The Saga of Socks
Chapter 1: The Couple
“Oh! They’re so cute!” the woman’s obnoxious voice squealed.
The brown tabby kitten peeked through an eye, trying to get a glimpse at the lady. A quiet, reserved man stood at her side.
“Look! This one is orange, he’s a dead-ringer for Gordon. And see this little black one? Too cute!” she continued, ignoring the man’s silence. She chattered and clucked like a chicken, appraising each of the many kittens in the cage. “They’re all so adorable, I want to take all of them home with us.”
The brown tabby flicked his tail disapprovingly and curled tighter into his white paws, this woman had no respect for naptime. The kitten closed his eyes, wanting some shut-eye, regardless of her prattling.
“What about this one?” the man spoke. His voice was surprisingly deep and strong.
“This guy, the sleeping one?” the lady’s voice came closer. Tiger-stripes opened his eyes as tiny slits, only just enough to see her.
The woman’s smiling face now loomed over him, her eyes alight with excitement. She considered him and glanced back at the man.
“Yes. We can get this one,” she said.
An associate at the feed store walked by. The man stopped him, asking for assistance. The shop worker lifted the striped kitten out of the cage. Irritated his nap had been disturbed, he allowed himself to be removed and placed into a cardboard box. Small holes near the top of the box allowed some light, but the box was mostly dark inside. It would be easy to fall asleep again in here.
The couple chatted with the cashier, but the kitten couldn’t quite make out what they were saying over the shuffle of the box moving. The till dinged open and the receipt printer whirled. Tiger-stripes felt his box being lifted. The woman’s shrill voice continued as the kitten jostled within the box. The tabby flattened his ears and hunkered down as the box rocked to and fro.
Surely, I’m not being adopted? he wondered in dismay. If this were true, it meant his new home would be with this chatter-chicken woman. At least the man is quiet. Two chatty humans would have been utterly unbearable.
The sound of a car door opening perked the cat’s ears. Yes, they were entering a vehicle. An engine started, and the box began to sway uncomfortably. The tabby kitten’s stomach somersaulted, this car ride was making him sick.
“Let me out!” he screamed. He pawed the sides of the box frantically.
“Oh, the little guy is scared!” the woman cooed. “Maybe we should let him out?”
“I don’t know, Maggie, he might scratch you,” said the man.
“Nonsense. He’ll be fine.”
The top of the box opened, and the kitten blinked in the sudden light. He scrambled his way out of the box and landed in Maggie’s lap.
“It’s about time!” he spat. “Let me out of here!”
Maggie tried in vain to keep the furry rascal in her lap, but the spry kitten fought his way onto the dashboard of the car.
“Is it safe for him to be so close to the windshield?” The man sounded worried.
“I think it’s okay, Thomas,” Maggie said, “so as long as he doesn’t block your view. He’s so small, I’m not sure how he could.”
The kitten bristled. Small? I’ll show her! He hopped off of the dash, looking for a way to wreak havoc on this ignorant couple.
He couldn’t find anyway to intimidate the woman. He puffed his fur and hissed, but that only seemed to confirm her concern that he was scared. She snatched him up and placed him in her lap again, petting his head and cooing over what a “cute little guy” he was.
Tiger-stripes reluctantly settled into Maggie’s lap, digging his pine-needle claws into her leg. Annoyingly, she didn’t seem to care. He wished his claws were stronger, so he could really give this lady a piece of his mind. Sunlight shone through the windows. He squinted his eyes, eventually closing them as the car loped clumsily down the road.
The car’s slowing speed woke the kitten a while later, as the vehicle turned down a long, dirt driveway. The car stopped at a humble-looking house, the man turned the keys in the ignition to cut the engine.
Thomas lifted the kitten out of Maggie’s lap and stuck him back into the box. Tiger stripes growled his disapproval.
“Don’t worry, it’s only until we get you inside,” Maggie cooed.
That tone is getting on my nerves. The kitten batted the sides of the box.
The couple left the car, Maggie carrying the box. Tiger-stripes heard Thomas fumbling with keys to open the door. He heard it creak open.
“Welcome home!” Maggie said and plopped the kitten onto the living room carpet, just as Thomas closed the door behind them.
The kitten had never been inside a human house before. His mama cat and cat-siblings used to live in a barn. After the barn, the farmer moved the kittens to the feed store for adoption, as there were already too many cats on the farm.
Thomas and Maggie followed the kitten as he explored the home. He trotted the premises, inspecting its various rooms and hiding places.
As soon as he came out of the box, tiger-stripes felt a pang of disappointment. The carpet wasn’t as soft as he imagined it would be, the threads were coarse and very short. He tested it out with his claws, hoping he’d assessed the carpet incorrectly.
Scritch-scratch, scritch-scratch.
Nope, his first guess was right. He might as well be digging his claws into sandpaper.
Sunshine poured through a large window, but it was too high for him to see the yard surrounding the house. Toddling into the next room, he smelled food; this must be the kitchen. Tall cupboards and shelving were crammed into every inch of the kitchen. The shelving the countertops had no cupboards and instead were covered with a makeshift curtain. The little kitten slipped under it, finding plates and bowls hidden behind it, but no food. The pesky humans must have hidden it up high in one of the cupboards.
The home had five interior doors. Three of them were bedrooms, all lined up one after the other between the living room and kitchen. The home had no real hallways to speak of. In the back of the house, tiger-stripes discovered a small laundry room and a bathroom. The kitten returned to the biggest bedroom and settled onto the large bed. Maggie and Thomas, still following the kitten on his explorations sat on the bed next to him.
“What should we name him?” Maggie asked.
“Not sure,” Thomas shrugged. “We’ll give it a few days, and then we’ll decide.”