Kitty Kismet, part I

It was the middle of summer and I was staying with friends for a few weeks while the place I was moving into was getting ready. My friends' place was a modest two-bedroom apartment in cozy four-plex style complex. There was a friendly cat that belonged to one of the neighbors that just had kittens. She was very sweet and would come by once and a while for a little attention and an occasional scratch behind the ears when I was sitting outside. After saying hello and making small talk with the neighbors they asked if I would like to take one of their kittens when I moved. I’d never had a cat before (I’d never had any kind of pet before except a gold fish growing up) so with the enthusiasm of someone who didn't know what they’re doing, I excitedly picked out tan colored kitten. I went over a few times a week to check on my new kitten. In the litter was a tiny little reddish/orange ball of fluff that couldn’t open its eyes. He was the runt of the litter, I was told. They weren’t sure if he was even going to make it or if he would ever open his eyes. I felt sorry for the little guy as the other kittens would come over for some attention and he would stay quietly by himself. Once the kittens were old enough to be weaned from their mom they began to leave the apartment one by one to their new homes.
One day, shortly before I was to move into my new place, I was sitting alone in my friend’s living room. It was very warm and I had the sliding door open in hopes of catching a late afternoon breeze. As I looked up from what I was doing, I saw the mom cat walk right in to my friends' apartment. She meowed at me a few times then walked back out. I didn’t know if she wanted me to follow her (like some kitty version of Lassie. Was someone in trouble? Did they need my help?) and I was just about to get up and look for her out of the window when she returned. With her was her littlest kitten, the reddish, orange one that couldn’t open its eyes. It followed right behind her into the apartment. Intrigued, I sat back down and watched as she brought the little thing about four feet away from me and slowly, methodically began cleaning his face. She kept at it until all the build up around his eyes was cleaned away and he opened his eyes, for what was probably the first time. And? They were gorgeous! The most incredible aqua marine color I had ever seen in a feline before. Satisfied with her work, she looked at me one more time, meowed and walked out the door. BY HERSELF. The little kitten and I just stared at eachother in bewilderment. I asked him, “Does that mean you’re mine now?”

To Be Continued...