Hide n seek

Post date: Sep 26, 2020 12:57:08 PM

...The past few months we played Hide n Seek nearly every evening. I'd be working on some project, distracting me from you... It's been so danged hot I've been leaving the door open all day. Come 'round twilight you hop outside, sometimes hop right back in after a couple minutes. Those times you stay in view. It wasn't until you disappeared I pieced together that you probably did that more often than not just for the sake of a critter-check. But most nights you eventually hide in the nearby bushes until I'm done with my project for the day, step outside with the door open, then announce "Hey you, you about ready to go?"

The first couple times I wandered around searching those bushes to no avail. My heart sunk... and I'd walk back only to find you sitting in the doorway. A couple times you went inside and sat on the couch, but mostly in the doorway, until I got near and you'd run inside ahead of me. I, again, hadn't considered you probably wanted a critter-check, and by that hour I was usually in a rush to beat closing-time for various supplies/dinner. But that became our routine almost every night before your disappearance.

Eventually I figured out exactly where to expect you to be hiding, and put on a bit of a show about searching for you. Your laser-eyes are a giveaway. Sometimes I'd spot you, usually in that same bush, and walk up shining the flashlight in your face... "I see you... Whattya think you're doing, cat?" You run past me to go stand at the door. One of the last times, for the first time, I raced after you... and after your disappearance I worried maybe that scared you off. I had to remind myself that, no, you hopped right up on that couch that night and we had some "good lovin'" at least a couple times between.

I love you, Cat... I miss our games, the goofy things we do...