And spring arose on the garden fair (Akin, zoph)
May 30, 2016 11:50:48 GMT -5
Post by zoph on May 30, 2016 11:50:48 GMT -5
It was a bright spring morning. A newspaper landed with a soft thud at the doorstep of a small house with green shutters. It had been thrown by a teenaged boy from his bicycle. The boy stopped his bike suddenly at the sound of a feeble old voice calling to him.
"Wait a moment! Toby, I've got something for you, dear!"
Curious, Toby dismounted his bike and sprinted over to the shrunken old woman standing in her doorway, clutching a newspaper in one hand and one of her numerous cats in the other.
"Good morning, Mrs. Johnson," he said politely.
"Yes, yes good morning," she said distractedly. "Listen, dear, how would you like to have a kitten?"
Toby glanced at the small furry animal she held. "A what?"
"A kitten, dear. My siamese just had a litter and I'm giving away her kittens. I've got a nice little male one here, see?" She held up the kitten for him to examine. It was white and fluffy, except for its small black tail, its four tiny paws, its tiny snubbed nose, and its small dark ears. It looked up at him with pale blue eyes, and Toby was suddenly struck with a feeling of Deja Vu as if he'd seen those eyes before.
"Wow, are you sure, Mrs. Johnson?" He asked, looking from the kitten to her and back again.
"Of course I am, dear. Here, take it." She handed him the kitten and closed the door in his face without so much as a goodbye.
"Um, thank you," he said uncertainly to the closed. Cat in hand, he went swiftly back to his bike, pleased that Mrs. Johnson had been the last customer. He slowly walked the rest of the way home, pushing his bike along instead of riding it. The sunshine was pleasantly warm, and as he strolled thoughtfully through the neighborhood, absentmindedly stroking the kitten, he realized who it had reminded him of.
When he reached his house, he pushed open the door, nearly knocking into Akin who was apparently just on her way out.
"Wait a moment! Toby, I've got something for you, dear!"
Curious, Toby dismounted his bike and sprinted over to the shrunken old woman standing in her doorway, clutching a newspaper in one hand and one of her numerous cats in the other.
"Good morning, Mrs. Johnson," he said politely.
"Yes, yes good morning," she said distractedly. "Listen, dear, how would you like to have a kitten?"
Toby glanced at the small furry animal she held. "A what?"
"A kitten, dear. My siamese just had a litter and I'm giving away her kittens. I've got a nice little male one here, see?" She held up the kitten for him to examine. It was white and fluffy, except for its small black tail, its four tiny paws, its tiny snubbed nose, and its small dark ears. It looked up at him with pale blue eyes, and Toby was suddenly struck with a feeling of Deja Vu as if he'd seen those eyes before.
"Wow, are you sure, Mrs. Johnson?" He asked, looking from the kitten to her and back again.
"Of course I am, dear. Here, take it." She handed him the kitten and closed the door in his face without so much as a goodbye.
"Um, thank you," he said uncertainly to the closed. Cat in hand, he went swiftly back to his bike, pleased that Mrs. Johnson had been the last customer. He slowly walked the rest of the way home, pushing his bike along instead of riding it. The sunshine was pleasantly warm, and as he strolled thoughtfully through the neighborhood, absentmindedly stroking the kitten, he realized who it had reminded him of.
When he reached his house, he pushed open the door, nearly knocking into Akin who was apparently just on her way out.
