Popanna - the cat who sealed our friendship

As I have noted, when Soundarya and I first met, the bond between us was instantaneous. I felt it just like that. But to feel a bond upon meeting someonbe does not necessarily mean that you will then move on to strike up a friendship that will last and keep you together in regular communication for all the days that both of you live on this earth.

Perhaps that would never happened, had it not been for this cat that we happened upon after Sandy asked me to walk with her following the wedding feast of Vivek and Khena. I won't tell the story again right now, because if you are not familiar with it and want to know, you can read it right here.

So, I was wondering how the cat in the linked story was doing these days. Was it even still alive?

I wanted to know, so I set out to see if I could find it again. I wasn't really quite certain where to go, as I had never before been through the neighborhood when Sandy walked me through it and I had just followed where she walked without imagining that I would ever have any need to retrace our steps. So, believing I would recognize the gate and the house, I set out into the general area where I figured it had to be.

I found it, just like that. The house and gate had been painted, the "no parking" sign had been removed and some iron lattice work had been added to the top of the gate, but still when I saw it I felt certain it had to be it.

Then, in conformation, the door to the house opened and the woman the cat had been with stepped out. I recognized her instantly. I asked her if she remembered me coming there in 2007 with a young woman who she had let hold her cat? She frowned, and said, "no." Then, the cat stepped through the door and came alongside her.

"Yes!" I said. "That's the cat! It was 2007! We came in 2007!"

No, the lady shook her head emphatically. Sometimes, in India, it can be a little difficult to know if someone is shaking their head "no" or if they are agreeing with you and saying everything is good, but this time I knew she was shaking her head "no."

"Yes...." Then she let me know that she did not speak English. She looked a bit frightened, so I left my camera hanging. I did not want to frighten her worse by raising it.

The next afternoon, Sujitha, her parents Ravi and Banu and her brother, Ganesh, came over for a mid-afternoon lunch and then stayed late into the evening to visit and socialize. I led Sujitha to the house, so that she could talk to the woman for me.

Once spoken to in her own language, the woman became very friendly. She got the cat - Popanna, who wanted only to run and hide. So she held it for just a few seconds on the motorbike.

We visited for quite awhile, me understanding none of the conversation, but afterwards, Sujitha told me that the woman, whose name I never did get, was like Soundu in that she was always rescuing animals in distress.

Now, although I had a 12 image post planned for tonight, I must stop. This intenet connection I have makes wild swings. It took 17 minutes to load the first photograph - about one to load the second. In the meantime, my battery had gone just about dead. I cannot get to the charger at this moment.

I must go to bed. After I get up, I will get the charger and see if the upload will go fast enough for me to post the remaining images in a new story.

The battery did not die yet, so I decided to see if I could get the cat from across the street up. Sure enough, I did. This is Sheila. Her people thought he was girl when they got him as a kitten eight months ago, but he turned out to be a boy. They did not want to confuse him by changing his name, so he remains, "Sheila."

A Boy Named Sheila. I think Johnny Cash wrote a song about this cat, once.

Comments

[twain12]

glad you found the cat

[KarenJ]

Two for two in tiger cats, eh?

[Suji]

I will miss Soundu and Anil... A LOT.. but I am so so so happy that you are here! You are here to fill the void and I can see her in you... I can see what was lost in the last few months in you.. though the void will just remain, I really am glad you are here to fill a larger part of the void in our family... Love You Uncle!