Rita Brown - Cat of the Century

Your body. I worship and adore your body. He smiled broadly.

Tell me again.

For Christs sake,

Mrs. Murphy grumbled.

I worship and adore your body. He laughed, and Mrs. Murphy had to laugh, too.

A silence followed this lovely interlude, then Fair said, Dammit, I forgot to bring the orange-blossom honey. You know how Inez loves it.

Theres Trader Joes at the Short Pump shopping center. We can get orange-blossom honey there.

He checked the time on the clock. Okay.

There are so many different honeys. The lavender one from France is divine. Harry respectfully paused following this delicious memory.

Fair, negotiating traffic, grumbled, The shopping center takes up half of Short Pump. He hadnt been this far east in a year.

Another five years and the sprawl will be all the way to Charlottesville.

He breathed in. Where do the people come from? Then he switched subjects. Worries me. Inez being chair of the alumnae board.

I know, honey, I know.

After the taunting emails last night, Inez had called Jahnae and learned that she, too, had received one. She also called Aunt Tally, who had not.

Liz, in a panic, had called Jahnae, then Inez.

Taking time to consider all the angles, Inez then called Harry and Fair. Fair, taking charge, told her hed be at her door tomorrow at one in the afternoon. He was taking her and Erno back to his and Harrys farm, where Inez would be safe.

When she protested this all had nothing to do with her, hed have none of it. Fair said shed still be close to Aunt Tally and they could visit, but Inez was going to be under his roof and sometimes with him on calls.

Inez finally gave up. She was grateful for his concern.

Every now and then last night and then today, Fair would mutter, Worries me.

Worried Harry, too.

The world looks different when your parents are gone, he said out of nowhere.

She nodded. Does.

Shes a remarkable woman. She really is a second mother to me. Im glad Inez is still strong. I dont know what Id do without her.

Fairs parents had lived much longer than Harrys, but his mother passed away five years ago, one year after his father had died.

God sends us things in our life. Harry leaned closer to Mrs. Murphy. Sent me you, too.

The feeling is mutual.

Mrs. Murphy put a paw on Harrys hand.

Jesus, the traffic, Fair commented as they drove down the Short Pump exit, turning right on Route 250.

Within minutes, they pulled into Trader Joes parking lot.

Want to come in or you want me to do it? Harry asked.

Ill keep the animals company. As she closed the door, he fiddled with the radio to get NPR.

Fair, a dedicated NPR listener, soaked up everything. He liked Terry Gross in particular. Harry, on the other hand, was bored stiff. She wanted her country-and-western music, which she used to disdain. If they got into an argumentwhich was infrequentit was over who would control the radio. They settled it by the driver having the choice. If they didnt change positions for relief after three hours, the passenger handled the dial.

Pewter called out from her burrow in the blanket,

Are we there yet?

What do you want, Pewts? Fair called back.

Out of this car. I want to play,

she responded.

Ignore her. She probably has to go potty,

Tucker teased.

If I did, Id poop on you,

came the discourteous retort.

Were at Trader Joes.

Mrs. Murphy stood on the passenger seat to face backward.

Thats a fancy food store. Good stuff. Ive heard Harry talk about it.

Food! Why didnt you tell me?

Pewter leapt into the front seat to stand next to Mrs. Murphy.

Both cats, paws on the dash, faced forward.

See?

Mrs. Murphy noted all the people emerging from the store, bags overflowing with edible treasures.

I hope she remembers,

the gray cat said wistfully.

Youre getting a little heiferous,

Tucker called from the back, staying snuggled in the blanket.

You need a kitty diet, not more food.

Harry came out of the store with two full shopping bags.

Cross your claws.

Pewter was the soul of animation when Harry opened the door.

Mom! Anything for me?

A muffled moan emanated from the back.

Dont start, Tucker. Ill scratch your eyes out.

Kitty babies. Treats. Harry moved both cats to the center console for a moment to take her seat after putting both bags on the backseat. Shed bought more than she intended.

She carried a small container in the shape of a cat. The top of the head and ears were yellow plastic.

Me!

Pewter yowled.

Harry popped a treat in Pewters open mouth, glad her fingers werent chomped.

Mrs. Murphy, ever the lady, waited.

Here. Harry gave her one of the multicolored treats.

This is good.

The tiger savored the flavor.

More!

Thats enough, Pewter. More when we get to Inezs.

How far?

The gray cat was insistent.

I could go into a coma from hunger.

Enough, Harry said. Tucker, theres a rawhide chew for you later.

Good.

Fair was still fiddling with the radio knob when Harry appeared. Shall I assume that both those bags arent full of honey?

You may. She leaned back in the comfortable seat. Saw you hit the off button. NPR fix again?

Cant hide anything from you, can I?

Sure you can, but you have to get up early in the morning to do it.

He backed out. They headed west on Route 250. A half hour later, they turned down Inezs driveway. What should have been a fifteen-minute drive had taken twice as long, thanks to relentless traffic. The crushed pea rock crunched under the tires.

Looks like her weather has been the same as ours, Harry said.

Tucker saw puddles of water in low spots.

Yeah, it does,

Mrs. Murphy agreed.

As both Harry and Fair were Virginians, there was no need to discuss that they lived in the Piedmont while Inez lived at the edge of the Tidewater, an expanse of plain with a slight roll to the land as one moved west. Technically, the Tidewater ended at the fall linethe waterfalls all up and down the state. The weather was hotter here than in Crozet; springs arrived earlier, winters later. Sometimes the rains pounding on the Blue Ridge never made it this far east.

The years Fair spent here were some of the happiest times of his life. He was actually practicing medicine, and the little guesthouse in

which he lived was perfect for a bachelor. Harry, whom he had known since high school, would visit. He dated some Richmond girls, West End types, some of whom could be high maintenance. Inez was the one who told him he should have his head examined if he didnt marry that good-looking country girl from back home.

He did. Years later, after he became restless in his marriage and had an affair, he and Harry separated. Inez tore him a new one. The divorce upset her terribly, but she loved Fair and endured what she called his searching time. He learned, grew, worked hard to win back Harry, and did. He knew he was lucky to have had Inezs honesty and love throughout it all.

Now Fair knocked on the door of the simple taupe-colored clapboard house, the shutters a brighter green than the Charleston green Harry liked. Each shutter had a cutout of a trotting horse. The door matched the shutters and had a large pineapple brass knocker in the center.

Come in, Inez called when Erno barked, announcing company.

Harry, who had been rummaging in the food bags, pulled out the honeys. The two cats and dog shot out onto the gravel the minute the hatchback was raised.