A Cat Story: Jonathan meets Sir Graham, The Black Cat

Photo by pure julia on Unsplash

One fruitful morning in a land far, far away from any land you could possibly imagine, a woman living in a wooden house in the middle of a dense forest, surrounded by blooming red roses, and fruit trees bearing sweet, healthy oranges and bananas, was preparing to leave to the market to run errands along with her favorite companion, and best friend, Jonathan The Marvelous Cat. This cat bears a beautiful white coat that shines brilliantly under the darkness, and orange spots present on the cat’s back and forehead. Surely, this cat was as beautiful as the moon itself but, Jonathan knows that a little bit too much! Jonathan always went wherever the woman would go—to various lakes to fish, to a friend’s house, to basically anywhere where the woman went—so going to the market was already a routine for Jonathan.

He and the woman finally arrived at the market, even in the morning the market is as packed as a school of fish swarming the bluest of oceans. As always, Jonathan walks casually beside the woman, enjoying the view of raw fish placed on top of packs of ice. This was eye candy for Jonathan as he was tempted to nab and eat all of them himself. But alas, Jonathan could do nothing but drool and walk past them.

The woman had brought along with them a big bag. It was a bamboo-woven bag painted randomly with different kinds of bright pigment to place all their bought goods. With it, they went from vendor to vendor buying all sorts of ingredients for their daily needs: ginger, spices, onions, meats, and herbs. One particular vendor who sold the freshest of fish caught the woman’s eyes. She examined the fish carefully, as this was food for her picky cat. This examination caused the woman to place the bag full of their bought goods on the floor next to Jonathan—which he would guard with all his might, changing his gaze rapidly back and forth between the bag to the various people walking along the market.

Jonathan’s guard and keen attention to the bag was formidable, but a distraction bright and odd was enough to remove the white cat’s gaze away from the bag; and one distraction was indeed enough.

Jonathan, The Marvelous Cat, casted his gaze on a black cat, slowly navigating through the roofs of the tents of the vendors in the market. The black cat had paws like feather as it walked and jumped through the numerous tents present in the market without the market-goers noticing. Jonathan unconsciously forgot about the bag he was previously guarding and, instead, gazed on the black cat on top of him.

Like all lands, cities, and villages that have various superstitions, this distant land—where the pair live graciously—was no exception. This land, too, had its superstitious beliefs, and one superstitious belief that Jonathan would proudly follow was that black cats were bad omen and brought along with them bad luck. So, Jonathan having to witness a black cat right in front of his eyes and near his beloved owner, caused Jonathan feelings of annoyance and disdain for this particular cat.

Jonathan kept his gaze on the sneaking cat for as long as he could so he could see the cat if it were to be near the woman, his owner. Jonathan looked at the cat with vigilance in mind, never once removing his gaze. After a few seconds of careful watching, the black cat suddenly stopped moving as if it saw a boulder being thrown right directly unto the black cat’s face. Jonathan, not removing his eyes on the cat, was confused as to why the black cat suddenly stopped in its tracks. Having its back faced towards Jonathan, the black cat slowly turned its head around; and slowly turned until it faced the wooden surface below. The cat’s body turned in unison with the head to look even further on the surface below. It kept turning until it faced Jonathan, the shining white cat that was guarding the bag full of their bought goods. Jonathan not realizing, that he and the black were staring right at each other—which honestly felt like hours to Jonathan—he sat a little closer to the bag that he was guarding to send the black cat above a signal that he was guarding this bag, and was careful with the black cat’s presence. Unaware of the black cat’s gaze itself, the black cat stared directly at the bag Jonathan was guarding. The smell of herbs and raw meat must’ve sweetened the black cat’s furry nose as it was now staring at the bag ferociously with eyes that imitate a sneaking snake. The black cat was walking slowly towards Jonathan and the bag from above, hunched back, paws struck down to the tent’s canvas, and eyes laser-focused on the black cat’s target–yes, indeed this cat was becoming a carbon-copy of a predator.

