A cat story.
This is not a ghost story, nor is it a strange story, but it's a story that's quite cozy.
I
think many people already know, but there's a cat in my house named
Kureha-san. No more than two years ago she was freely going to and from
my yard, and each time I'd give her a meal. But soon after that a period
of time passed when I didn't see her figure at all, and when she
appeared again she was a spirited mother who had brought along her three
children. Since the children were small too and I thought it'd be
difficult for them to pass the winter, I took them into my house to care
for them, but Kureha was violent due to her maternal instinct at first,
so if I even approached her she'd threaten me with a 'Hiss!' and if I
touched her she'd dispatch her Treasured Sword Cat Punch as a last
resort.
All the same we spent two years together, and she seemed
to sense that I mean no harm to her existence, so lately she'll come
close to me on her own around mealtime. Whether it's a sense of security
because her children have matured, or only sleeping when she isn't
eating, thanks to this her body has grown so humongous that she can be
mistaken for a Tanuki in appearance.
It was just the other day. Strangely, Kureha was looking down from the window on the second floor, and crying out like 'gyaa gyaa'!
"What's
wrong? Is there a bird or something? Are you okay...?" I uttered to
her, but she was too noisy and kept on crying so that her formerly
hoarse voice blocked me out. So, I found it suspicious as you would
expect, and I tried looking down from above Kureha. Then, down there I
saw a large cat with the exact same pattern as Kureha's children. Wasn't
he staring fixedly in our direction?
'Perhaps you're the father?
Yeah! There's no mistaking that pattern like a dairy cow. But why did
you suddenly appear when I haven't seen you around the neighborhood
before??' I thought, observing him. That cow-patterned cat who appeared
to be the father pointed a glance my way and immediately disappeared
somewhere as soon as he cried out "Nyaa~"
As if taking that as a
signal, Kureha also stood up languidly and returned to her usual place
as though nothing had happened, then started breathing peacefully as she
went to sleep.
To say nothing at all it was like that, but I
have quite a hunch that the cow-patterned cat seemed to be telling me,
"Treat my wife and kids well." My heart was somehow warmed by it. It's
just like, I believe I saw a cat version program of the story of Orihime
and Hikoboshi who can only meet just once a year.
Notes:
As with the Kagrra song of the same name, this story is a reference to Tanabata, the once-a-year festival when the stars Vega and Altair can meet.