A young woman with dark brown hair past her shoulders wears a hippie hat and a worn-out corduroy jacket and pets Zoe perfectly as far as the Burmese is concerned. The Doobie Brothers are playing through the stereo as they pull away. The young man driving shrugs and holds up his hands as if whatever she is positing will not be including him.
After the initial shock of being hoisted up and into a whole new hemisphere of reality, she let herself settle in and the affection the young lady was showing brought forth as a lullaby, a weightless purring mantra… Oh how wonderful… Life is good… Oh how wonderful… Life is good…
After repeating it a few times Zoe expected some sort of response but it soon became clear that the young lady was not going to be able to converse with her in English/human given her age probably. With a little more maturity and openness it might've worked… Nevertheless, Zoe went on "meowing" and purring and by the time it was time to hop out quite a bond of trust had already been established.
Don't leave me here, please take me with you, I may need a meal and some minor first-aid for my upper lip. She kept it up to no avail.
Instinctively, Zoe had a sense of the goodness of the girls intentions. She was ready to see what was happening next, life had opened a welcoming door.
Sometimes living as a feline could mean one putting their full trust in the touch of a hand or a simple ear scratch to assess how secure and safe things felt. For now this was a good place to be.
They had been to the grocery store and the two of them entered their trailer up a handmade stairway that looked as though it had been there for a very long time but was still offkilter and out of place. Inside the trailer there was wall to wall paneling and a few couches that wrapped around which were carpeted in green and beige and brown shag. The place smelled like coffee and marijuana and coriander and allspice and chai, together with just a hint of sweaty socks, perfume and garlic.
She laid Zoe down on the couch and followed the young man toward the back through a narrow hallway beyond the kitchenette.
You stay here now sweetie, I'll be right back with some milk for you and some yummy tuna.
If that thing pees in here once… I swear. He put milk and eggs and cheese and hot dogs into the fridge and a sixpack of PBR. He removed his hat and shoes.
No no… I told you there's a whole bunch of sand underneath if she wants outside and I'll keep tabs on a litter box…
Which is going where? The young man asked, his shirt off, staring at her with a rather distrustful smile.
It can go here. She walked back out front and shuffled a few boxes around underneath the sink and tossed out two items through the front door. Right here see… Plenty of space and then we can close it behind the curtain. And we spray some Lysol every now and then, no big deal, this place reeks anyway dude.
And you're going to take care of it? He said. One hundred percent?
I'm going to take care of her, yes. It's meant to be. Look how beautiful she is. You would probably have to pay lots of money for a cat like her don't you think?
Zoe had the benefit of understanding their entire conversation but still was left curious (at least for the first few moments) regarding what transpired next as the door closed and some sort of interaction occurred between the two of them causing much ruckus and that involved several minutes of what sounded to Zoe like an extended wrestling match.
She sat up on the bed and stared at the closed door. The shuffling of limbs, the sound of throne pillows. What on earth are they doing to each other?…
Then with a slap and an oooh and a MEEEEOOWW! Zoe awakened… Pouncing like an arrow shot, straight across the double mattress, as she was when first a kitten in the skattered shock of lightning.
Oh for crying out loud!… She sprang over and hid herself quickly under a pillow and curled into a ball covering her ears. Apparently there were going to be some things to adjust to here in her new twentysomething hippie abode.
Afterword they all toked and ate Cheeze-its with peanut butter.
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