10. A Sister Says Goodbye

Little One and Alyssa played underneath the threshold of the bathroom door. It seemed to escape both of them who was the source of the strange paw darting out from underneath the door. Little One stood up several times and looked around the edge of the doorway. He saw his sister laying there on her side as she intently watched for the strange black paw. Alyssa looked up at Little One as though she was surprised to see him standing there. Little One was about to say something when he caught sight of the strange grey paw sticking out from his side of the door. He quickly pounced at the strange, unknown paw. Alyssa felt her paw being attacked and quickly tried to snag the paw of her unknown assailant.
This started a whole new exchange of fishing, snagging and battling of paws underneath the doorway. It only ended with the arrival of Eppy, who had come to get a drink of water from the sink.
“You’re attacking each other.” Eppy observed.
“What do you mean?” Alyssa asked as she rolled onto her back and followed her sister’s progress past her.
“The paw that you’re attacking,” Eppy reiterated. “It’s Little One’s. And he keeps attacking yours.”
“No, it’s not.” Alyssa countered.
“Yes. It is.” Eppy said. “You are both so dumb.”
“No, we’re not.” Little One stated as he looked around the edge of the doorway at his sister.
“Yes you are.” Eppy sighed. “Look at Alyssa’s paw.”
Little One did as his sister asked and then shrugged his shoulders.
“And…” He asked, as he looked at the greyfur paws with the white mitts
“What is the colour of the paw that you keep chasing?” Eppy asked.
“It was white with grey.” Little One snapped back. Sometime sisters were such a pain.
“What colour is Alyssa’s paw?” Eppy asked.
“It’s grey with white.” Little One answered as he looked at his sister Alyssa.
They exchanged a glance that said they both thought that Eppy was not all there.
“Alyssa.” Eppy addressed her sister as she ignored Little One. “What colour is the paw that you’re trying to catch?”
“It’s a brownish black paw.” Alyssa replied.
“And what colour is Little One’s paw?” Eppy asked
“His paws are a blackish brown.” Alyssa snapped.
“You two are chasing each other.” Eppy said sharply, clearly exasperated with her brother and sister.
"No we’re not.” Little One replied.
“You don’t know what you are talking about.” Alyssa stated.
“I can’t talk to either of you.” Eppy gasped. “You are two of a kind.”
Little One was about to say something that would get him severely cuffed by both Momma Cat and Bandit. He was even sure that Uncle Magoo would toss in a sharp slap for what he was about to say to Eppy. The kittens heard the call of their mom. They hesitated as they realized the call was coming from the front foyer. The kittens still remembered the run-in with the strange Twolegs.
“Kittens!” Momma Cat called. “Come here and be on your best behaviour.”
The three kittens ceased their bickering in the bathroom and tentatively walked towards the front foyer. Instinctively, Alyssa and Eppy fell in behind their brother Little One.
“You’ll let us know if they mean harm.” Eppy asked. “Won’t you, Little One?”
“As much as I would like to send you to a dog lover’s home,” Little One threatened. “I will not let any harm touch you if I can.”
Little One remembered Bandit’s story about Blackpatch and Whitepatch. He tried not to make a promise he had no hope of keeping.
The kittens arrived at the foyer and stopped at the top of the stairs. Never again would they blindly rush to greet strange Twolegs visitors to their home. Little One regarded the three new Twolegs Nofurs that stood in the foyer. He scented the air that wafted off the strangers. There was no scent of cat or dog on these Twolegs. Little One scented the thread they each left in the air. The male Twolegs had the same tang of stress and worry that his own male Twolegs sometimes had. The older female Twolegs also smelled of fear, but it was the fear of disappointment and not of terror. There was a new smell that Little One had never experienced before. The scent coming off the young female Twolegs was full of excitement and longing and it permeated the air about this smaller female Twolegs. There was no fear about these Twolegs.
“These are good Twolegs.” Little One decided. “They bear us no harm.”
Alyssa and Eppy were the most excited by the presence of the young female. They both bounded and stumbled down the stairs towards the young female. But before they could reach the young female, they were scooped up by the Female and Male Twolegs of the House.
“They’re worried about a repeat of the last time.” Little One reassured his sisters.
The Female and Male Twolegs of the House lead the strange threesome into the front living room. The strange Twolegs sat down on the sofa and started talking to the Twolegs of the House. Alyssa and Eppy squirmed and fought against being restrained. Little One had said these Twolegs were not to be feared, and they both wanted to find out about the younger female Twolegs. Their protestations were rewarded as they were gently set down on the floor. They both trotted towards the young Female Twolegs. Eppy was picked up first. The young female looked her directly in the eye and regarded her carefully. Eppy was not comfortable with the female’s gaze and she began to fidget and fight against being held. Eppy was quite happy when she was returned to the floor. Alyssa was picked up next and given the same eye to eye evaluation. Unlike her sister, Alyssa saw something within the young Twolegs’ eyes that made her yearn for the female’s companionship. Alyssa began purring deeply and she tried to nuzzle the young female’s hand. The young female sensed the connection and pulled Alyssa against her chest. Alyssa buried her head against the young female’s neck and even made an attempt to wrap her little paws on either side of the female’s neck.
“I like her.” Alyssa chirped. “I really like her. I think she is the one for me.”
“Are you sure?” Momma Cat asked.
“Yes Momma.” Alyssa began to softly cry. “She is to be my forever friend and I want to go with her.”
“Well, now it is up to her.” Momma Cat replied as she watched her little girl cuddle and purr with the young female Twolegs.
Little One scented the mood change amongst all the Twolegs. The Female and Male of the House smelled of relief and joy. The strange Twolegs also smelled of relief, but their scent was also tinged with a deep profound happiness. This happiness radiated most off the youngest female as she cuddled and held Alyssa.
“Be happy, Alyssa.” Little One said sadly as the pending separation dawned on him.
“I will be, Little One.” Alyssa said happily. “Your forever friend will come soon. Your’s too, Eppy.”
“Of course, they will.” Eppy replied somewhat jealously. “But I’m happy for you, Alyssa. You take care of yourself and you take care of your forever friend.”
“Rebecca.” Alyssa replied. “Her name is Rebecca. She is six years old and we’re going to be friends forever.”
Before Little One and Eppy knew it, their sister was carried out of the house and away to her new life with her friend, Rebecca. They ran to the front window to watch their sister be taken away from the house. Little One noticed the many nose prints Alyssa had left on the front window as though she had always known that her Path laid beyond its clear boundary. It would be many, many years before they ever saw her again and even then it would not be on this side of the Rainbow Bridge.