Random Acts of Kittens

by Yamile Saied Méndez

  Susan the nurse had been right. Everyone wanted a baby. Once an animal grew out of the cute kitten phase, all big eyes and milky breath, then their chances for real love nosedived. I imagined Gigi in a shelter, waiting and waiting, never loved just because she’d dared to grow up. My heart clenched, the opposite of a purr.

  No, she’d stay with me forever. I had to convince my mom somehow.

  I turned around just in time to see Lilah’s face light up. “But did you see that ad for the cutest kittens on the Astro feed? What good timing!”

  I almost stumbled as we stepped into the building. Meera didn’t notice that I was eavesdropping as she took off her chunky knitted white hat, releasing a mass of gorgeous brown hair that belonged in a shampoo commercial. The smell of the argan oil her mom sprayed on her head before brushing it mixed with the scent of pencil shavings, industrial floor cleaner, and bacon from breakfast at the school cafeteria.

  “Really? I have to check! It would work just perfectly if I can get one for Bodhi,” she said.

  “I’m going to apply for one when the application link is up,” Lilah added, and Jojo listened with an interested expression on her face.

  My breath caught in my throat when I reached the door of my classroom and Jojo said, “I wonder who’s managing Kitten Cupid? The quality of the graphics was kind of wonky, but the kittens are adorable, even the mom.”

  I stood frozen while they walked into their classroom. The second bell rang, prodding me into action. Of course Lilah knew about the kittens already—isn’t that what I’d wanted? In a daze, I headed to my class and, for the next hour, pretended to work at math. Honestly, my mind was buzzing with excitement that Andromeda Elementary already knew about the kittens, even if the quality of my posts wasn’t Slime Supreme level.

  When Mrs. Thomas, my teacher, started walking around the classroom, I hurried to fill in answers just so she’d believe I’d been busy. She stopped by my desk, and when she looked at my paper, she clicked her tongue.

  I looked up and smiled at her, trying to charm her with my personality now that my smarts were failing me. The smile she returned didn’t look amused at all.

  “I know it’s hard to come back to school after the break,” she said. “And I know these exercises are hard for you, but you have to try, Natalia.”

  My cheeks flamed when the people around me snickered. I had a mild headache just looking at the tricky fractions, but I picked up my pencil again so Mrs. Thomas would turn her disappointed attention on someone else. My resource teacher, Mr. Warthon, would help me finish the math assignment.

  In the back of the room, Lilah and Sam whispered behind their hands and giggled, looking at me. Lilah had never made fun of me for going to resource before, but in the fall I’d heard her snickering about it. I tried to pretend I didn’t care about the girls, but it was hard not to be bitter. Last year, I’d been one of them.

  The thoughts blaring in my mind did nothing but make my headache worse. I longed for some slime to knead, or the purring of a kitten next to my heart, to calm me. But Principal Snow had banned slime from the school because of me, and I was pretty sure she wouldn’t agree to comfort kittens either.

  By the time the recess bell rang, I was ready to bolt out of the room to find Reuben. But as I was putting my things away, Mrs. Thomas called me over. “Natalia, let’s work on the social studies assignments you missed when you were sick before the break.”

  “Ay, no!” I exclaimed. When I realized I’d just talked back to the teacher, I clapped a hand over my mouth. “I’m sorry,” I said. “Can I take them home instead? I just need some fresh air now.”

  Mrs. Thomas wasn’t impressed with my outburst. She shook her head and moved a chair next to hers at the big desk. “It won’t take you too long,” she said.

  I pressed my lips to stop any more inappropriate words from coming out of my mouth, but I could do nothing to stop the tears that sprang to my eyes. I quickly blinked them away. The teacher couldn’t see me cry. I plopped on the chair, and huffing, I grabbed the pencil and started filling out the map of ancient Italy with the names of mountains. Next time I time-traveled to the birth of Rome, all this knowledge would be very useful in case Romulus and Remus asked for directions.

  It wasn’t until I was halfway done that I looked up from my own misery long enough to see that Jojo had stayed behind too. She was gazing out the window, clearly struggling with her own worksheet. When she felt my eyes on her, Jojo looked at me and smiled. Now I wondered if Lilah and Sam had been laughing at me or at Jojo.

