The cold hands reached out for me and I shivered and squirmed as I was picked up. Shortly after, I was taken out - the bright light hit my eyes and there were so many different noises around me that I couldn't identify with. Not to forget the multitude of smells around me - I was trying to sniff around and register them, in vain. I finally reached a house that looked like the one I came from and my feet felt the smooth floor. I didn't know what to do but could feel a many pairs of eyes watching every move of mine. I was lost and confounded and decided to not to bring too much attention to myself though I knew I was the focus of everyone around. I slowly moved around the room, sniffing the ground. It smelt different but was at least consistent. I found the perfect spot and sat down to relieve myself. I was messy and hadn't yet learnt to raise a leg and pee like my mom. I heard some noises behind me and I quickly ran away from the place. As people were bending over and inspecting the spot I chose, I found another room. I quickly ran in there and I could here a lot of commotion in the other room. I felt scared and insecure. My eyes searched for a place to hide and I found it. There was a long piece of furniture and I quickly ran under it. I crouched there and I was quite confident no one would find me. They were shouting something and I saw a pair of legs stop near me and bend down. Oops the cat was out of the bag. Oops again, the dog was out the bag. I didn't want to go out and just stayed in there. When a pair of hand tried to scoop me out, I heard myself whimpering. The hands were immediately taken out. I waited there not knowing what I was waiting for. I was feeling sleepy but couldn't sleep with people constantly hovering around my den. Siggghh and I let my eyes droop a little. Suddenly I heard two other distinct voices - a low pitched gruffy voice and a slightly higher pitched voice. It was accompanied by strident footsteps. (If I knew what is Doppler effect I could have explained it better). The footsteps came to a halt near my lair. I was on vigil again and the next instant two pairs of eyes were staring at me. I stared back. They seemed excited and chirpy about something and were repeatedly making some noise. I kept looking at them intensely and then they got up and left. I was hungry but didn't know where my mom was or where to look for food. I whimpered and settled down again. In a flash, one of the two people sat down beside the furniture. There was a bowl of milk (it smelt a little different) and she kept saying something again and again. I was scared to go out and hung on to my position. And she sat there and kept looking at me. I hoped she would get tired or bored and move away but she seemed persistent. We both looked at each other in what seemed to be eternal anticipation that the other person would stop lingering around the same place. I looked at her again and she looked smaller than the others. She also seemed sober and I decided to take a chance. Slowly I moved towards her as her hands reached out for me. I went up to her with my head down and she stroked the back of my neck. I looked at the bowl of milk and she brought it closer to me. I smelt it and slurped the milk a little bit. It tasted different but I liked it. The girl stroked my back now. I drank some more milk and realized I was starving. I stopped bothering about people around me and when I finished the bowl I felt three hands all over me. I looked up and the three people didn't seem to mean any harm. They started stroking me and it felt great. A heavy meal and lots of pampering is all I needed at that moment. I let them play with me but they didn't seem to stop. I finally looked up again, smacked my lips and went back to my den and fell asleep. I felt safe, happy and pampered here - my new home.
Ceiloo came home on March 19th 1996. I remember every moment of the day - it was a Tuesday and I had my annual Science exam. I finished the exam and rushed home early because I knew Ceiloo would be at home. Venkatesh and my mom had picked him up earlier in the day (his parents Tyson and Tilly lived four blocks down our road) and had brought him home. After coming home, Ceiloo ran under the sofa and refused to come out. Me and my brother kept watching him under the sofa for a long time. Then I sat beside the sofa with a bowl of milk for almost half an hour before he came out voluntarily. He drank his first meal at my house with me beside him and with that we established our tryst for a lifetime. I have never known him to eat by himself or with anybody else as he does when I am around.
Ceiloo came home on March 19th 1996. I remember every moment of the day - it was a Tuesday and I had my annual Science exam. I finished the exam and rushed home early because I knew Ceiloo would be at home. Venkatesh and my mom had picked him up earlier in the day (his parents Tyson and Tilly lived four blocks down our road) and had brought him home. After coming home, Ceiloo ran under the sofa and refused to come out. Me and my brother kept watching him under the sofa for a long time. Then I sat beside the sofa with a bowl of milk for almost half an hour before he came out voluntarily. He drank his first meal at my house with me beside him and with that we established our tryst for a lifetime. I have never known him to eat by himself or with anybody else as he does when I am around.
