Two Days Later

It’s funny how things become part of the everyday fabric of our lives...

Batman always figured he knew when it was time for me to get up in the morning. It wasn’t always at the same time, but when the urge hit him, he’d meow loudly and directly, into my face from about 6 inches. If I turned my head the other way, he’d simply climb over me, and start again on the other side. Although I was never “overjoyed,” I never got mad at him, because he was just so darn serious about it. It was also funny because when he meowed like that, his mouth opened so big, that it looked like he was going to swallow his own head. Backwards!

Once I was up, he’d lead me out of the bedroom, down the stairs, and into the kitchen.  He would stop every few feet to turn his head and meow at me. He wanted food! For those of you who are old enough to remember, it reminded me of Lassie leading Timmy to rescue a neighbor, who had become stuck under a tractor, fallen down a well, or had some other random emergency.

In our spare room, there’s a folded up comforter sitting on a couch. For a couple of hours a day, the sun shines through a window, directly on the comforter. It was Batman’s favorite spot. He would stretch out and catnap in its warmth every day. He loved lying in the sun. Don’t get me wrong, he didn’t discriminate among sun splashes. He had a hard time passing by any of them without stopping for a quick nap. If there was another cat in it already, he’d just crowd them out. I walked by the room today and noticed his spot. His empty spot…

I avoided the room yesterday, but today I couldn’t stop myself from going in there and putting my hands on the sunny spot where he always hung out. It was nice and cozy. When I noticed that some of his fur was there, I about lost it.  I think the comforter will stay there for awhile. Just like his empty food dish will remain next to the others.

This may sound silly to some, but he taught me that an animal can get into and occupy a part of your heart, that humans have no access to.