In The Closet

Normally, when a girl moved to her new apartment, she will dream of the good times she will have bringing back guys, thinking about how the guys in her life would react when they see their new place and what not.

I - on the other hand, was excited to know that no guys wanted to come by and I had the house all to my lonesome self. But as time goes by, I realized I needed someone to organize my stuff lying all over the floor of my living area.

Terry who went back to his country and had nowhere to put his stuff, dumped 30 pairs of his shoes from Gucci to some other designer pointies, many many clothes and more stuff at my place.

So I took the high road and ordered myself a wardrobe. A nice tall and very spacious wardrobe I would love to death for it’s the only thing that could get me out death right now for being so unorganized.

And the wardrobe arrived. I was busy putting stuff in the new wardrobe when I had the urge of buying more stuff for the room. I have to admit, with my bank account draining faster than I expected, I should be more careful and cautious. But I couldn’t help it, this room is my new heaven and I’m going to accommodate as many beautiful things in it as I could.

Last few months, in an attempt to replace the irreplaceable catfish I had about a year ago, I have been asking around if anyone around me was going to give out cats for adoptions. Yes, cats. Yea, the miow miow ones.

As hard was it to believe I was ready to adopt, it was even harder for my friends to believe I actually wanted a jumpy animal around this fussy ssx. I’ve had many experiences with cats. Have had some since 11 and often ended in a tragedy.

My first one was a black cat (with white socks) which I called Blacky. It was injured when it came to my doorstep asking for some food. We kept it till one day it started going to a Chinese neighbour’s house for food when it found a more delicious and fattening food being served there. One day my father was doing some gardening when he saw the Chinese neighbour walking pass our house. My father stopped him and wanted to apologize for our cat’s behaviour.

Father: Hello Mr. Chong, I’m sorry about my cat going to your place to get food. It stopped coming back and that’s when we realized it’s been eating at yours.

Mr Chong: No worries, Elias. It was a good cat. Guess it loved my cook’s cooking.

Fheww, thank God Mr Ching didn’t mind.

Mr Chong: I think you should feed it with pork. The cat loved pork!

Ick. My family and I don’t eat pork. And we sure take Blacky as a family as well. From that day, Blacky looked sick and sicker by the day. Few months later it was found dead behind the neighbour’s house. Pork overdosed.

The next generations of Blacky, which were all black and were called Blacky Jr, Blacky Jr III and so on were all either dead or lost.

After I told people I was ready to adopt, some said:

Sweater: it’s great, hun. But you do know that cats need a lot of attention. Youre touring, would you have the time to take care of it?

Mom: You’re allergic! And you have asthma!

Shopper: if the cat dies, you’re going to get it from me.

Isaac: euw. Your house will smell of cats!

Aiden: that’s great! I will help you take care of the cat if you’re away.

Curly: Fuck. I lost my cat and now you’re gonna make me miss my cat more.

What most people don’t know is that, I’m a very loving person. I may appear like a bitch but I could also be the most loving parent ever. I love kids and I think cats could be so much like kids. They eat expensive food and they’re somewhat a pooping machine at the same time. When I love someone or something, I give them my 100%.

What people also don’t know is that whatever I keep or plant or whatever..will die eventually. People say I’m cursed. I don’t believe so eventhough the capsicum plant I just bought at Ikea few days ago is dying dramatically by the side of my study as I’m writing now. Maybe cats are different. I believe cats could lower my stress level at 50% per sight.

I was kinda nervous knowing a friend was going to give out her pregnant British shorthair’s babies once they’ve been delivered. And I pre-booked one of them. I was already imagining what it would look like.

One problem though, my mother was right. I’m terribly allergic to fur, especially cat fur. I once was at Lil’s place which had more than 20 cats - the whole night and got sick the entire following week. It was bad.

The babies were supposed to be seeing the world right about last week when Curly called saying..

“The British Shorthair gave birth to 3 kittens. One died and I don’t think the owner would want to give out the other two. She was pretty upset about the death”

Then I had a thought, maybe it was fated that I’m not a cat person. Most modern people consider being single and having cats are the new pathetic singles who loved aromatherapy.

