A tiny story
Inspired by real events
Once upon a time there was a girl who lived by herself in a rambling old house in the country. She was sometimes a little lonely, and sometimes a very little afraid, as who wouldn’t be living by themselves, though she knew the house and the land around her were safe. The main reason they were safe was that no one would ever come. No knocking on the door. No wondering whether the thump in the next room was a human footstep or just the cat. It was always the cat.
And, well, who could be too lonely with a cat thumping in the next room, or too bored with so many rooms to explore with that cat chasing the shadows behind you? Upstairs, downstairs, basements and attics, there was always a place to poke around, always the spines of old books to run her fingers over, old photos to marvel at, paintings to examine which never failed to reveal something her last examination had missed. And armchairs so varied and deep she and the cat could sit in a different one every day for a month and not exhaust the possibilities. Who could be too lonely with an endless variety of books and armchairs?
What fun to wake each day with a kitten curled into your back, in a sun-filled house, knowing no one would need you for anything the whole entire day! No nagging to eat your breakfast, or do your homework, or brush your teeth. No alarms and no schedule. No family. No friends.
You may ask how long the girl had been there, and why, and whether anyone else ever lived in that house, and those would be good questions, but, reader, I do not know. I only know she was there, and she was happy, and she was safe, if occasionally a little lonely. And I know, because she told me, that she could leave whenever she wanted. But, reader, let’s not rush her. Who would need to rush when the house is filled with sun and the kitten is purring in your lap and no one will bother you the whole entire day?
Really, I would not worry about her. She will leave when it is time to leave, and her family and friends will be waiting for her. You and I will be waiting for her. But for now, let her roam through the rambling old house at her leisure. Let there be time. Let there be plenty of time.
As a homeowner and cat mama this is beautiful 😻