for dinner tonight. I love it when she gets out her recipe book!

[queeniejeanne]

Bravo! Kat........Cliff, great third party...Tex you've started something bigger than life itself, thanks.

I agree someone do the mouse!!!!!Did I say that out loud? QJ

[alffink]

....."someone do the mouse"

I recall that the Snake already did!

[Prem]

Tex and Ratkity,

Good stuff.

Now let's see your photos. Make an album. PRETTY PLEASE.

Prem

[Ratkity]

Hiya Prem!

I haven't uploaded any photos to my gallery as I use tinypict for sizing pictures or photobucket.

Maybe over Tday holiday I can spend some time uploading a few photos!

Meanwhile, where's Tex been these days?

Hugs,
Ratkity

[TheresaD]

Just wonderin' if anyone's heard from Tex lately. Sure has been quiet on the story thread. I hope everything's ok. Maybe he's putting a new story together for us. I hope so! I'm missing my bedtime stories!

Thinkin' about ya Tex. Hope all is well. Looking forward to some more of your delightful word crafting!

[Tumbleweed_Tex]

HOME? FOR THE HOLIDAYS

To those who know me, it’s no secret…I couldn’t carry a tune in a hermetically sealed container. Add this to the fact that in the cab of a Toyota truck, there just ain’t a whole lot of room for off-key cowboy notes to hide. It’s one of those situations that makes Dog whine, and stare wistfully out the window at the Texas countryside.

We’ve been…away. After the incident with the snake, things kinda went downhill with Renee, and it didn’t take very long for the obvious to manifest itself…she needed some space, and me and Dog needed a sabbatical. We left late one night to avoid the proverbial “conversationâ€

[Ratkity]

w00000h00000!

Dog and Tex are coming for dinner!

Hugs,
Ratkity

[TheresaD]

Yay!! They're back!

I hope the head clearing did Tex some good and I hope Renee has something extra special planned for dessert! Can't wait for the juicy details!

[sagebrush]

WELCOME BACK DOG! You too , Tex

[queeniejeanne]

Oh boy!
Queenie Jeanne

[Ratkity]

ANOTHER THANKSGIVING AT THE BEACH

It's been a family tradition for over two decades. Once a year my parents and my three siblings all get together with spouses and children, in-laws, nieces and nephews at the beach in one large rental house. On an average, there are 13 to 15 people there at any given time. Our favorite beach is at the Outer Banks of NC and our favorite time of year for this get-together has been Thanksgiving week. The fishing folks go surf fishing, bicycle riders have the run of the empty neighborhoods and every night there are board games or an ongoing puzzle laid out to keep everyone occupied. Add in the football games or children's movies blaring on the TV in the background and multiple people cooking various things in the kitchen. Stir in a little family bickering and unpredictable weather and the week-long chaos is nearly complete. There's never a dull moment with all that energy around. Even the year the nor'easter took out the power on the island for several days and the big entertainment was watching cars trying to navigate through a two foot puddle that formed in front of the neighborhood. The "swamp house" rental has its own set of stories to go with the name. Each year and each house has its stories.

This year was going to be the last time in the big blue rental house. Our family has diminished in size and the recession has made us all seek cheaper alternatives for lodging. We'd spent the last three Thanksgivings in the blue house and I was sorta sad to bid it goodbye.

My three sisters and I each cook a special meal one night during the week and everyone helps put together Thanksgiving dinner. All other meals are deemed "every man for himself". The two dishwashers in the kitchen are constantly in use. Being hungry is something that never happens during beach week! There is an overabundance of food, cakes, pies and various other snacks. Everyone cooks their most favorite recipes so gaining weight is par for the course.

