It is official.  After so many years, my house finally has a lap cat.

Now before you start wondering if we went to an animal shelter, we didn’t.  This cat showed up out of nowhere on the back porch.  At first, we ignored it, hoping that it would just go away.  My mom gave the stern warning:  “Don’t feed the cat.  If you feed it, you might as well keep it.”

None of us fed the cat, and it continued crying outside the house.  To be honest, I felt like two cats were plenty.  We have Grayce, my mom’s gray cat and Kali, my sister’s calico cat.  Having a third cat would be too many.

The next morning, the cat was still there, making all of us feel more and more guilty.  It meowed and stood on its hind legs, pressing its paws against the glass door.  Mom maintained the same warning:  “Don’t feed it!”

Despite the warning, my sister didn’t listen.  She fed the cat.

With the cat being very hungry, my sister felt sorry for it.  And overtime, my mom started to feel the same.  The decision was then official.  “We’re going to keep it.”

And just like that, Lucy found herself a new home.  It took some convincing, but her persistence paid off.

Lucy is a mackerel tabby (or “tiger cat”).  She is very affectionate and will let you hold her forever.  She loves to sit on your lap, and she will remain there for quite a while.

But to acquaint her with the other cats, this is being done in a slow but gradual process.  She doesn’t spend all of her time inside.  To keep her from the other cats, she is let outside, where her food is.  She also spends the night out there, too.  And there’s cat igloo out there prepared for her to sleep in for when it gets cold.

Besides that, I got some gardening done at my grandparents.  Two things remain on my to do list today:  job hunting and tonight’s Toastmasters meeting.  With that in mind, I better get going on the search engines….

 

Oh yeah.  That’s right.  She doesn’t interrupt me like this anymore.  My Muse is now shy and prefers to be alone.  But I still want to speak with her!  I wonder if she still has her cell phone….Let’s see.  Text message.  Here we go!  Time to send her a text….

 

Kyle:  Is everything okay?

Muse:  leave me alone.

Wow!  That was fast!

Kyle:  If I just let you be, you will remain in your shell forever.  Can’t you just cooperate with me?  I’m trying to help.

Muse:  your just going to make fun of me arent you?  just leave me alone i dont want to talk to you.

Kyle:  Can’t you punctuate?  It’s harder to read when don’t capitalize and use run-on sentences.  You also used the wrong “you’re”.  It’s “you’re”, not “your”.

Muse:  see?  this is exactly what im talking about your being mean and your judging me just leave me alone and dont talk to me.

Kyle:  No!  I’m not judging you.  I’m just providing some helpful advice.

Muse:  helpful? you could start by leaving me alone.

Kyle:  I can’t.  I love you too much to do that.  Now look.  I know that you’re shy and I want to help you with that.

Muse: and stop telling me how to type.

Kyle:  If you want to type like that, that’s okay.  I won’t judge you.

Muse:  i dont want to talk to you.

Kyle:  Why not?

Muse:  im scared.

Kyle:  Scared of what?  What’s to be afraid of?

Muse:  im afraid that you’ll make fun of me.

Kyle:  Why would I make fun of you?

Muse:  because i no i cant say it youll make fun of me.

Kyle:  I won’t.  Just tell me.

Muse: no.

Kyle:  You can tell me.  I won’t tell anyone.  I promise.

Muse:  you wont leave me alone until i tell you will you?

Kyle:  I just want to know.

Muse: and then youll laugh im not telling.

Kyle:  Actually, I think I know what it is.  That first night, you had an “accident”….It’s that, isn’t it?  See?  I’m not making fun of you.  Lots of people have that problem.

Muse:  your laughing.

Kyle:  No I’m not.

Muse: your laughing behind my back admit it.

Kyle:  I only admit the truth.  I am NOT laughing.  I don’t care what problems you have.  I don’t care how many secrets you have.  I will love you no matter what.

Muse: really? i still cant see you.

Kyle:  Why not? There’s nothing to be afraid of.

Muse: there is i had a panic attack last time I saw you i thought that i was gonna pass out.

Kyle: Does being around people really give you that much anxiety?

Muse: it does so we cant visit.

Kyle:  Then how do you deal with loneliness?  With that stuffed bunny of yours, right?

Muse: dont make fun of me.

Kyle: I’m not.

Muse:  you just did.

Kyle: I just mentioned it.  That’s not making fun of you.  If that keeps you company, then use it for now.

Muse:  you probably think im a baby for sleeping with a stuffed animal.

Kyle:  It’s perfectly fine.  Why do you think that some people have stress balls at work?

Muse: but thats a stress ball not a stuffed animal.

Kyle:  Stress balls relieve stress.  Stuffed animals relieve your stress.  They both do the same thing.

Muse: but i would get laughed at for bringing a stuffed animal to work.

Kyle: By some people, yes.

Muse: then others are making fun of me behind my back arent they?

Kyle:  There will always be one person who does that.  They can’t be avoided.

Muse: i knew it leave me alone.

Kyle: But that’s how the world is!

Muse: leave me alone!

Kyle: Can’t we discuss this?

Kyle: Hello?

Kyle: Are you still there?

 

Well, I guess she turned her phone off, or something.  I didn’t mean to get her angry, but that’s the truth.  And I guess that she can’t handle the truth.  Especially with poor self esteem and that much anxiety….

Today’s high is going to be 60 degrees and the silver lining is having this sunny day and a new cat to enjoy.

To those of you who love new pets, I hope that you all have a fantastic day.

 

Muse:  I….I can’t visit him.  (sob) I wish that I could!  I wish that I wouldn’t be so afraid of people….People?  They’re making fun of me.  Stop it!

*Muse buries herself underneath the covers and uses her intangible abilities to surround her bed with a locked safe*

Muse: Just to be sure….

*Muse swallows emergency override key*

Muse: *gulp*  There.  Safe forever.