Maybe I am a modern woman who could do internet all day in substitute of having loved ones. Have coffees instead of friends to talk to. Have phonesex with strangers instead of someone we love to cuddle with in bed on Saturday nights.

But on the 13^th of January 2008, a specific place and time changed my life. My mother who was at my aunt’s called asking me to pick her up because she was really mad knowing some kittens pooped all over the front of her apartment in her obsessively loved plants.

She insisted on me picking her that very moment and by the way she sounded, I knew she would kick the kittens’ asses once she got a hold of them.

I picked her up and she wasn’t not in the mood to talk at all in the car. Once we reached her place, I saw all the shits were all over the floor and she just asked me to leave because she didn’t want me to be around to see her be so mad and I’d be the closest target.

Just as I walked out of the elevator at the ground floor, I saw two identical twins looking up at me and this time they weren’t Curly’s boobs. Their eyes were bright blue and they were Siamese. I went to the car to tell my housemate to come and see them.

When we got back there, there were three! I was thinking these were the pooping culprits which got me into a lot of trouble with my mother. I tried to pick one up when two ran away so quickly we couldn’t see them the next second. But one just stood there looking up at me still. I picked it up and it went straight to my nook. Smelling my body and was purring lightly.

“can I keep it?”

“what about the other siblings?”

“we take them too!”

“uh uh I don’t think so”

“but what if I only take one?”

“then the siblings could die you know”

It was love at first sight. I knew that was mine and I didn’t care. I picked up my phone and called the cat expert, Shopper.

“Babe. If I take a sibling out of three from the others, would they die?”

“noooo. They wont!”

After I convinced my housemate, we went into the car and drove off to my place. But on our way there, the cat got scared and flipped.

“Ssx, I think it missed it’s brothers. Let’s just take him back. Please, look at it. It’s really scared”

My heart was crushed but I didn’t want to be the one breaking up a family as they were the only family left for this little baby. We drove back to my mother’s place and as I opened the car door, I let it free. I thought it would be running back to it’s brothers. But it just stood there on the road, looking up at me.

“go! Go to your brothers!”

It just stood there still. Looking up at me with eyes that screamed, take me out out here. Take me with you.

“ssx, I think it likes you. let’s take it back home”

It totally put a smile on my face. In the car, the kitten was looking out the window and purring at the sight of cars and street lights. I have not had a wedding yet, but I’m pretty sure the feeling was just as good as how I would feel on my wedding day. I was in love.

When we reached home, I left it on the floor and it was walking around smelling each corner of the house. And at times it would look at me and purr.

“what would you call it?”

I smiled and I said..

“Mylo.”

The next day I went shopping for Mylo. IAMS, litter sand, litter box, flea spray, shampoo and more. There goes my DVD player out the window.

Mylo has been the bestfriend I’ve never had. It’s been so good and as I thought it would be a bitch to potty-train it, it wasn’t at all. After I gave it food to eat, I put it in the litter box once and Mylo did it’s business in the potty ever since.

Right this moment, it’s sleeping on my bed with Curly. Both beautiful creatures of The Almighty sleeping soundly with me staring at them lovingly.

And best of all, I’m not allergic at all with the fur. God has finally given me a chance to pour all my love to a cat.

Isaac has registered to be godfather and I’m sure he will be a good one. Sweater came tonight to visit the new born. Eric will be coming tomorrow. Shopper was the most supportive one among all. She sent me some extra cat food, litter sand and more. Terry who is coming back tomorrow has been so eager to see Mylo. My housemate who was scared of cats was so surprised at how cute Mylo could be going into his room, rubbing it’s face against his feet. He faced his fears and now couldn’t get enough of kissing Mylo. Sweater was excited to know that I finally get a cat. And my mother, she still doesn’t know the culprit is now sleeping on my bed.

Over all, 2008 is looking very promising for me and I cant wait to spend the rest of the year and the years to come with Mylo.

ssx