Watch me, Daddy!
It was Annabelle. She was standing with her two front legs in her latest Amazon carton as she pushed herself across the slick floor’s surface with her back legs.
That looks like fun, I said.
At that moment, Thatch came storming up to me. When he gets really angry, his little voice goes up two octaves, I swear.
There’s no dry food and no water!
I stopped in my tracks. I blew it. I’ve been so busy this week with taxes and medical procedures that I decided to sleep late this morning. After I fed them at 7:00, I went back to bed for an hour. I didn’t check the dry food or the water dish.
I’m sorry, Thatch, I said. I really am. Let me fix this right now. If Missy would stop pushing things off the table into the dish, you’d have water.
Sure enough, there was a large puddle of water on the mat where the dish should be, along with my keys, the mail, and a votive candle.
While Annabelle slid around the floor humming “The Skater’s Waltz,” I washed the dry food dish and refilled it. I removed my keys and everything else from the puddle of water, patted it dry with paper towels, washed the water dish and refilled it.
Everything okay now, Flash? I mean, Ninja Cat?
He showed his approval by dancing around on his back legs and striking several poses. I went back to the computer and my coffee. Annabelle jumped onto the computer table, and I grabbed my coffee just before she sent it off the edge.
Annabelle!
I want to pay calls, she said. I haven’t seen any neighbors since the goblins took over this building.
The goblins have moved out. I tell you that every day.
You do?
You never listen.
She wants to see Val, Thatch said. She pushed him off the table.
Annabelle and Val have something really special. She adores him, and he’s very fond of her. I may have to sue him for alienation of affection.
Thatch jumped back onto the table. Annabelle loves Val! Annabelle loves Val!
Stop that! She commanded then she pushed him off again.
He ran through the apartment yelling, Annabelle loves Val!
Well, Missy, I said, he’s got your number.
He’s wrong, you know. I don’t love Val; Val loves me.
I had a few chores before we could step out. I had told Annabelle that the elevator crew had left us a spiffy new elevator. She decided we should check it out and maybe visit Val. After I cleaned the litter, she and I stepped out. As soon as the elevator doors opened, she panicked. She hadn’t forgotten the last time those doors opened and the goblins had a blazing fire going to cook her. She refused to enter it. When I picked her up and carried her into the new lift, she screamed, fought me, and ran down the hall and around the corner to the stairs. Calling for help, she ran up to the fourth floor with me in hot pursuit. It took me a while to find her, and when I did, she insisted she was too fraught to visit anyone. By the time we reached the apartment, she had calmed down.
Are you sorry you didn’t see Val?
He loves me, she said. He’ll be up to check on me soon.
When we entered the apartment, Thatch was nowhere in sight. He’s afraid of people, so, much as he wants to come with us when Annabelle pays calls, he waits for her to give him the gossip. His pith helmet and miner’s hat hanged next to mine and Annabelle’s so he hadn’t gone exploring on his own.
Thatch! Thatch! I called. Where are you? Thatch?
Annabelle had gone to the window to talk to the pigeons.
Thatch? I was starting to panic. I was certain he hadn’t left the apartment.
Annabelle, do you know where Thatch is?
Thatch? Hmmm . . . maybe.
She turned back to the birds.
Annabelle, where’s the baby? Where is Thatch?
She ignored me.
Annabelle, where’s Thatch? Do you know where he is?
He’s cooling off. She turned back to the pigeons.
Cooling off? What does that mean? Cooling off?
I was beginning to lose it. He wasn’t under the bed, not in the closet, not on top of any shelves . . .
Not now. I’m talking to my friends.
If you know where the baby is, just tell me.
He’s so immature at times. He wouldn’t stop yelling “Annabelle loves Val,” so while you were cleaning the litter, I locked him in the refrigerator. He’s cooling off.
Cooling off? You might have killed him!
I ran to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. Little Thatch was sitting on the bottom shelf, shivering with cold.
Hi, D-d-daddy. We’re playing hide and s-s-seek.
Annabelle! I yelled, Annabelle, he’s freezing.
Put him in the microwave, Annabelle called from the window.
She was holding court. The pigeons were telling her funny Central Park stories. They see everything and tell.
I held him to warm him up. Purring, he curled up in my arms, shaking like crazy. I carried him to the heated kitty bed Auntie Laura had sent them and wrapped him in his little quilt.
So c-c-c-c-cold, Thatch said.
Annabelle, you get in here and apologize to the baby.
In a minute.
Annabelle!
I said, I will. In a minute. I’m visiting.
I walked to the window.
Annabelle’s playtime is over, I said to the pigeons. It’s time for her nap.
I slammed the window shut and the pigeons scattered. Now you get in there and tell your little brother you are sorry, Missy.
She glared at me before she jumped off the windowsill and paced around the apartment. When she passed the Amazon carton, she stopped. Then she walked around it. Several times. With her front paws inside the Amazon carton, she walked the box over to the heated bed.
Thatch, are you still cold? He shook his head. Want to play tour guide?
What’s that? He asked.
Jump in. I’ll show you.
He jumped out of the bed and into the box. He settled in the front of the carton between her front paws. Annabelle pushed the box across the floor.
If you look to your left, she stopped the box, you can see the shelves you hid under on the night you came here. On your right, there’s the cat tree where you hid first, after I tried to kiss you.
You scared me, Thatch said. You jumped all over me!
I was so happy to see you! Daddy promised me a little brother.
I’m big now.
I know.
She pushed the box along the floor to my worktable.
Here’s where Daddy pays bills and writes notes. I help him. You pooped under there. It was stinky.
I did?
You wouldn’t come out from under the shelves, I said, not for days. You were so afraid of us when I brought you home.
I’m brave now, Thatch shouted. I’m Ninja Cat!
Now, over here you see Daddy’s nightstand. Look at all that clutter! When you get bigger, you can jump up there and push everything onto the floor. It makes a lot of noise.
They laughed. I didn’t. The box moved on.
And to your left you see the grumpiest old man in Manhattan.
Hold on, I said. Let the grumpy old man tell you what he sees on this tour.
Annabelle stopped pushing the carton.
What? Thatch asked. Annabelle pushed the carton toward me.
I see the sweetest little girl on the Upper West Side and her wonderful brother. I love you more than anything in the world.
You do? Thatch asked me as the carton stopped at my feet.
I’m actually the luckiest, grumpy old man on the Upper West Side.
Annabelle did her polka step around the carton and Thatch did his ninja routine.
But, Annabelle, I said, you’ve got to stop trying to kill him. One of these days you’ll hurt him.
©2018, Larry Moore
Annabelle & Thatch 