A Home For Emerald

Emerald was not a pretty sight. His long grey fur was stringy and hung in matted clumps.

His right ear was sliced where he had argued with another cat over the contents of a trash can.

He was soaking wet from slinking through the wet grass and low shrubbery looking for his next meal.

The only truly beautiful thing about him was his clear green eyes.

Emerald crouched under the steps of a warmly lit house waiting for the rain to stop. He blinked his beautiful green eyes and seemed to remember a time when it hadn’t been like this.

He remembered a cozy dry house with a warm lap to sit on as he watched the flames reaching upwards in the fireplace. He remembered soft loving hands stroking him.

Then, one day there were sirens and people rushing around and no more loving lap. In the confusion that followed he ran outside and had been running on his own ever since.

When the rain stopped, Emerald jumped up onto the porch and sat on the window sill staring into the depths of the well-lit house. He heard sound of laughter and human voices that triggered in him an intense longing.

Suddenly a young girl looked towards the window and cried out. He slithered down under the steps, frightened by the sound.

“It’s a cat, Mom. I saw him on the window. He must be a stray. Can I put out some food for him?”

“We don’t want to encourage him, Jennie. He probably belongs to someone. He’ll find his way home.”

“Please. He looked so lost.”

Jennie’s mother relented and allowed her to collect some dinner scraps which she set out on the porch.

“Kitty, Kitty” she called softly. Disappointed at no reply she went back in.

Emerald waited until the house was in darkness and jumped up on the porch again. He ate hungrily and then sat on his haunches to groom himself. No matter how hard he tried, the tangle just wouldn’t come out of his long fur.

Next morning Jennie found the empty food bowl. “He came back, Mom. The food’s gone.”

Jennie’s mother said nothing. She thought wild animals had probably eaten the food but didn’t want to say so.

Next evening the scene repeated. Emerald sat on the sill till he was noticed and then ran to hide when Jennie came to the door. Again she left scraps and again he cleaned the bowl. On the fifth night Jennie stayed just inside the open door when Emerald came to eat his supper and the next night she sat on a chair on the end of the porch.

Gradually Emerald came to accept her as well as her offerings. One night he even sat for a moment when she reached out to touch him.

Then one chilly evening with a hint of snow in the air he allowed Jennie to pick him up and take him inside. As she shut the door behind them, he tensed, not knowing what to expect.

“We have to keep him, Mom, We just have to.”

“He’s such an ugly cat,” said Simon, Jennie’s brother.” Why would you want him?”

“He’s not ugly at all, Jennie insisted, “ he just needs some love.”

“We’ll have to put up posters,” said Mom. “He might belong to someone, you know.”

“If he does, they don’t deserve to have him. They haven’t looked after him. I’m going to call him Emerald. Just look at those beautiful eyes.”

Jennie’s mother sighed. She recognized a lost cause.

Emerald fought over his bath but Jennie just couldn’t get the tangles out of his fur. She got an old crate and they took Emerald to the vet for shots and grooming. A month later Emerald was unrecognizable from the sorry state he’d been in.

No-one had answered the posters and Emerald settled into life with Jennie. They became inseparable and Emerald once more had a warm lap and soft loving hands.

Then one day, the phone rang and a voice at the other end said.” I think you’ve found my Mother’s cat. I’d like to come to see if it’s him.”

“They can’t have him” Jennie stormed.

“We have to send him home, if he’s their cat.”

“Why did it take them so long to look for him? I wouldn’t have let him be lost.”

Shortly,the doorbell rang. A young woman in a turquoise blue coat stood on the step “Hello, Emerald” she said to the green eyes when they invited her in.

Something in Emerald recognized the voice but he slunk back behind Jennie’s legs, frightened for reasons he couldn’t explain.

“Emerald belonged to my Mother,” said the lady in the blue coat. “She became sick and Emerald ran away when we began to move her furniture. She has to live in an assisted living home now, but I thought we’d take Emerald for her.”

Jennie stood quietly, with large tears rolling down her cheeks. She knew her mother wouldn’t let her keep someone else’s cat but she couldn’t bear the thought of losing Emerald.

The lady in the blue coat stood thoughtfully for a moment, taking in the picture of Jennie and Emerald. Then she stood up straight as though coming to a decision.

“Of course,” she said, “My husband and I both work, and it would be quite a chore for us to look after a cat. Would you mind terribly” she smiled “If I didn’t take Emerald? Would you be able to keep him for us?”

“Oh yes, cried Jennie and had to restrain herself from throwing her arms around the woman and hugging her.

“There’s just one thing” said the lady. “Would you be able to bring Emerald once in a while to see Mother? She’s not allowed to keep cats there, but they’re allowed to visit.”

“Oh yes,” said Jennie. And that’s how Emerald had the best of both worlds with the two people he loved most.