INTRODUCTION | FUN-FUELED FELINE FICTION
The Tale of Tiki
Backstory: The Beginning
The fluffy white kitten reached out his sooty six toed paws toward his mama’s belly. She rudely pushed him away, crouching low to the floor so that her 6 week old son could not access her milk. The kitten mewled in protest, a sound that endeared him to her three weeks prior, but now elicited an aloof yawn from the once devoted single parent.
His siblings were tearing the wings off the limp necked pigeon their mama carried to their den under the peeling banana yellow boards of a sun bleached shed in a Key West ship yard. The dark band of black feathers circled the sky rat’s neck like a connect the dots ligature.
Mama had been missing for 5 hours, longer than she’d ever been away, when she proudly returned with her still wriggling quarry. She held it as gently as a babe so as not to squander the sport of killing it, which was the privilege of her 3 daughters and 1 son.
Although, her only son chose to not participate. He hoped beyond hope that his mother would allow him to be a baby for a little longer. So he made himself tiny and his eyes wide to audition for one more suckle before the inevitable happened. He’d already spied a fat orangutan faced Tom lurking about, orange striped tail kinked from fights to access the local talent.
“Boys are easier to raise than girls, remember?”
The kitten overheard the human speak, as he hunkered down low, avoiding the rusty nails that sprang up like soulless mushrooms from the floorboards. He watched their shuffling feet as they pulled ropes and pushed their boat equipment to the lapping ocean. Most were male humans, their skin leathery and eyes crinkled from hours spent outdoors.
This human’s voice was different. Not as low and guttural as the pipe smoking man who wore a wide brimmed hat to protect his shiny bald head. It was a female. Not a light and helpless voice, like the wives who saw their husbands off to a day of hauling fish or tourists. Her voice was rich and deep, but also —
“Sarcasm does not become you. But I deserve it.” The man with the steel toed boots hosed down the sides of his boat. “You’re more of a help to me than your brother ever was.”
“Nice to hear you say it, Pops.” The woman’s smaller feet wore dark blue galoshes that ended where her tanned and muscular legs began.
The kitten peeked his head out then quickly backed up when he saw the shadow of his whiskers in the sun. Rule number one: stay away from humans. Rule number two: violate rule number one only if food is involved.
It was Her. The human who left food and fresh water at the end of the dock in the evenings, if no one was around to see her kindness. She’d been scolded for feeding the animals by the warden, who claimed that leaving food attracted rats.
Not true. The kitten and his sisters licked the bowls clean before they showed up with their pointy snouts and naked tails.
Maybe it was the growling of his stomach that influenced his feelings, but to the kitten, she was the most beautiful human he’d ever seen.
The woman’s thick brown hair was tied back in a messy bun. Strands escaped and framed her olive skin lightly dusted with freckles. She wore no face paint, as the wives did. She was slender and almost as tall as her father.
“It’s getting late. What time is your brother flying in?” The old man asked.
“Seven. If he shows. Last time he cancelled because of a last minute meeting. Supposedly.”
“Well, I prefer to be optimistic.”
“I prefer to be realistic,” The woman countered. The father and daughter laughed. “But yes, I will go. Wait at the airport.”
“No need to come back tonight, Bette. I’ll close shop.” The man said.
The kitten’s ears pricked up. She wouldn’t be back tonight? He was counting on the dole to get him through another night. He was so looking forward to the tuna casserole she hid at the bottom of the crate.
Plan B. He looked back at Mama to see if she’d softened toward him.
Mama hissed and raised her fur as he inched toward her. Tough love. She bared her canines in anticipation of his pathetic request.
Welp. That was out of the question. There would be no last call at the milk bar.
The kitten gingerly crawled out enough to see the crate where the woman stored the treats, packed on her boat moored on the undulating water. Could he make it?
He looked back at his siblings who were nothing like him in looks or temperament. His tabby sisters chewed on tendons and amused themselves by swatting loose feathers fluttering in the air. Chasing their gamey dinner by chasing each other’s tails. Undignified.
His stomach rumbled again. Remembering that fortune favored the bold, he braced himself, and ran.
Next Entry
Wednesday, December 28th. Please return to read how Tikki’s story continues to unfolds. Read the intro from last week below.
Toni Greathouse ←🆘Sista Offering Support
WHO does your acronym say you are?
My name is long enough to describe my wonderfulness. I’m royalty. I descend from a long line of cats that date back to Ernest Hemingway, whose lineage is legendary.
T =Telepathic
I = Interestingly Intelligent
K = Know-It-All
K = King of the Kingdom
I = Influencer
WHAT do you write about?
My interesting life. It’s all about me. What else would I write about.
WHEN did you start writing?
You can’t be serious. Writing is in my DNA. I am a natural storyteller. You do know I descended from Hemmingway’s polydactyl cat.
WHERE are you located?
My story starts in Key West, Florida (USA) but I travel all over. I love sailing the open seas.
HOW do you write?
Stream of consciousness.
WHY did you choose to write on Medium?
I speak to all the cat lovers of the world. I write on Everything Fun because Hollie is mom to 14 cats. She gets us. This is the perfect place for me to advocate on behalf of cats worldwide.
