The Cat

Nobody knows the cat named Miki. People hardly even see him since he is as fast as the wind. One can feel his presence while he observes them, maybe from behind a bush or maybe just watching from in a tree. Miki has a beautiful white coat, big blue eyes and sweet pink shining ears. He has more than just his outward appearance, he is a ghost that only lives in my dreams.

Every night I fall asleep and sink deeply into my private fantasy island where I look for Miki. I walk through dark woods. I smell the fresh herbal scent of the forest and feel a certain protection as well as the fear of losing orientation. As I look around me, I notice a landscape that most people would surely overlook in reality. Large trees are closely standing next to each other. No paved pathways were in sight. Nothing can tell you what to do. One simply finds their own choices and opportunities.

Nature is so perfect, but sometimes I forget that. Sometimes I ignore the warm, gentle colours and do not pay attention to nature’s details. Details like the luscious green grass in the spring and the grey moss in the winter. It’s hard to remember the different tinges between deciduous trees and conifers. Or is there no difference?

All of this was Miki’s territory, where he lives quietly by himself, without any sorrow from being alone. Nature is his home and daily adventure full of tension. I’m his friend. Years ago, I met him for the first time. I was stretched out, lying near a wide lake. It was a sunny, mild temperature day. Friendly clouds were moving through the sky. Suddenly, I was startled when I saw the cat. I recognised that the animal was speaking to me.

“Do you hear me? My name is Miki.” I was surprised that I was able to understand him. “Y… Yes, but how is that possible?” Miki’s eyes began to glow. If it were night time, everybody would be able to see that. I felt a feeling of insecurity as I tried to wake up Andrew who was sleeping next to me.
Full of excitement, I attacked my boyfriend’s shoulder and pinched his belly wildly. Eventually, he opened his tired eyes. “For God’s sake, what’s going on Melinda?” It seemed too important for me. “I’m sorry, but please look darling! Do you see the little cat in front of us?” He perceived nothing but an empty room. “Are you joking?” Miki came nearer and nearer. “No! This isn’t a joke! Believe me the cat is even talking!” Andrew kept cool. He stood up, trying to find the damned animal, which was the reason for his rude awakening.

“Really, I don’t understand your problem Melinda! There’s absolutely nothing special! There’s no cat, let alone one that can speak!” It felt strange that Andrew could not find my great discovery. Miki began talking again, “Please hear to me Melinda. Obviously, you’re the only one who miraculously knows of my existence. I lost my human body in an accident. Long times ago I was a man, just like your stupid boyfriend. Now I’m a cat.” My mind forced me to think about everything I had learned about science. “What a surprise!” Every other reaction would have caused more trouble.

Andrew would not tolerate me speaking with Miki. From his perspective, the cat didn’t exist. I could not ignore what I had just found. I seemed much too inquisitive. Giving an explanation would be difficult, so I went for a walk so I could think straight. Of course, he was still sympathetic. He dumped his body back onto our big, casual, pink snuggle blanket to try to go back to sleep.

He looked very sweet. A man with all his strength, wounded in a pink duvet, was lieing on fresh smelling grass under a beaming blue sky. The sun shone softly. The moment was full of magic. Miki and I went away, following the horizon. “Well what kind of accident happened that would make you change into a cat?” I asked spontanously. Miki’s pupils became small as he remembered and began to explain. He seemed to be filled with fear. It must have been very shocking to be killed in a car collision. However, it was somebody else’s fault. He was going through an intersection when a drunken teenager ignored a light red light and crashed head on into Miki’s wine red Opel Record.
Even for as quickly as the paramedics arrived, and as dedicated as their medical care was, in the end, the hospital’s monitors showed that Miki had died. However the truth appeared, the machines could only measure physical values. Though what really happened, defied things that people had been taught by science. Miki’s spirit stayed alive through the dreams of others in form of a spooky cat.

“That’s incredible! On one hand, it’s fantastic. On the other, I feel so sad… Do you miss being a person?” Extraordinary experiences like this are fascinated me because I felt so much for the characters. “Miranda you’re so nice! But don’t worry about me. Really! The life I lost is in the past. To this day, I still don’t know how my family handled my disappearance. I imagine there was a certain time when they lamented me. People should not dwell in the past! That’s what I did for awhile. Eventually I realized that the world I live in is here now! I enjoy it because it is a world full of new freedoms. In the body of a cat, you are much more athletic and you can discover every nook and cranny on earth. No passports and licences are neccessary!”

Of course I admired Miki’s attitude, but coevally I remembered the worth of my own life. I could not be thankful enough to have it because after every dream I’m going to wake up!