Jonathan wasn’t used to this type of confrontation, he was used to: cuddles, hot milk, a blanket-covered body, and piles upon piles of soft-feathered pillows. No, he was surely not used to actually protecting a precious object from a predator and it indeed showed because, in an instant, the black cat plunged from the heights of the tents towards Jonathan and his bamboo-woven bag. Jonathan was staring directly at the cat he was gazing at but the latter had other objectives in mind. The black cat was opening its mouth wide to hook the bag’s handle unto its mouth, but Jonathan could not react. It was simply just too fast for the big, white, cuddly cat.

Jonathan realized too late that the black cat was on the move—its back away from Jonathan, securing its prey. Though Jonathan was slower compared to the latter, the white cat readied its paws to prevent the sneaking thief to steal all the goods he and his precious owner have bought—what eventually transpired was a chase between the opposite cats. The black cat was fearless: maneuvering through the hoard of market-goers, running left and right avoiding the humongous feet of humans in its way, ducking through boxes and piles of fruits, meats, and vegetables, indeed this cat moved with experience like it had done this before. Jonathan, on the other hand, was not as experienced as the thief cat. The bright cat was much slower; not moving in directions that would’ve been efficient to catch the thief, and bumping into a hoard of citizens that would look at Jonathan in awe not knowing this cute, furry cat was in distress. Jonathan couldn’t duck beneath the tables and boxes because…he wasn’t able to due to the cat’s big structure and stomach. However, despite this, Jonathan was still able to catch up behind the black cat, proving that the white cat’s perseverance was a force to be reckoned with.

Jonathan was running behind when he called out for the black cat.

“Meow! Meow!” Of course, if we were to translate this statement it meant, “Stop right there thief!” but the black cat kept on running. The black cat was unable to fully out run the white cat, as the chase went on for a few more minutes; both cats running through alleyways, roads, and rooftops trying desperately to run each other.

The two both eventually grew tired of the rigorous event that transpired, so they eventually both stopped at a dead-end alleyway. Both panting heavily, but Jonathan was still eager as ever to acquire back the bag, so he walked slowly towards the black cat.

Jonathan uttered, “Meow, meow meow. Meow!” while the black cat back against a brick wall, still gasping for air, replied with all the saliva, and energy it had left, “Meow… meow. Meow meow! Meow meow.” Jonathan was not hearing the black cat’s side of the story as he—wait, I completely forgot to translate, my apologies my dear reader, let me tell it again. Jonathan upon finally catching up with the black cat assertively said, “I got you… finally, give the bag back now!” but the black cat had the eyes of someone that stole not because he simply wanted to, but because he needed to do so, it had the eyes of a fully desperate man, “Wait… wait I can explain. Please just listen to me!” the black cat was pleading as if it was his last day on Earth. Jonathan was not hearing it, “No, you stole from me –from us, so give the bag back now.”

