A heart wrenching affair.
Ever since I've been clearing whatever extra offs and leaves left over, I've been going to swim on alternate days.
And I always pass by the old folks corner, on purpose, on my way back because I know that there are always cats there, lazing, sleeping, people watching.
And so I usually dedicate almost a good 20minutes scratching their ears, reaching out to their bellies, stroking it, running my fingers under their chin. And they love it, and I love it.
It gives me an unusually high level of contentment to belly rub them. Most cats just simply lie on their backs, giving me full access to their body underneath, closing their eyes, enjoying every single moment on my fingers coursing through their velvety soft bellies.
And of course I enjoyed them too, feeling the fur in between my fingers, the warmth of their stomach somehow finding its way into my heart.
And so yes, this established a mutual relationship between me and the cats. Much like the sea anemone and the clown fish, we benefit from each other, although I think the cats gain more than I do, but I was the willing one in the relationship.
There was just this one cat, not particularly cute, its skin the normal erratic mix of brown, white and black hues with an incomplete tail, stumped tail I think. Greyish green eyes, small sized, not worth a second glance if you saw it on the road.
But it was unimaginably affection. And I mean overwhelmingly, over powering kind of affection to the extent that I was afraid of it. And you know me, since when was I afraid of friendly animals?
It would pretend to be aloof and all, cautious and mewed at you when you approached it. But stroking the area under its chin activates the affection power button. It suddenly rubs its body against you, clearly showing affection, and then proceeds to climb onto your lap, if you were sitting.
It makes itself comfortable, like how you see cats do when they want to settle down, it claws onto my thighs, attempting to make my pants more comfortable, but really, it hurts to have sharp nails digging into me. But I endure it seeing how content the cat it. After which, it settles down (thank god) and sits quietly in my lap.
But I since I continued to stroke it, it always gets up from my lap and attempts to lick my chin and lips. Which seriously freaks me out. Whoever heard of a cat voluntarily licks your chin and lips. Lips?!? And it is one persistent cat. Even if I try to push it away. It will claw its way up my chest, extremely uncomfortable especially when it, by chance, claws my nipples. Very very very very uncomfortable, vulgarities inducing. Although I doubt the cat understands it.
And so I have to let the cat have its way. And it does it a couple of times. Disturbing. And it is always very reluctant to leave my lap. It mews and attempts to claw onto my pants whenever I try to carry it away from my lap.
And so this carried on for a few times until yesterday when it was there again. This time though, it wasnt resting on the plastic chairs so I thought I was relatively safe from unneeded pain. It lied down for me to belly rub, bit me playfully a few times. Then persistent cat tried to smooch me again without warning. So I played with it for a while before deciding to head home
Tried to follow me, like always, but it always stops just before the entrance of the old folks' corner, sitting there looking at me. This time, it followed me all the way out, onto the pathway leading to the traffic junction, at the same time, rubbing my legs all over. And then when it realised that I wasnt intending to bring it home, it stopped by a tree, sitting down, looking at me as I left it. Mewing at my back.
Damn. It was heart wrenching. To see it sitting by the tree, looking at you with those eyes, mewing. Especially after you've just given it belly rubs and it purrs while closing its eyes in blissful contentment.
I would have carried it home in a heart beat, if it wasnt for the fact that I know I wouldnt be able to take care of it. And Mom has a strict no no policy for pets. Looks like I can only hope its there every time I go swimming or jogging.