The cat has been visiting rather often lately. For the past few nights, he would appear at my gate and mew, and my parents would inform me of his arrival (because I am holed up in my room doing my work whenever I am at home in the night). Then I would prepare food for the cat and set up a nice little supper snack outside my door.
Tonight he came again. As usual, I was in my room and I heard a very soft mew from the outside, and my mum's announcement that he is here once again. I wanted to play with him for a bit, so I opened the gate and let him in.
He walked right in, as if he had been into the house a thousand other times in the past. He walked around, looking here and there, searching all the gaps and corners in the house. He walked and stopped sometimes, turning his head left and right, tilting his head down and lifting it up again. He was looking for something. Looking for what?
He searched the living room, he searched my sister's room, he searched my room, and then not being able to find whatever he was looking for, he went back to the living room, sat down and started mewing for about 5 seconds.
Then my sister made a comment, that he's here to look for his friend. And oh yes, he had a friend. And his friend was staying here in this house, right before we moved in. But now, his friend is in Canada with the family that has moved out and migrated. The cat was not informed. His friend could not tell him. They have been separated and they do not even know why.
That's why the cat came in, as he usually did in the past, looking for his friend for a little late night chat, but could not find him, and instead found this new group of people who are following him around the house. Cats have no concept of travel, or home. They just believe in the simple pleasures of meeting each other every night and catching up with each other.
Convinced that his friend is no longer around in the apartment but not knowing why, he just sat the gate and stare into space. I wonder what was going in his mind as he just sat there and stare. He must have been expecting to see his friend, came to the place but only to find a different apartment at the same location, with no friend in sight.
He must have felt disappointed, or even betrayed, because his friend left without a word. Just as how so many humans have came and patted him on the head, cuddled with him, played with him and just as he felt that he really liked them, they left him. He will follow them but they will only find means to leave him behind. He has always been left behind.
A sense of sadness washed over me as these thoughts worked through my head. I wanted to keep him in the house but was not allowed to by the Empress Dowager. So I prepared a nice midnight snack for him, brought him out of the house and left him there to eat. But you can always come back, always come back and ask for me and I will come and talk with you, give you your snack and play with you.
I will. I will.
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