The white cat showed a side that he didn’t usually try to show; a protective side that would do everything for the people that he adored most, a side that was assertive and commanding was exposed that very day. “Please, please… my kittens, they are starving. I will give it back but please give me something, even just a little bit.” Black cat continued on, but the words coming out of its mouth eventually became harder and harder to come out, “I know…I know it was wrong for me to do, but my kittens…they become thinner each passing day. Please...just give a little bit” Jonathan was still cautious of the black cat, as he thought that the minute he let his guard down, the black would out run him again, or could be that the black would say anything to get out of this situation. Jonathan was quiet, but still locked his sight towards the pleading black cat. The black cat was pleading, and pleading but Jonathan finally opened his mouth to question the cat, “What’s your name?” Jonathan asked, “Graham…please… just—“, Jonathan replied immediately interrupting Graham, “Graham? Graham, how can I trust meoyou?” Jonathan spoke softer compared before, he saw the look of the cat that was staring directly at him –it was the look of a desperate stray cat, with no home to go to. Jonathan was a stray cat once before—running around the streets, scavenging trash bins and trash cans in search of nutrition. Yes, Jonathan was a stray before he was eventually picked up in the streets by his owner now, that is why Jonathan adores his owner so much because, his owner was the first person he knew that showed him any compassion. But nevertheless Jonathan was vigilant because, Graham was still a black cat that had various superstitions and legends regarding black cats and kittens, until Graham showed Jonathan his scars present all over his stomach and body, scars were present too on the breast area of Graham, nipples for milk that are present in lady cats –they looked like kittens were biting off what should be milk present. By then, Jonathan was convinced that what Graham was crying about was true, but Jonathan also remembered that he would also get scolded by his owner ferociously if he came back truly empty-handed. So Jonathan was concocting a plan for both parties; his owner, and Graham to both benefit from this surprising turn of events. Jonathan may be a lazy cat, but he indeed have wits as fine as a genius mastermind. Jonathan initially thought of two options: One, he would bring Graham directly to his owner in hopes that the owner will take pity in Graham and eventually give Graham all the goods that they bought in the market, but there was one folly to this plan: Jonathan’s owner might scurry away Graham immediately upon seeing a black cat in-front of her, Jonathan cannot risk this massive gamble as it will leave Graham nothing; or two, he will give Graham most of the goods they bought, but only leave a small portion on the bag so that it would look like a market-goer stole the goods, or that Jonathan ate them –the latter being unsurprisingly convincing.

Jonathan shared these two plans with Graham, they both agreed that the second option was to be the most convincing. Jonathan was already handing most of the goods to be given to Graham, but noticed that this exchange would leave Graham with no bag to carry the goods he will give. Luckily, in possibly the luckiest surprise to happen to the both of them, Graham was able to scavenge a thrown canvas bag on a garbage bin that was near them –now you might think that this is too convenient or too much of an impossibility, but how could you deny a tiny instance of poetic license my dear reader? Carrying on, everything was set for Graham: bag already prepared, and a fluster of emotions coming out of the poor black cat’s heart, Graham was thanking Jonathan and crying too in unison, “Thank meyou very much. Thank mewyou, thank mewyou, my kit—my kittens will have full stomachs once again” But Jonathan assured Graham that he didn’t need to thank him, but Graham was refusing. Ultimately, the time came that both cats were to separate to carry on with their lives but, Jonathan assured that Graham should come to him when he needs him again or in the future, Graham thanked the white cat with all the adoration in his heart; Graham made a friend in a world that constantly shuns the likes of him.

Jonathan eventually went back to the market with the bamboo-woven bag only containing small portions of the goods they have previously bought –tightly clenched on his furry mouth, disabling the chance of another cat or person to snatch his bag. Upon formally returning, Jonathan was immediately met with cries of his owner –his poor owner thought that Jonathan was either picked up, or something terrible happened to him; Jonathan was carried and hugged tightly by his loving owner, being kissed all over his forehead –indeed, Jonathan was again enjoying this exchange. After a few more minutes of cries, and hugs, the owner then attended to the bag –but unknowing of the events that only Jonathan experienced, the owner was shocked to see that only a handful of goods was present compared to minutes ago where it was full. Obviously, the owner immediately thought the missing goods was the work of Jonathan, the owner thinking that Jonathan secretly ate the goods that they bought –so yes, Jonathan was indeed scolded like he originally thought but, scolding was immediately exchanged with hugs and petting because the owner was just happy to see her little –I mean, cuddly Jonathan again.

The white cat did not care of the scolding he will eventually encounter because, Jonathan knew that he helped a fellow cat in need. The pair eventually went back to their wooden house to spend the rest of their day of cooking, eating, and playing –indeed it was a fulfilling and joyous day for Jonathan as he helped and made a long lasting friend. Jonathan did not care of what others think of black cats and their superstitions, because Jonathan came to realize that all of the things that people were saying were not really true. Graham and Jonathan eventually became the best of friends, having multiple adventures together alongside Graham’s little kittens –but that is a story for another time my dear reader. It was truly a fruitful day for Jonathan, The Marvelous Cat.

The end.