“BooBoo, look here.” “Who, me?” “Who else could I mean? I want you to do something for me.” “What?” “Collapse.” The large black and white collapsed like a pancake on the floor. “No no, longer and louder, like a wall falling down.” BooBoo toppled on her side. “When I say, just do that and moan.” “Why?” “Don’t ask.”
(At this juncture I have to explain that BooBoo Selçuk (to give her full name) was a stray back home, having been born in Poland, she finally landed in the UK and is now in Turkey. She is rather large and is bored of humans, can but does not want to communicate with them, she merely opens her mouth making an alien-like sound which she finds particularly funny. When communicating with cats, however, she has the sweetest baritone voice that she keeps hidden from her owners. Right, back to the story.)
Just before dawn there was a loud crashing noise, like a wall was coming down. I ran into the hall and there, BooBoo was flat on her side. I listened (whilst BooBoo held her breath). “She’s not breathing.” Just get her to the bloody vet’s! JoJo screeched. “Quick, we’re off to the vet’s.” In this commotion JoJo slipped out of the door and started walking down towards the bright lights of town.
It was still dark and she was thrown back to those terrifying days on the streets. But soon the sun rose and she went down the coastal road towards the coach station, with a fish in her mouth she found on the shore. Her mood changed, there were too many loopholes in her plan, she would need human help, but how? At the coach station, a few sleepy cats were hanging out. “I need to get to the big house.” “What house?” She described it in more detail. “Oh, you mean the mansion.” “Are you a guest or something?” sniggered a small tabby. “You need that coach, limp a bit at the driver’s door and give puppy or to b exact, kitten eyes.” It surprisingly worked; the kind bald man placed her under his seat with dry food and water. Through nervous exhaustion JoJo was asleep in no time.
At the last stop she woke up startled and ran out of the coach. Her mouth opened startled, this was a different, sad and scary world.
Grey and raining lightly, the people’s eyes staring downwards in fear and desperation, cats were thin and emancipated. “Hey, you’re a house cat, aren’t you?” JoJo trembled. “Why you here tubby?” The gang laughed, especially the wiry ginger. She told them. “Have you been taking too much catnip?” the tabby said loudly, rubbing his belly with laughter. “Good job you told us and not them.” In the distance two well-fed cats with green collars were looking around. “They report us to the authorities if they don’t like what we are doing, stealing fish etc. This idea of yours would get you in a cat home for life,” the tiger like cat warned. “I’ll tell you what I’ll do.” Then taking pity on this poor dreamer, she added, “Chat to Maurise, you never know, something has to change.”
Maurise was the most elegant black cat you have ever seen, slim with piercing eyes. “Listen to what she has to say,” said the tiger like cat, introducing JoJo. The door was closed and they were left alone. After the small talk Maurise enquired, “You are very bright and thoughtful, was your owner kind?” “Yes,” she nodded her head like a kitten. Maurise bit her lip. “That’s nice.” It was then that JoJo noticed that one of her front paws was missing, replaced by 4 metal contraptions. “So, you have noticed, my owner fitted it when my paw was damaged in an accident, it’s most useful, especially in the human world.” JoJo’s eyes lit up. “Can you help me?” She told her the plan. “That is different,” Maurise said in a kind tone. “Okay.” “What!” “It will make your owner so proud.” A tear welling up. “And things need to change. Be at the gates at 7 p.m.”
It was now 2 p.m.
To be concluded…
