Soul
A Short Story
I thought what was inside the box was pretty obvious, but Amaya‘s confused look said otherwise. The red ribbon wrapped around the cardboard carrier was just enough to spark her curiosity. I decided on the red bow to remind her of Christmas. It was a gift, after all — a guilt gift. Amaya’s dad, Christopher, had just passed away and a friend suggested getting a pet to compensate for his absence. You could hear the gasp of excitement as she unloosened the bow and saw what was inside.
“Oh, my God!” she lifted the brown and orange tabby out of the box.
He was just small enough for her to pick up and hold. Honestly, I was a little nervous about getting a cat at first. I knew some cats could be aggressive. I also worried that Amaya, herself, might be too aggressive. But the sound of his purring and the smile on her face put my mind at ease.
“Mommy, can I name him?”
“Sure. What would you like to call him?”
“Umm, I think his name should be…Soul.”
“Soul. That’s different. What made you come up with that?”
“I don’t know. He just looks like that’s his name. Remember, you said that Daddy’s soul is in Heaven now.”
“Yes, I remember.”
“Well, that’s his name. Yep, Soul. Mommy, I love him…thank you so much.”
Seeing her excitement was all the thanks I needed. It seemed to be the happiest I had seen her since my husband passed away.
The two were inseparable. Of course, I had to buy the food and change the litter, but Amaya made sure his food bowl and water basin were always full. Soul was like Amaya’s shadow. One didn’t exist without the other. I bought a cat bed for him to sleep in and they both snubbed their noses at it. Guess they preferred his usual sleeping spot at the foot of the bed. Seeing them together made each day that Amaya spent without her dad a little bit easier. My days were lonely, but for Amaya, it was like her dad never left.
As Amaya got older, Soul always seemed to find new ways to maintain her attention. He‘d sit with her as she completed her homework. Sometimes he’d even sit on her homework! He'd linger around when friends came by. It’s funny, whenever she had a friend that I didn’t particularly care for, he’d hiss and meow until Amaya got the hint. He was like our little friend detector. Amaya knew that if Soul didn’t like ‘em, they probably weren’t worth keeping around.
Of course, I was worried when it was time for Amaya to go to college. Soul wasn’t nearly as playful, but he still craved Amaya’s attention. Fortunately, she decided to attend a college that was only an hour away from home. Probably more because of Soul (than me), but I didn’t take it personally. She stayed on campus during the week and came home on weekends.
But even with Amaya coming home each weekend, I could sense that Soul missed her. He began sleeping at the foot of my bed and cozying up with me whenever I’d read or watch TV. I won’t lie; it was kind of nice. The house was quiet without Amaya there. Soul became my companion as much as Amaya was his.
It wasn’t long before Amya started dating and bringing home guys from college. Most of them seemed nice enough but Soul always decided whether they were worth keeping around. I remember when she brought David home. It took Soul some time to warm up to him. No hissing or meowing (which was a good sign) just a little standoffish. I guess Soul felt like someone might be trying to take his place. Funny how possessive animals are. One day, we noticed Soul rubbing up against David’s legs. I remember the look Amaya and I gave each other when we saw Soul nestled in David’s lap. Yep, we knew David was a keeper.
Shortly after graduating, Amaya and David became engaged. They decided that Soul should stay with them now that they had their own place. Soul was older and less active by then. And to be honest, so was I. I missed our cozy time but was happy that Amaya wanted Soul with her. Besides, I got to visit them often and get my cuddles in.
Sometimes Amaya would bring Soul over to visit. I kept his cat bed (which he only used occasionally), a litter box, and some food for those visits. You could tell that Soul loved the visits as much as I did. He would walk between my legs and rub his head. Purring so loudly as I pet him. I still laugh when I think about how loudly he would purr — and snore.
One night, Amaya and I were sitting on the couch reminiscing about her childhood days. She even shared the few memories she still had of her dad. For a moment, I felt like I had my little girl back and it was just the three of us again. I remember Soul curling up and lying right between Amaya and I. His head nestled on Amaya’s leg, tail thumping back and forth. You know what they say about cats — when they get comfortable on you, you don’t move. We must’ve spent hours on the couch that night.
When Amaya got up to leave, Soul didn’t follow her to the door. Even when she called him, he just sat on the couch. I said it was okay for him to stay the night. He must’ve understood because he jumped down, rubbed himself between Amaya’s legs, and then jumped right back on the couch next to me. Amaya and I looked at each other, shrugged our shoulders, and laughed.
He followed me to bed that night and decided to sleep in his cat bed. When I woke up the next morning, Soul was no longer with us.
I remember having to break the news to her. For the second time, someone she loved had passed away. She blamed herself for not taking him home that night.
“Soul was old, honey. You took good care of him but it was only a matter of time before he left us,” I tried to explain. “He probably knew it was his time.”
I was glad he chose our home to transition. I can only imagine her waking up to see Soul gone. No, it was better that he was here. I held her in my arms as she sobbed. I explained to her that the universe gives and the universe takes away. And that the universe will soon give again.
We didn’t have to wait long before the universe decided to give again. A few weeks after Soul left us, Amaya learned she was expecting. I could not contain my joy. I always wondered if Amya would’ve been able to take care of Soul and a little one at the same time. I guess Soul made sure she didn’t have to. It was a smooth pregnancy. I couldn’t wait for the day my grandbaby would enter this world.
She gave birth to a healthy 7-pound baby boy. She named him Christopher Sole Wright. I could barely contain my tears when I heard the name. And Sole…well, I am sure you could figure out where that came from.
The moment I got to hold him. I was in love. I looked into his eyes and I sensed something familiar. I couldn’t quite describe it. But I felt it the day I met her dad and I felt it the day I brought Soul home.
I knew that it would only be a matter of time before I, too, would have to transition out of Amaya’s life. But I also knew she was in good hands. He was just a baby now, but he would make sure that no harm came to her and he would be there for her until she transitioned from this earth. Just as he did all her life.
“Welcome back,” I said as I stared into his beautiful brown eyes.
“It’s good to see you again.” And I hugged that baby knowing the universe had brought Amaya’s protector back to her once again.
