The Peace And Nature With Linus

I started out my life with three common family members; An affectionate mother, a diligent father, and a sympathetic brother. As I grew up, those were the only people I could genetically relate to and even though I grew up with an orange cat named Rick...he was still just a cat. I don’t have many memories of Rick, but I remember he died from a terrible leg infection when I was at a young age. I didn’t think much of the relativity my parents had with Rick but that was just because I didn't really have much of a relationship with him. So I moved on with my life but the once praised creature popped up in my brain once I saw this kitten wandering the hallways of my elementary school. His name was Joey and every time you held him the girls would come swarming towards you. To think of that little fella meant I would be expecting a thought of curiosity and wonder, “What does having a cat feel like?”. While letting that thought lay in the back of my head, I came across an older but still immature cat walking around the same school. He was completely ignored and ominous that no one knew his name. It turns out the cat was an orphan ready to be adopted. I came up to my parents after school and demanded that we buy him, I want to truly have a cat. Next thing I know, a month later, he is sleeping on my leg in my bed. His name was Linus, and I reminisce about the peace of this curious creature as he was more than just a true inspiration.

My dad would educate the neighbors with stories of the raccoon tailed cat parkouring the roofs of Allendale. He would just show up to people's houses and just catch and release these vibes no one had ever obtained. Everyone in the neighborhood knew the tranquil snow booted cat and I was almost jealous of how many acquaintances he made. Linus would legit be meowing noises to his friend as they both layed on my trampoline and I almost felt unsurprised by this because Linus was randomly logical. He knew how to open doors, he knew how to get his own food, and during my first year with him...he tried to pee in my toilet...It was quite unfortunate the seat was down. Linus was a regularly complicated cat but my first years with him were even more confusing just because he would go on these sabbaticals for days without me or my family seeing him anywhere. My dad and I would drive up and down the streets of our neighborhood looking for him as we sang and whistled these songs that Linus always responded to. Sometimes if I had nothing to do, my mop head would even just sit on the curb of my house and play the recorder in which he always walked towards me when I did. Dry food and the magical flute were the only ways of keeping Linus in line but honestly I didn’t care. Besides the fact that cats are supposed to be independent, I could not stop Linus from being the buddha of Allendale.

A common thing Linus would do is sit at a random awkward spot in the house and just think with his eyes open. Sometimes I would sit by him and just wonder about the complexity of his thoughts. Why would a completely awake cat spend so much time sitting? It was just strange because he never meowed, nor did he get aggressive. I could see when he was sad and I could see when he was angry, but he definitely showed when he was happy. He was so kind and warm hearted that it was like he was my little brother. I felt he could understand me when I had no one else to talk to.

Growing up together, that all seemed to become irrelevant as we grew apart. It wasn’t like Linus and I were on bad terms but I felt our bond consisted of me being annoying to him and him spending most of his time sleeping with my parents. This time was especially weird for me because I had to get through middle school. I think that could be defined as the worst time of education for everyone...The process of trying to fit in with people and your changing mind does not go well with the uncomfortable stress of school. You transition blindly to a reality where you are supposed to compare society, school, and personal spirit with each other. With the stressful school work I had, transitioning into high school was complicated with those feelings continuing and it became harder to deal with because of puberty. I felt talking to my parents about those problems would cause me more stress along with my friends and hiding my confusion about life only caused anxiety. I was so confused and I just wanted people to relate to me but I was too nervous that I would be burdening people with my problems. Most of the time I became alone and I would want to be somewhere un-boring which is when I began spending time on my roof where the wind blew best and the sound of the world lowered. On those beautiful relaxed days, due to the weather, my dad would do yard work and my brother would listen to music on the porch. Linus would obviously be living his best life either by chasing butterflies or climbing our oak trees, but the point is, we all felt the beauty of a nice day. One day I saw my dad watering the plants as Linus desperately tried to drink the hose water. As I looked down at the bond, Linus caught my presence with his attention. I could see his mosquito bite nose sniffle as he looked at me with his huge adorable eyes. He walked around the corner of the house. I continued thinking of the school work I had, the girl that broke my heart, and the friends that I felt hated me. The pondering was unhealthy and I was just too stuck in my head. Being bored and feeling corroded by toxicity, I decided to get up and go inside but on my right, I then saw Linus sitting close to me looking at the same blue sky... Completely understanding it by now, I didn’t say anything... I just turned my head back to the sky and enjoyed the moment with him. As we both thought our own ideas, we definitely both wandered our minds into the sky. That is how we were related. The moment was literally lived with all sounds present and all colors seen. I was in such a natural feeling that I almost felt like Linus was about to talk...Which again felt unsurprising....From that moment, the peace of not talking and quiet step forwards have been my dream of a relaxing day. From that one minute of silence with someone I cared about so much.

I explained that moment to my family when we had a small memorial for him. My mom said she thought he really loved me and those words have hit harder than ever. I remember hearing the news from my parents after I walked home from a day of drugged out sophomore year. I remember saying hi to my dad as he was calling someone with a blank face. He looked at me with no expression and continued talking. My parents sat me down and my mom held my hand and right then and there I instantly knew what happened. My parents rambled in the background as I didn’t even listen, but I just wanted to see him. Linus laid in a box peacefully and forever asleep. Surprisingly, I only shedded tears, but I continued my day feeling unbearable on how little I released. I even got high just because due to high school expectations, the moment felt as if I needed to be strong and move on... But deep inside I knew I needed to grieve. That night I cried my soul out and went through every beautiful trait he had. It felt upsetting but it was life. You lose the things you care about.

The next month I accepted everything about him and now I feel this urge to go out and explore the world. I feel my younger brother Linus has inspired me to not only be more open minded but to be known for kindness. I will forever remember that moment we shared in peaceful nature. The sky was not our limit.