Cats and rain.

Short story.

Drinking a cup of milk has been an essential morning routine for George. He pours 1/4th of the milk he drinks into a brass bowl, kept in front of the garage, for the cats. He always called different names or sounds his cats. He never considered them as ‘his cats’ . They are there and he is there; as simple as that.

There were days, during his younger times, he used to wish if he could talk to them. Somehow that phase was over when he crossed 20. He became comfortable with the minimal communication he can have with the cats. Most of the time it is just a live commentary of his life or the nature around him, or he talks to the cat as if he is talking to a small baby even though the cat might have almost completed its life-cycle.

Now George is 63 years old and there are two cats visit him several times to drink milk and eat fish. He pours milk for them twice a day and serve fish thrice a week; Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Things have been fine till he came to know that one of the cats is pregnant. At the age of 63 suddenly he is concerned about the pregnant cat and the kittens growing inside her stomach. He arranged a small corner inside the garage for the cat if she wants to consider it be her labor room.

George’s daughters have been away from home since they turned 18. They moved out for the first time to do their graduation and still continue to stay in different cities even after their graduation. They are twins, Sita and Gowry. People used to ask him a lot of questions like why, him being a catholic, his daughters are named after Hindu goddesses. He never gave any answers to anyone who asked this question. instead he would gently smile and ask them how they were doing. Since most of the time, people had something to talk about themselves, he could save himself from answering that question.

Gowry likes cats a lot, and Sita somehow doesn’t like them. in fact, she is scared of them.

It has been raining for the last 3 days, it stopped rarely. The cats are mostly spending their time in the garage and the pregnant cat has been comfortable with the place George arranged inside the garage. George is serving more meals to the cat since the rain started. He loves rains and the power cut comes along with it most of the time. Today, its still raining. and there are 3 new guests- 2 of them have the pattern as their mother’s and one is different. George thought that must be the pattern of their father, whoever it is. George named them Thomas, Mary and John. He thought this time nobody would have any complaint.

Sita came home that evening. She is fine with the kittens. and Gowry will be coming home on the weekend. George thought he needs to buy one more packet of milk tomorrow on wards.