  I hurried to finish my assignment, hoping to catch at least a minute of recess, but too soon the bell rang.

  As we slouched back to our regular seats, Jojo put a hand in her pocket and took out a Haribo gummy bears mini pack. She extended it in my direction. “For you,” she said.

  Gummy bears were my favorite. “Thank you,” I said, but Jojo had already turned around to get to work.

  The class quickly filed into the room, their cheeks rosy from running in the snow. Under the cover of the desk, I opened the plastic baggie and ate a gummy bear. Sour strawberry flavor exploded on my tongue, and I smiled at Jojo over my shoulder. Sam saw me and muttered something at Jojo, who quickly looked away.

  A sudden burst of appreciation for my sister warmed my heart. Julieta was the favorite daughter, but she never left me to fend for myself.

  The teacher started going over the new social studies material—current events—but I got distracted thinking of something nice I could do for Jojo to cheer her up. She’d seemed interested when the girls had been talking about the kittens. If she decided to apply for one, I’d consider her, even if her sister was mean.

  Mrs. Thomas plopped an issue of the Andromeda Herald, the local newspaper, on my desk. It was from mid-December.

  Since I hadn’t been paying attention and had no idea what the assignment was, I looked around to get a clue. Everyone was flipping newspaper pages. Following the crowd, I opened my copy to a random page.

  When my eyes landed on a full-page, full-color ad of a cat that looked uncannily like Gigi, I gasped.

  The note below it read:

  Wanted. Our cat, Sweetie, went missing and we’re moving out of state next week. We need to find her now. Please call us!

  This couldn’t be true. I studied the cat’s face, trying to find proof it wasn’t who I thought it was, but all the markings were the same. Even the dainty white paws that looked like velvet shoes were identical to the cat nursing her babies in my house right now.

  My queen Georgiana, my Gigi, had a family. They’d been looking for her weeks ago when she went missing.

  While I was having a crisis, Mrs. Thomas gave instructions to the whole class. “Choose a news headline and write an article about how it relates to our community.” There was a wave of murmuring around the class.

  Ignoring the protests, Mrs. Thomas added, “Now, the topic you choose has to be an issue you’re passionate about and that can create awareness for something others might not even know about.”

  I doubted there was anything I’d be passionate enough about in the whole newspaper. The picture of Gigi had been the least welcome thing in my morning, and there had been many things competing for the honor. At least I wasn’t the only one who didn’t understand the instructions.

  “Can you give us an example, Mrs. Thomas?” Lilah asked. I was so grateful she’d been brave enough to ask.

  Mrs. Thomas smiled, obviously having fun with this assignment. She grabbed Lincoln’s paper and browsed through the pages.

  “Here!” she said, showing the class a page full of colorful ads. “There’s an ad for a new boutique on Center Street. You can write about your favorite businesses downtown. Here’s a profile on the new vet, Dr. Michael Kay. You can write about the services a vet provides to the community, or to your own pets.”

  The class rumbled, confused.

  Mrs. Thomas continued, “There’s a small piece about the rodeo coming this summer. Yo
u could research the rodeos in the area, or the different events, or spotlight rodeo champions and queens in the last couple years. In short, you could take this topic in any direction you want. This way, we’ll make current events relevant to you. It will also be good practice for seventh grade, when you’ll have to write research papers. Have fun with it, class! It’s due in two weeks.”

  Excited voices filled the room, but even though I flipped through the pages of the newspaper I’d gotten, all I could think about was the wanted ad for Gigi. Or Sweetie, actually. What kind of name was that for a queen?

  After quiet reading time and science, I was ready for a break. When the lunch bell rang, I quickly tried to sneak out of the room before Mrs. Thomas made me stay again, but she was waiting at the door for me.

  I must have made a face because she said, “Don’t look so worried, Natalia. I was only going to ask if you would prefer coming to school a little earlier to do your work.” She paused, and when she realized I didn’t understand what she was saying, she added, “That way you won’t miss any recess. I saw you haven’t been too happy all morning.”

