My son was given a kitten on his birthday this last May. The two of us had moved to a new town the summer before and we had some neighbors that had a litter of kittens. These neighbors didn’t take very good care of their own children and we knew that the kittens weren’t being loved as well. When we were offered the little gray kitten we immediately said yes. He chose the name May-May for the kitten. Of course he was named after the month, but we also had a friend with the nickname May-May that we missed very much, so we all settled on it as a three person family.
In late August, my son went to visit his Grandmother (four hours away). It was time for him to come home to get ready for the new school year. My plan was to leave during the wee hours of the morning, make the trip, and be back that evening before dark. My truck broke down less than half the way there. During the course my truck being on fire, waiting for emergency personnel and a tow truck, all I thought about was how on earth am I going to get my little man home now.
The nearest town to tow the truck was ironically where some new friends of ours lived. They had invited us for the weekend a few times, but we could never make it. Well, I called them and they had no issues at all with towing my truck to their house and letting me use their extra vehicle to finish my trip. They could bring us back home the following Monday. It was our only way home. We lived about an hour and a half from them. Needless to say once my son and I were back on the rode to their house, my thoughts went to May-May. She’d been outside for two days. I fully expected to be back home and I knew she didn’t have enough food for any longer than that, but it was another two days before we could get home. We got home and she was gone. We were both so sad. She would always come running from the tree or any other part of the yard when we’d pull up in front of the house. I told my son the truck isn’t here and she probably thinks we’re not home. We looked and looked for her, put fliers in the store windows, called everyone we knew to be on the lookout for May-May. I cried for a week. Feeling guilty, sad and unable to make it better. We’d said from the very beginning we felt that she was suppose to be with us. I finally put her litter box, her toys, and food dishes away resigned to the fact that she was gone.
Low and behold...thirty days to the day we got a call from one of my son’s friends (who lives at the after school babysitter’s house). The day before was a Friday and we decided to leave his bicycle and backpack there and walk home. Being Friday with no homework, he had no need to carry a backpack. When the phone rang it was our sitter and she said we’re on the back porch and this cat came walking the corner from the driveway and she looks just like May-May. When we walked on their back porch, there she was, she looked at us, meowed and climbed up my pant leg. My son’s bike and backpack were still parked outside in their driveway.
We are once again a family of three and so thrilled. Some might think this story isn’t an exciting one, but I personally was given so much. We never know who our true friends are until time of need, we can have the best laid plans, continue to do the best we can, and when something is meant to be... IT WILL BE!
