Hiro Arikawa - The Travelling Cat Chronicles

Strays, by definition, have been abandoned or left behind, but Satoru rescued me when I broke my leg.

He made me the happiest cat on earth.

I’ll always remember those five years we had together. And I’ll forever go by the name Nana, the name that – let’s face it – is pretty unusual for a male cat.

The town where Satoru grew up, too, I would remember that.

And the green seedlings swaying in the fields.

The sea, with its frighteningly loud roar.

Mount Fuji, looming over us.

How cosy it felt on top of that boxy TV.

That wonderful lady cat, Momo.

That nervy but earnest hound, Toramaru.

That huge white ferry, which swallowed up cars into its stomach.

The dogs in the pet holding area, wagging their tails at Satoru.

That foul-mouthed chinchilla telling me Guddo rakku!

The land in Hokkaido stretching out for ever.

Those vibrant purple and yellow flowers by the side of the road.

The field of pampas grass like an ocean.

The horses chomping on grass.

The bright-red berries on the mountain-ash trees.

The shades of red on the mountain ash that Satoru taught me.

The stands of slender white birch.

The graveyard, with its wide-open vista.

The bouquet of flowers in rainbow colours.

The white heart-shaped bottom of the deer.

That huge, huge, huge double rainbow growing out of the ground.

I would remember these for the rest of my life.

And Kosuke, and Yoshimine, and Sugi and Chikako. And above all, the one who brought up Satoru and made it possible for us to meet – Noriko.

Could anyone be happier than this?

‘It must have made you sad that we had to move all the time because of my work. Every time you made friends, I had to tear you away.’

‘But I made new friends wherever we went. I was sad to say goodbye to Kosuke, but in junior high I met Yoshimine, and in high school I met Sugi and Chikako. Our omiai meetings didn’t go so well with any of them, but they all said they’d take Nana for me. I’ve been so lucky to have this many people willing to take care of my darling cat.’

Satoru reached out his thin hand and covered Noriko’s fingers.

‘None of the people who offered to take Nana were right for him, and in the end you took him in for me, Aunt Noriko.’

Noriko was still looking down at her lap when her shoulders began to shake.

‘And even more than that, you found my parents for me, before adopting me yourself. So how could I not be happy?’

So – you shouldn’t be crying there, Noriko.

Instead of sobbing like that, it would be better to keep a smile on your face till the end. And then I’m sure you’ll be happier.

SATORU BEGAN TO stay overnight at the hospital more often.

‘I’ll be back in a few days.’

He’d say this, tickle me on the head, and leave the house, bag in hand. Gradually, the amount of time he stayed away grew longer. He’d say he’d be gone three or four days, but then would not come back for a week. Or he would say a week and return ten days later.

The clothes he had brought from Tokyo no longer fitted him. His trousers became so loose you could fit a couple of fists inside the waist.

He started wearing a wool cap at home. I don’t know why, but his hair was getting thinner than ever, along with his body, and then one day he was completely bald. I thought maybe they’d shaved his hair off at the hospital, but he’d gone to the barber’s himself and got them to do it.

One day, as Satoru was preparing for another stay in the hospital, he put a photograph into his suitcase. A photo of the two of us, taken on one of our trips, which he’d always kept beside his bed back in Tokyo.

And then it struck me.

I stood up on my hind legs and scratched at my basket in the corner of the living room and meowed. Come on, don’t you need to bring this with you?

Satoru closed the clasp on his suitcase and smiled at me with a forlorn look.

‘I guess you’d like to come with me, wouldn’t you, Nana?’

Well, of course . Satoru opened the basket door, and I hurried inside. Then he turned the basket so the door was against the wall.

Just a second now! How am I supposed to get out? Enough with the silly jokes.

‘You’re very well behaved, so I know you’ll be a good boy from now on.’

Hold on there! I clawed hard at the inside of the basket. What’re you talking about, Satoru?

Satoru stood up with his suitcase. He opened the front door without taking my basket with him.

Wait, wait! I scratched even harder at the basket, my fur on end, and yowled.

‘I know you’ll be a good boy.’

Shut up – a good boy ? What a load of hogwash! I’ll never, ever let you leave me behind.

‘You be a good boy now.’

What? Come back here! Come back right this minute!

Take me with you!

‘It’s not like I want to leave you. I love you, you silly cat!’

I love you too, you dummy!

As if shaking off my yells, Satoru slowly left the room and closed the door firmly behind him.

Come back! Come back! Come back! COME BACK!

I’m your cat till the bitter end!

I screamed as loud as I could, but the door didn’t open. I cried and cried and cried and cried, until my voice was completely hoarse.

After I’m not sure how long, when the room had turned dark, the door quietly clicked open.

It was Noriko. She moved my basket away from the wall and opened the door.

I stayed in the corner of the basket, sulking, and a small hand reached gingerly in.

With the tip of her finger she touched my head, scratched behind my ears, softly stroked my throat.

For someone who wasn’t good with cats, she had come on quite well.

‘Satoru said to take good care of you. Since you’re his darling cat.’

I know. That I’m precious to him – that much I know.

‘I put out some food for you. I crumbled some chicken breast on top, too. Satoru said to pamper you today.’

If he thinks that’ll make up for leaving me behind, then he’s got another thing coming.

‘Satoru’s room is kind of small, but it’s a private room and very comfortable, not hospital-like at all. The nurses are all really kind, too. Satoru said he wants to spend his final days quietly.’

Noriko’s voice was trembling as she stroked me.

‘So Satoru said to tell Nana not to worry at all.’

Maybe I didn’t need to worry, but without me there with him it must have been just awful.

‘As soon as he got in the room he put up the photo of the two of you. Right next to his bed, just like at home. So he said everything’s fine.’

Nonsense. Which is better – a photo of me, or the real flesh-and-blood cat? The answer’s obvious.

Of course having the real me there – warm and velvety-soft me – is better.

I licked Noriko’s hand. At first, she hadn’t liked it when I licked her; she said my tongue was rough.

Since you’re crying, I’ll eat later, when I feel so inclined. I mean, you went to all the trouble of topping it with chicken breast and all.

Other than eating and using the litter tray, I pretty much stayed holed up in Satoru’s room.

Whenever I was alone in the house and the door opened, I leapt out, hoping it was him, but it was always Noriko.

I would let my tail droop and head back to Satoru’s room. I wasn’t at all embarrassed about letting it droop when I couldn’t see him. Because it was only natural to feel sad.

It seemed that Satoru had asked Noriko to take me for a walk every now and then, but if I couldn’t go out with Satoru I didn’t see the point of treading with the soft pads of my paws on streets covered with freezing white snow.