Purrs and Pearls

I paced anxiously in lobby. My aunt's lawyers were as grandiose as she had been, everything was wood and marble. There were paralegals and secretaries running around, filling, every other minute someone came and delivered something that was important to someone's livelihood.

Sheril's death had been quick and unexpected. My mom said that's exactly what she would have wanted: painless drama that she didn't have to stick around for. I'd been living with my aunt for half a year, taking care of the grounds and I'd have to say that assumption was probably right. She owned peacocks (even though the neighbors complained) and had paid a high price for a few that were white or partially white.

"They're the show offs of the show offs, darling," she'd said.

"Yeah well, they don't all get along you know. Sometimes they fight," I'd had to either stand back in worry or stick a broom in-between the birds trying to prove which one was more suitable for a peahen. "I think they're cramped."

"They'll figure it out, sweetie, it's nature!"

"It's your back yard," I argued, but she was already on her way to the kitchen with Eliot following in toe.

Eli was her only sensible choice in animal, a ragdoll with a personal grooming team, dietitian, and self cleaning litter boxes that looked like star wars droids connected to the houses water system. He was spoiled, but he was kind.

He was the one I was worried most about right now. The other animals came in close second but my hope was if they weren't mentioned in the will I could convince the rest of the family to donate them to someone who could actually care for them- aviaries or sanctuaries.

"Michael?" asked a secretary.

"Oh, yes, that's me. Hi."

"Mr. Hinderson is ready to see you now."

"Oh, cool, good. Thanks." I reminded myself to breathe and followed her to the office. I'd expected other people to be there, but it looked like my meeting would be one-on-one.

"Thank you for coming to meet me today, Michael." Mr. Hinderson said, holding out his hand. I self-consciously checked mine for dirt or bird poop before accepting it.

"Of course. I really want to know what my Aunt may have chosen to do with the animals."

"Well, then you're in luck. You see, originally Sheril hadn't left many instructions on the animals care, but, after you started living with her she did change that section of her will and that is the part that you are mentioned in," He sat down behind his desk, indicating that I should sit opposite of him.

The chair was comfortable enough to help me relax a little. "I am?"

"The birds will be sent to various aviaries. I'm arranging that now," he placed a paper down.

"Thank you so much, they'll be happier with bigger areas," and the neighbors will be happier to not hear peacock screams.

"But that does leave the house and Elliot, for whom she decided to set aside a sizable trust to ensure he is cared for for the rest of his life in the comfort of the home he knows. Elliot is a fairly young cat, and knows few people, so for executor of this trust, she chose you."

"Me? W-what does that mean?"

"It means that for the rest of the cat's nine lives you will be paid to care for him and the house. At the end of your service you'll inherit whatever you and the cat have not spent, assuming I see that you have done your job well. You will get $20,000 a month for the care of you and Elliot, but if there is an emergancy and you need more you can always ask us and if we see that there is good reason, we will happily grant you extensions. Assuming your consent, your next few years will just be about how to make a cat happy."

I was stunned. I'd heard of crazy rich ladies doing this but I hadn't expected my aunt to be one. She loved Eli, but she'd only had him for a few months. Had he won her over that much? But this did solve another problem I'd been forcing myself not to worry about: where I'd live if they sold the house.

"Okay, I'm in."

Eli mourned in his own way. He wandered the house meowing, before finally settling at the door and scratching at it gently, showing his sweetly manicured and gelled claws- always in sparkle blue to match his eyes.

"I know you miss her buddy." I sat down and offered my lap. He looked tempted but scratched at the door again meowing in a sweet double meow. He meant business.

"Okay, let's go for a walk then."

Cats can be trained, it's just harder because they prefer different stimuli. Sometimes they like food, sometimes they prefer a pet, and sometimes they want you to go to Hell. Eli was a ragdoll so he was pretty amicable, and was helpful as I put his harness on him. It suppressed his fluff, but at least he wouldn't be getting out (on the first try).

I opened the door and held it for my tiny charge. Like the dainty King my aunt had raised him to be, he politely bounded out and started down the walkway, occasionally stopping to stop and sniff the flora.

I took out my little black notebook. It had everything Eli and the house in it, and at this moment, had a list of everything on the property he was allowed to eat, sniff, and rub against. Other sections had what food he got on what day, his grooming schedule, and every other week or so he had a photographer take him somewhere extravagant.

Going off-road now, Eli sniffed around the side of the house and seemed perplexed by whatever he was smelling. He trotted to the backyard, where the empty bird pens stood, waiting for me to decide what to do with them.

I saw movement and froze, worried briefly for Elliot's life. But then Eli wiggled out of his harness and ran toward what we saw. I followed, dragging a now useless leash.

The tiny female cat looked up at us as we came close. She looked too tired to react with tiny kittens suckling at her. Or maybe she could hear Eli's purring as he came and gently touched noses with her.

I knew the kittens weren't his- he'd been fixed before he'd been adopted and spent most of his time inside. But he started licking her head and caring for her and the tiny day old sausages at her side, acting like he'd been their dad all along.

I called into the house, "Hey, do we have any boxes? Eli just adopted a family."

Eli and his love Cheri helped me foster and adopt out enough animals to build an Ark. It made all of us happy and I figure is exactly what my crazy aunt would want done with her giant house.