I finished my 2023 tax work for my accountant with a huge sigh of relief. To Annabelle’s annoyance, I dumped a pile of empty envelopes and calculator tapes into the wastebasket. With an angry cry she jumped out of the wastebasket, tossing wadded-up paper along with the calculator tapes and envelopes all over the floor.
Dammit, Missy! I cried. You know that’s no sleeping area.
I liked it! And you ruined it. I hate you.
I’m sorry, baby. I still love you. Where are you going?
To my summer home. Every star has one, you know/
With that, she darted around the corner and disappeared behind a bookshelf filled with CDs as I cautiously lowered myself to the floor to pick up the mess and put it back in the wastebasket.
Her summer home, as she likes to call it, is an enormous nearly empty carton of Bounty paper towels sitting back in my storage area next to the door of the linen closet. There are maybe three or four rolls of towels and she likes to sleep on them and imagine she’s on her farm next door to Gertrude Lawrence in Bucks County. Stella tried sleeping there one and Annabelle told her in no uncertain terms that guests to her summer home were welcome only by invitation. I once asked Thatch if he were ever invited. No, he told me, she’d only invite me if she needed a maid for the weekend, and I do enough of that daily here.
And the day passed. When Annabelle did not come to help me clean up the dinner dishes and wash out their water bowl, I figured she was still angry with me. I swear, she holds a grudge longer than I do. When I gave Thatch and Stella their nightly treats, I called for her several times. She stayed out of sight.
Well, babies, I told Thatch and Stella, what shall we watch tonight?
The Three Musketeers! Thatch shouted.
Okay, that’s fine with me, I replied as I walked to the kitchen for my bedtime snack. I opened the fridge and removed a package of münster cheese and set it on my tea cart. I then grabbed my tin of crackers and set it and a bottle of cold water next to the cheese. Let me get the DVD, and we’ll be all set, I told them.
As soon as I put the disc into the DVD player, I pushed the cart to the bed and opened the bottle of water. I then sat on the edge of the bed. Thatch and Stella jumped up with me. As soon as I unwrapped the cheese, both cats climbed all over me.
Hey! Wait! Calm down! I yelled. Two cats sat back and stared at me.
How do you know you’ll even like this? I asked. Stella, you want this? I handed her a sliver. She sniffed it several times before she licked it. That was enough. She moved away from me to the front of the bed. Well, I thought, what do you know? There’s something besides guacamole she won’t eat. I picked up the sliver and tossed it into the wastebasket next to my bed.
Let me try it! Thatch said as he climbed onto my lap.
You sure, Thatch?
Yes! Please, Daddy?
Okay, baby, here ya go. I gave him a small piece. Like Stella, he sniffed it, licked it, and then gobbled it up.
More! he called, so I gave him another sliver. He gobbled it up and then said, I like it! What is it?
Cheese, münster. This is saltier than usual.
It’s good. Can I have more?
I don’t know, baby. I’m not sure it’s good for little kitties.
At that moment, Annabelle bounced onto the bed.
I’m hungry! she said. What are you eating?
Monster cheese, Thatch told her. Stella didn’t like it, but I love it! Yum!
Stella didn’t like it? She eats anything.
Not guacamole, I answered.
Not monster cheese, Thatch added.
Well, give me some! I don’t know if I’ll like monster cheese, but we artistes need to experience everything in life. It’s research for my career.
And start the movie! Thatch insisted.
I took a small piece of a cheese slice, divided it into two and gave a section to both Thatch and Annabelle. Thatch gobbled his piece dow while Annabelle eyed hers cautiously.
What’s wrong, Missy? I asked as I laid a slice on a club cracker. I bit off about half while Thatch yelled, Start the movie!
You had your snack, Thatch, and now I’m having mine. What’s wrong, Annabelle? You don’t like it?
I’m not sure, but I’m too much of a lady to just leave it here.
Well, stop playing with it.
Start the movie! Thatch yelled at me.
And I did.
©2024, Larry Moore
Annabelle & Thatch 