ADVENT

It had been a hard year for the old man. His wife of 68 years had passed in the Spring and now he was facing his first Christmas without her. In mid-December, he was being awakened by the mewing of a cat outside his front door. This was happening on a regular basis and he was worried the poor thing was cold and starving. He and his wife were cat people and had several over the years until she started to get sick. He remembered talking to a neighbor’s wife about the people living on the other side of his house who routinely locked their cat out overnight and that cat had visited. The neighbor’s wife, who had volunteered at a cat rescue, bought them a warming hut to help out. They were cat people as well and in fact adopted a stray the old man named Blackie, whom he fed after the kitty was abandoned by people down the street.

The old man had saved the warming hut and brought it up from the basement. He installed it outside next to his front door along with a bowl for kibble. But despite hearing the nighttime mewing, he never caught sight of the cat.

His neighbor who adopted Blackie visited, bringing empanadas, one of old man’s favorite holiday treats. He noticed the warming hut and inquired. The old man wondered if his visitor was the new cat the couple adopted two years earlier. His neighbor was doubtful-his cat rarely mewed to come in and while the cat visited the old man's house repeatedly, he usually investigated the small shed around back for a chance to grab a mouse. He related how the folks across the street recently found a dead young cardinal on their doorstep. They had wondered if it was the work of his predator cat too but this would be out of the cat’s usual behavior: he usually brought his kills inside as gifts to his humans. The neighbor suggested to the old man that it might be the work of the mysterious kitty, trying hard to find a home.

Christmas Eve night before he turned in, the old man heard the mewing again. He quietly opened the door and peered out. Sitting on his porch opposite the warming hut was a small black and white cat, perhaps a female. It was quite cold-in the teens-and the creature was shivering. The old man gently opened the storm door, crouched down and invited the little cat in. She was tempted but wary, its eyes big and bright. The old man had a brainstorm and murmured that he would be right back and closed the storm. He went into the kitchen, opened a can of tuna and placed a healthy dollop into a small bowl. He returned and opened the door again. She was still there and when he showed her the bowl, the cat let out a squeak and took a half-step. The old man decided to invite the kitty in. The day before he had thought about this event and brought up a small litter box he had saved in the basement. There even was a half container of litter and he placed the box in the kitchen. He found another dish with two bowls for food and water and put that in the kitchen as well.

So, with the cold air streaming in, the old man bent over again and speaking in a low voice to entice the kitty inside, she finally decided to take a chance and came in. She followed the old man (and the tuna) into the warm kitchen and sat down to one of the best meals she had had in many days. The old man watched her eat, a smile on his face. When she finished and sat up licking her whiskers, the old man pointed out the litter box if she needed it and invited her to join him on the couch to watch some TV. Evidently, she was familiar with all this and did not hesitate to follow him. The old man turned on some show and pulled up a quilt around him. He often watched TV late at night when he had trouble  sleeping. She jumped and curled up next to him and the old man could hear a soft belly rumble. He stroked her ears and remembered how he and his wife would share the same couch with their cats. He was pleasantly surprised that these memories did not make him sad, more wistful of times gone past. It is the way of things, he thought and put out a prayer of gratitude for the blessing they had received. They fell asleep together on the couch that night, both inwardly joyful that they were no longer alone thanks to a small gift bestowed by a smiling and merciful universe.