  I would’ve mentioned how I wasn’t happy that she was stopping me from meeting Reuben at lunch, but I remembered my manners and said, “Come to school early? For language arts too?”

  “I know it doesn’t sound fun, but a few other kids come early for tutoring, and I’d be happy to add you to our little group.”

  I thought quickly. This was a perfect opportunity to get out of riding with Meera in the mornings. Before I could consider my actions, I said, “Okay. I’ll be here early.”

  Mrs. Thomas made a note on her clipboard, and then said, “We meet half an hour before the bell. Be on time.”

  Behind Mrs. Thomas, Reuben made eyes for me to join him on the way to lunch. I smiled at my teacher and walked quickly to join my friend.

  At lunch, Reuben took a big bite of the Cuban sandwich Beli had made me bring for him before he whispered, “Everyone in class was talking about the kittens. We need to get that link up soon so people can start applying.”

  Meera was sitting at the Spanish immersion kids’ table, sending looks at Reuben. Maybe the fact that he was friends with both of us was hard for her too.

  Reuben waved at Meera, and she smiled briefly at him but continued eating with her other friends. Reuben’s face fell a little. I didn’t know how to feel when I noticed a little coldness between them.

  “Who’s everyone, and what did they really say?” I asked.

  “When I say everyone, I mean everyone,” Reuben said, and took a swig of apple juice. “They said the graphics are blurry, though.”

  I wished Meera’s slime videos hadn’t set the bar so high. If the school had been used to wonky graphics to start with, I wouldn’t have had to worry about how clunky mine were.

  “Come over to my house today after your practice,” I said to Reuben. “There will be more of those Cubanos waiting for you. And I have something to tell you.” I wished I could tell him now about the ad for Gigi/Sweetie, which was eating out a hole in my heart, but it was too complicated to go over everything when Reuben obviously wanted to run to his other friends.

  “I can’t wait to see those kittens! Especially mine.”

  I laughed when he wiggled his eyebrows. He was such a clown.

  He swallowed the last bite of the sandwich and whispered, “I’ll bring sample applications from pet shelters. You make sure we have a clear photo of each kitten and a little bio to go with it.”

  “Okay. One other thing—let’s not talk about this at resource. Meera will hear, and you know …”

  “Paw-sitive?” he asked, his eyes glinting with worry. “I’ll be careful.”

  “I know. But just in case,” I said.

  He shrugged, and with these instructions, he left to join some of the other boys in the school yard. I could see through the window as they built an igloo. Even though it was more mud and grass than snow, it still looked kind of fun. I wished Reuben would invite me over, but there were no other girls in their group. Besides, I wasn’t looking forward to suffering through the rest of school with sopping wet socks.

  At the popular kids table, Meera finished her lunch on her own, and when we made eye contact, her cheeks flushed bright red and we both quickly looked away.

  “Gigi!” I called when I opened the front door.

  Gigi ran to meet me, and I knelt down for her to give me the headbutt that meant she loved me. The stress I carried on my shoulders all the way home, walking behind Meera, her brother, and her friends, melted like the old snow on the sidewalk under the afternoon sun.

  “I missed you so much!” I said, thrilled that she was letting me hug her.

  A choir of tiny meows called her back to the nest in the laundry room, and after a slow blink that I liked to think meant she’d missed me too, she broke free of my arms and sauntered back to her babies.

  Beli was standing in the kitchen, looking at me. “Ay, qué amores!” She placed a plate of empanadillas on the table.

  I went over to her and gave her a hug. She smelled of sugar and her Avon perfume, Sweet Honesty, which is probably what made me blurt out what had been gnawing at my heart all day long. “You won’t believe what I discovered,” I said. “Gigi’s real name is Sweetie, and she had a family, and—” My voice broke. It was just too much for all the feelings to come out in order.

  Beli sat on a chair and, now that we were at eye level, said, “Tell me from the beginning.”

