THREE SCENES WITH ROXY
by Erica Smith
One
I opened the door and found Roxy and Saro right on the other side, sticking their snoots in the widening door crack. I had to step carefully over them and try not to drop the mail or let the door slam.
Saro turned around, ran ahead of me, turned to face me, and screamed.
"Eeeow! EEEEEOW!"
Rox hustled to the food bowl, talking care to give a wide berth to Saro.
The food bowl was always seriously overflowing but Rox would pause, waiting for a refresher. I shook a few kibble on top of the pile. Rox crunched a little. She looked up at me, purring and crunching.
Two
I was sitting on the couch reading. Rox approached me. She often studied a situation for a long time in order to figure out how to insert herself into it. Sometimes she waited too long and I'd be ready to get up and do something else before she could make her move. This time she acted fast. She alighted quickly onto the arm of the sofa, and then jumped to the back.
She stretched out along the back of the sofa, right behind my head, and started purring.
Time passed. Out of nowhere I felt a foot pressing against my shoulder blade.
"Roxy!" I giggled.
The foot pressed harder.
Three
There are 2 kinds of cats: the cats who wake you up and the cats who wait.
Often I wake up with a paw squeezing the tip of my nose. That would be Saro.
Sometimes I woke up to complete stillness. Usually it would be after a long, heavy sleep. Whoever had already tried to wake me up had long abandoned the project. In this complete tranquility, Rox jumped onto the bed, quiet and cool as a breeze.
Rox walked a few steps toward me, purring. I lifted my head and she smudged my forehead with a kiss. Then, as mysteriously as she arrived, she left.
I got up and followed her to the food bowl. Just a few kibble to top her off.
6 comments:
That's my favorite of all cat pictures.
*Sniff*
We love you, Roxy!
Oh no! Has Roxy passed? Poor, Erica. Lots of whiskery kisses to you.
ps Olive likes the wait and final approach method of waking me up. She sits in front of my face, her nose inches from mine, and wills me to wake up. Then, when she can no longer stand the wait she touches my nose with hers. As soon as I open my eyes she rams her face into them and scampers off to the food dish.
Lily cries. Period.
Erica, I forgot to mention that on the morning that your sweet kitty passed away, I found a dead mouse in my bathroom. I didn't even realize I'd had a mouse living with me, but I felt like it was a touching tribute to Roxy. Or God was keeping score.
--PC
Spirits are passing into and out of this world. If Rox meets the mouse on the other side, She'll probably just walk up to it and give it a nose bump.
Ugh! Tears. i miss my girl.
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