The day started when I woke up by the sound of “Meow! Meow!” in my ears. I screamed at the top of my lungs and the frightened stray cat, all white with orange spots, ran towards the balcony door that had been left open by the maid, as fast as it could.

I was quite surprised at this encounter because my room was quite inside the house and how could a stray cat know my room so well? This thought kept me awake, and then I remembered something that occurred a few months ago.

I remembered it was a dark and stormy night. My mother and my elder sister hadn’t returned from the market yet, while I and my father were sitting in the lounge watching television. We noticed that with every roar of thunder, there came a faint sound of a cat meowing from the garage. So, we went to investigate and what we found was very shocking.

A really small kitten, all white with orange spots, was hiding under our car, frightened. It looked as if the kitten had just been born and was scared. There was no sign of the mother.

My father and I brought a cardboard box from inside and placed the kitten in it. We wrapped it in a small blanket and gave it some warm milk. After this, the kitten felt a little comfortable and went to sleep in the blanket.

After my mother came home, I told her all about the kitten, and requested her to let me keep the kitten as a pet. But my mother was not a cat person and was very conscious of her home being tidy at all times. However, she did allow me to keep the kitten outside in the garage. I agreed and several days went by with the routine of feeding, cleaning and playing with the kitten. After a couple of weeks, it was becoming healthy and had grown a bit.

One morning, when I brought milk for the kitten, I saw that the cardboard box was empty. I searched the garage and my house, but couldn’t find it anywhere. I blamed myself for not being more vigilant, for not providing better care and for not being a better friend to the kitten. I wondered where it could have gone and if it was safe out there on its own.

My mother comforted me and said that it wasn’t my fault. She reminded me that animals have their instincts and needs, so perhaps the kitten felt the call of the wild and ventured off to explore the world beyond our garage. I found some logic in her words and moved on with life.

On remembering this incident, I wondered if it was the same kitten, now grown, who had returned to me after all this time? I ran to the balcony to look for it. I scanned the street and saw him in our garage. I went downstairs and held out my hands for him and he responded in the same way as if saying, “I still remember you.” I couldn’t believe that after all this time, it still remembered me!

Coincidently, my friend who lived next door, Rabia, entered and I told her the whole incident and how I could not keep the cat. She went to ask her mother if she could keep the cat and her mother approved. This was a very joyous moment for me as I could now see the cat every day and play with it whenever I wanted. Sometimes, letting go is an act of kindness, allowing for growth, freedom and new beginnings.

Published in Dawn, Young World, July 13th, 2024