  I took out the newspaper from my backpack and opened it to the lost cat ad. She studied the picture for long seconds, her eyes scanning the whole page, her lips reading over the words. She stood up with paper in hand as she walked to the laundry room. In the pause that followed, I quickly washed my hands and grabbed an empanadilla that was still warm and fragrant. Once Reuben arrived, I wouldn’t have the chance to even taste one. I bit down on the slightly sweet dough, and the tangy flavors of cheese and guayaba burst on my tongue. In my catalog of what love feels like, a purring kitten and the taste of Beli’s cooking were right next to each other at the top of my list.

  Finally, Beli came back to the kitchen, pressing her lips. “Sí, it’s the same gata.”

  I plopped into a chair. “And now?”

  Beli took her phone out of her pocket and said, “Now we call them to iron everything out. Let’s get this out of the way.”

  One time, visiting Tío Mako in Puerto Rico, I got a big sliver in my foot when I’d stepped on the fallen branches of a lime tree. I’d hopped on one foot to Beli, wailing like a siren. Her response had been similar: to yank it out without drama before I had time to be afraid.

  Now she dialed the number, and after two rings and a round of loud heart drumming, a woman’s voice answered. I stood right next to Beli so I could listen through the phone. “Hello?” the woman said.

  Beli winked at me and said, “Hello, my name is Isabel Reyes, and I’m calling about the lost cat ad in the paper from …” She checked the date on the paper. “December.”

  The woman sighed, and so many feelings crowded in that sound. “Did you find Sweetie?”

  My cheeks burned with anticipation.

  “My granddaughter Natalia found her, and she’s been taking care of her and the babies.”

  “The babies?” the woman exclaimed. “Oh, my goodness! Kittens? I … I’m not sure it’s the same cat, then.”

  Beli looked at me, a question in her eyes. She offered me the phone, and after hesitating for half a second, I took it. She was right. I had to get this out of the way before I made things more complicated. What if they wanted the kittens after all and I’d already promised them to people?

  “Hello,” I said, my voice scratchy and nervous. “I found your cat a couple weeks ago.”

  Without embellishing things much, I told her the whole story of the night I’d found Gigi and her babies, right up to today when I’d seen the ad in the paper at school.

  Finally, she said, “We moved to Can
ada the week after she went missing … We didn’t know she was expecting kittens, and now we can’t come get her back. I’m so sad.”

  In the silence that followed, I understood that I’d been in the right place at the right time. Maybe Gigi had sensed that she couldn’t travel with her family in her state and had tried to find help. She’d found me.

  “Well, it sounds like she’s safe with you and your family. Thank you so much for that. She’s been a great kitten … I’m sad and embarrassed to say we weren’t the best pet owners. Will you be able to keep her?”

  In that moment Mami arrived, looking tired from work, but smiling at the sight of Beli’s empanadillas. Beli stood up and gave Mami a hug and whispered the news to her. I watched my mom’s face and saw the exact moment she made a decision about Gigi.

  “Just a second,” I said on the phone, and pressed the mute button.

  “Ay, Nati,” Mami said, sitting next to me. “I know what you’re going to ask.” In that moment, Gigi jumped on Mami’s lap and pressed her head against Mami’s heart. I wished I knew what her heart was saying.

  “Mami, she doesn’t have a home and the owners can’t take her back.” I fought to make my voice steady and calm, but it was hard. “There’s lots of interest in the kittens, but no one wants a grown cat. And look at her!”

  Gigi meowed, and Mami’s eyes softened. She petted Gigi’s head, and the cat closed her eyes. Finally, after a few seconds that stretched on forever, Mami said, “Okay.” I had to make an effort not to squeal for joy. “But I will say this, you can only keep one of the cats. You and Max are very attached. I’ve seen your face when you feed her in the mornings and nights with that tiny bottle. But we can’t keep both.”

  I’d gotten what I’d wanted: Gigi. Why did the victory taste so bittersweet in my mouth, then? But I’d face that challenge later. If I didn’t find a perfect home for Max, I’d convince Mami to let me keep her somehow. I’d enlist Papi in my efforts if it was necessary.

  The woman, Gigi’s first human, waited for me on the other side of the line. I unmuted the phone and said, “Sorry I had you waiting, but my mom just arrived. She said we can keep her.”