Lucky

First, she was lucky to be born, because in the wild world, where cats are not appreciated and where are no shelters, there is a rare chance to be born. The kitten was born on a backyard of a big barn, where people stored seasonal crops for sale. There was a rare chance to survive in the wild world, while on the backyard, it made the whole difference. From time to time the kitten’s mom had nice food and always a place that covered them from weather, dogs, mean people and the kitten didn’t learn the dangers. Surrounded by her mom and siblings, just as in kitten’s paradise, she was twice as lucky as most of the other cats in the wild world.

Second, she was lucky to be picked. One day a person came, that appeared to be a thin tall girl in tight jeans and a wide smile. She was in her late teens, not elder than eighteen for sure. She looked at the newborn litter of Siamese kittens, all chubby, adorable, and fluffy and decided that Lucky stood out, "Oh, she is absolutely white, and so gracious." "Yes, she is", the another person said, “but she is also the skinniest one, and has almost no fur, she will not make me any profit at the market.” May I have her, then?" the girl asked. "If you'd like to have this useless, ugly creature, sure you can. But don't turn her back." "Don't worry, I will not." the Girl replied.

That's how the cat got her name, Lucky. "I will take care about you, and no one else ever will say that you are ugly, useless or weak. You are the most adorable, and gracious and smart kitten ever. Your fur is shiny and sleek, and not so fuzzy as with the others. A little too skinny, thoigh we will fix it in no time. Because you are the luckiest one. Lucky you are." The Girl took the cat home, and they became the best friends.

When the Girl was at home, Lucky sat at her side, and followed her everywhere. When the Girl had to be out, Lucky was sitting on a window-ceiling, looking at the street, waiting. If you ever thought that cats are not as loyal or as not as caring as dogs, you'd forget about this theory at once, after knowing how much Lucky cared for the Girl.

That is how several months went by. After the cold winter it came Spring, and then Summer. Lucky gained some weight and now not only the girl, everyone who saw her, would say that she had a rare beauty. Perhaps, Lucky could model for commercials and earn more money than the Girl ever did, if she was lucky, indeed. But little did she know about all the rare opportunities that could be there for her if she was born in the world where cats were appreciated. So, she kept feeling lucky enough to have the little peace and love that she had.

Then, one day the Girl didn't get off her bed. She didn’t make the special food for Lucky and didn’t open eyes when Lucky was about to wake her up with the cheek’ kisses. The girl was coughing and had fever. Lucky curled near with her and didn’t ask for the food anymore. Then people in white coats came, approached the Girl's bed. The tallest one, who was a doctor, came too close to the Girl. Lucky didn’t like it. She didn’t wait for him to prove his good intentions. She decided the situation was already too dangerous as it was. She had to stop the man, from hurting the Girl even further, decided Lucky and jumped straight on his neck, hissing violently.

"Help! Help!" the doctor screamed. "Get your cat off me! Now!" He dropped the medical box and attempted to throw the kitten off his coat. But Lucky was sitting there quite right, pinning her sharp claws into the doctor’s collar, and kept hissing at him. Finally the Girl's mom came to the rescue and grabbed Lucky, scolding her apologetically. “They are doctors, they will help the Girl! Silly cat!” With these words she locked Lucky in another room. Lucky was furious. She was roaring and mewing and scratched the door, but no one seemed to care. She knew that the Girl was not feeling well. The new people, doctors or not, didn’t mean anything good for Lucky. They were dangerous, this is all what she knew. In all her small kitten's might she was trying to save the Girl from the danger. She listened. Not after a long time she could hear the people were walking to the front door. What? They were taking the Girl with them! The Girl couldn't walk and they carried her on the stretchers.

Lucky jumped on the window-ceiling, watching them coming out of the house, towards the ambulance. The window was opened, letting in fresh morning breeze. Lucky never was on the street alone, after she met the Girl. The street was dangerous and not attractive, though now the cat did not care. Feeling as she was losing her best friend, Lucky jumped out the window. "Wherever they are taking the Girl, I will go with her," she thought, landing on her soft paws safely. She run to the ambulance. Too late! The tall doctor locked the door right in front of her nose. There was no way for Lucky to get in. The engine started. All the cacophony of the wild sounds, smells and views attacked the kitten at once, reminding her the first few weeks on the backyard, waking her wild instincts.

The Girl's mom went out calling for her. "Lucky, come home, come back, come here!" she called. Lucky didn't care. She hissed in anger at the ambulance. She jumped as high as she could, trying to get onto the vehicle; she failed.

The ambulance roared with its engine and Lucky thought it was a beast, that swallowed her Girl. She hissed and roared in reply. The ambulance went on driving and so did Lucky, running after it at the highest speed you could ever see in kittens. The car was faster. It disappeared from the view, soon, though Lucky was still running, after it, finding the way with the natural GPS that is so natural in cats… She ran and ran and ran …

If I were to write a fiction, I'd say that Lucky came to the hospital, found the Girl, and made friends with the doctors. I'd say they fed Lucky yummy food and let Lucky cuddle in the hospital bed where Lucky kissed the girl to healing.

Unfortunately, I am writing a true story, and it is not a happy true story. The Girl was back home from the hospital, though she never met her Lucky again. The girl got sick in the stomach and couldn’t eat for several days as well couldn’t stop crying because Lucky never survived the car chase. The kitten was hit by a car, trying to save the girl.

The Girl never had another kitten for many, many years, because there was no one like Lucky for her, ever. And for you, will you say, after reading the story, that cats have no understanding and no feelings, except for their instincts? Will you say that cats care only about themselves and know no loyalty, or love, or heroism? Maybe not so often, though there are not a lot of heroes among people as well. And if there are special people, there are special cats, too. Lucky was without doubt, one of the very special cats, shining her strong personality from the very first day when she was born, to the day when she died.