Daily October (21)

Something wonderful and unexpected happened today. Like last Monday I was home again today, on account of overflowing vacation accrual. Woke up midday since it was my day off anyway. Made a quick brekkie and hurried off to the dealership to get my car serviced. You know since last Monday I was sent away due to overflowing work load. Luckily this time around my guy Fernando was happy to accommodate me. The job would require at least 1.5 hours. I didn't expect it to be that long. 30 minutes tops was all I thought it would take. That was why I brought a book.

When I learned it would take 3x longer, I took the free shuttle back home. Instead of wait there and read a book, I would rather finish up the load of laundry.

When the shuttle stopped at the curve, I saw a familiar shape in my drive way. Fuzzy! Or who I thought was Fuzzy!

I jumped out of the shuttle and started for the cat. Once upon a time - or a year or so ago - there were little kittens that came to the house. In the backyard every night two of them came for feeding. One gray and one black. Both of them with long fuzzy hair. They came regularly. The gray one was skittish. The black one was tame. She would go inside the house and socialize with Buster. We named the gray Grayce (very original right) and the black Fuzzy, for the hair.

I don't know how long they regularly visit, but while Grayce continued without fail to come, Fuzzy disappeared for about 2 weeks or more. When she returned her ear was clipped, which is a sign that she got fixed and that she/he is being cared for.

When she returned from her temporary disappearance, she went back to her normal self. I got my nightly visits, she allowed me to pet her. I enjoyed her nightly date with me. I toyed with the idea of keeping her, but I was overruled by the hubby. His reasons were valid. Emma wasn't keen on adding another cat to the family. She is barely tolerating Buster on most days. And Buster is simply a jealous cat. He doesn't like it when the hubby touches another cat; sometimes he voices his disapproval and unhappines even when the hubby is petting Emma.

I just couldn't risk getting Emma depressed. It's not only wrong but costly as well.

Besides we tried to shut the door when Fuzzy was inside, she freaked out. She didn't want to be inside the house without a visible way out. We only wanted indoor cats; Fuzzy was definitely not an indoor cat only.

Then one day suddenly she disappeared. One day. Two days. One week. Two weeks. A month. Then two. I stopped counting altogether. For months, well even up to now, every night we go to the backyard and call her name. We do in the hope that she would be running to get food. Just like before.

My fear was that she was run over. I keep my eyes peeled for roadkill; thankfully no cat resembling Fuzzy. Well no cat at all, period.

And then today.

There was a cat in my front yard, she looked like she recognized me. I called out Fuzzy, she ran towards the neighbor's yard, I followed. She kept looking at me, I kept calling her name.

From a distance I swear I could identify the clipped ear. I was so happy. However, she does not recognize me fully. Will not come to me when I called, but I was relieved that she is alive, all these months. Then she went inside the yard of the neighbor's two houses from me. She was this close all this time. Just two houses down.

I'll start putting food in my front yard for my baby, Fuzzy. I hope it's you sweetie.