The first night I pulled up and started unloading coolers and boxes full of food, my bicycle and its accessories, multiple games, etc; it's amazing all the things that can be loaded in a little Rav4. Out of the darkness, I heard the loudest meowing since I adopted Bossman kitty (he's a talker). At first, it seemed there were kitties all around meowing for food. Turns out it was one little gray girl kitty about four months old. She was fast and savvy, never being close enough to touch, but knowing that coolers had food (or fish bait). I tossed her some pre-cooked bacon from my cooler which she ate on the run while I ducked and weaved around parked cars to try to get a good look at her in the dark. She was just dark gray with a wary, yet sweet little face. I sighed and tried not to think of Bossman and the rest of my fuzzykids at home with the pet sitter. I idly wondered how Bossman would react to a little sister. I know that feral cats are not welcome at the national seashore and are usually hunted by game wardens. I secretly hoped to get closer to her during the week.

Every night around 8pm she would be outside in the dark, meowing. She was well fed that week. I never could get close to her. She tolerated my presence as long as I sat still on the picnic table bench, but she was never within arm's reach. A couple of nights the wind was bitter cold and the family had games going, so I heated her little morsels in the microwave and left out a bowl for her. After the games, I'd go back outside and the bowl was empty. Thanksgiving day, she got fed twice with the boiled giblets and leftover turkey juices. I saw her waddle happily away with a little buddha belly into the sound-side marsh. I didn't see her Friday night, but the bowl was empty again. While Mom was out bicycle riding, she saw the little gray kitty across the street wandering around. Seems the kitty had a large prowling area. I waited for her Saturday night, but never saw her. Her bowl lay untouched Sunday morning. The week was over and I was never able to approach the little gray feral kitty. At least she was well-fed this week. I meowed a sad goodbye to her and quietly prayed well-wishes to her as I pulled out of the driveway.

I wasn't prepared the sight after pulling out of the neighborhood onto the only road that leaves the island. I saw the shattered body of the feral little gray kitty on the side of the road about three blocks from the big blue house's neighborhood. I felt as if I was slapped silly. The pain in my gut expanded to my heart. It was all I could do to just pull over the side of the road and sob. I wanted to turn back, but didn't think I could deal with the sight again. I was shaking all over. Every scenario ran through my mind; when? how could someone? what happened? could I have done something different? I finally resumed my journey home. I was devastated and continually wiped tears for hours as I battled traffic back into the DC metro area.

My furkids enthusiastically greeted me and covered me in fur, puppy kisses and kitty meows. The parrot screamed happily for 45 minutes while I unloaded. Exhausted and tired, I called family members to let them know I was safely home. Each one saw the little gray kitty as they left the beach. Mom and I cried together and gave up trying to make sense of it all. I think we all gave extra hugs and kisses to our furkids that night.

Thanksgiving week is never "just another week at the beach". Each house and year has its own stories. I'm not sad about bidding the big blue house goodbye anymore. Next year's Thanksgiving week will be in a new smaller rental in a town a bit down the road. That one will have stories associated with it as well. Tonight, I raise a glass to another holiday week gone and scratch the purring lap kitty behind his ears. Here's to another Thanksgiving at the beach.

[Cliffmeister2000]

Sorry to hear about the grey kitty, ratkity. Life can be very fragile at times.

[2bits]

Woke up Sunday morning, late for breakfast as usual... Eggs long gone, biscuits cold as... pick your metaphor. Still people were around shaking off the cold and an hour more awake than me when I sat down with my grateful plate.

We came together at that table haphazardly by neither conscience nor mistake, but conversation struck and in the haze and we began to smile to each other. We are all different in the raw tones of the early morn. Dizzying affections ran high as a hand brushes another, and a lean and a nod secures an emotional bond as the community breakfast is already long gone and only quietude remains between ourselves.

As if to stir the wind itself we stand, ready to meet the day, leaving the pavilion both silently struggling for a reason not to part. Let me share the secrets of my build I say as she knowingly comes inside and we retire, laying down together, holding each other as if already joined for a lifetime in a sweet morning slumber only dreamed of, in this dream.

[Cliffmeister2000]

Welcome aboard, Thomas!