Kitty

"Did you take everything, honey?

" "I don't know, I'm just checking; we still have some time. Maybe something else will come to mind.

" "Okay, I'll go down to the car and put on a few CDs so we have something to listen to on the way."

There's always a commotion in every home before a trip. Sometimes less, sometimes more, but it's an inevitable part of any trip.

The Szafańskis' house was no different. Ewelina's parents bustled around the apartment, rushing back and forth, grabbing and packing various things. Watching them, one might have gotten the impression they were going on a long trip. But that wasn't the case at all. My father had been invited by a colleague from work for the weekend to his summer house. Every year, he had a party there, inviting friends, and since the event didn't involve young children, Ewelina was supposed to stay home, as usual, under the care of her grandmother. And Kićka.

When Ewelina's mother entered the room, she was sitting in the corner of the couch, petting a kitten. She didn't look up, didn't look to see who was coming, and continued stroking the kitten's fur to her delight.

"Honey," her mother sat down next to her, "you know we're only going for a short time. Today is Friday and we'll be back by Sunday evening."

She could just as easily have been talking to a wall; the listener's reaction would have been the same.

"Please don't do this to me," she continued. "I know Grandma is sometimes hard to deal with, but it's only for two days. You'll sit around, watch TV, study, and we'll be back in the meantime. Besides, you don't have to stay home all the time; go for a walk or visit a friend.

" "What about Kićka?" Ewelina looked her mother straight in the eye.

"What's she supposed to do? She's big, she'll manage.

" "Grandma's bigger, she won't leave her alone.

" "What are you talking about? Grandma's not hurting her. And if she does anything, it's for her own good.

" "Kićka doesn't understand that, she's just a little kitten.

" "Okay, honey, I'll tell Grandma to leave the cat to you," she replied. "Are you happy? You'll be the only one who has to deal with Grandma. Try to be nice, and everything will be fine."

Her mother sat for a moment, looking at her daughter, then slowly began to rise. At that moment, Ewelina jumped from her seat and nestled against her chest. She felt her mother stroking her hair, whispering in her ear, trying to calm her. "Only two days, honey, you're 14, you're big enough, you'll manage..."

Finally, her parents stood at the exit, packed, ready to leave. Grandma was already there, hugging them for the journey. Ewelina watched from her room. She knew what awaited her, so she watched this farewell with undisguised disgust.

"Come on, Ewelina," her father called, "won't you say goodbye to your parents?"

Ewelina slowly rose and walked over to them. They hugged her, assuring her of their love and their speedy return.

Finally, they closed the door behind them. Ewelina ran to her room to wave to them through the window. They drove slowly away, further and further away, finally turning a corner and disappearing from sight.

"Well!" Grandma suddenly perked up. "Now it's time to take care of you. Your parents are letting you go too far. First, you need to tidy up. Your room is so messy, it's scary to look at. Now! Start with your desk."

Ewelina cleaned her room after coming home from school. But Grandma always noticed her mess. It wasn't that there wasn't any sparkle in the room. Everything had to be exactly as she wanted; if it wasn't, it meant it was a mess and needed to be tidied up. It didn't matter that it wasn't her room, that she only showed up every few weeks for visits. And even then, she only peeked into her room briefly. But that wasn't the point.

Grandma liked to be in charge. She liked to arrange things her way. She likes having someone around, someone she can order around, and who has to obey her orders. That's why she was so happy to hear she'd be staying with just Ewelina for the weekend. "Yes, of course I'll stay with her. You don't have to worry about a thing. We'll just sit around, chat, watch TV. What? A problem? I'm glad I can take care of my granddaughter. Have fun and don't worry about a thing." Sure. Don't worry about a thing. Have fun.

Even if it were just Ewelina, just her, she could bear it. But Grandma hated Kićka. She didn't say it outright. On the contrary, sometimes she could be quite nice to her. She had perfected the art of putting on an appearance.

The cat got a hard time whenever Grandma was home. When her parents were home, she still had to restrain herself, but when it was just Ewelina, Kićka couldn't be calm. Sometimes a slap on the backside would rip her awake. Other times, she'd grab her by the scruff of the neck and throw her out of the room. Sometimes she'd have to run away from a newspaper thrown her way. Food was also scarce. Grandma thought it was a waste of money for proper food on such a monster (that's what she called her). She once gave her fish heads. Luckily, Ewelina always hid dry food in her bed before Grandma's arrival.

Oh yes... a weekend with Grandma meant a regimen. Yelling, orders, commands, prohibitions... the whole endless list. Ewelina had her hands full and couldn't always keep an eye on Kićka. Grandma, however, kept an eye on everything. They'd argued about various things before, but having experienced how it ended, she learned to endure Grandma's regime in silence.

She started cleaning her desk. She hoped Grandma wouldn't notice the things arranged differently than she always did. But as it turned out, nothing escaped her attention. She gathered up pens, a pencil, and a ruler and put them in a drawer. She always kept them on display so they were handy when she sat down for lessons. She pulled postcards from the windowsill opposite her desk (she'd received one from a friend a week ago). In the corner of the windowsill were scissors. She picked them up; they were large scissors, which she used quite often for various things, mostly school-related, but not exclusively. She held them for a moment as if weighing them in her hand, then put them in the cabinet next to the desk.

Grandma entered the room with the vacuum cleaner. The cat, seeing her, snorted and ran behind the couch.

"Time to vacuum. And so I don't have to clean up after you, all the corners are to be thoroughly vacuumed!"

There was no point in arguing. She'd vacuumed before Grandma arrived, but she knew she'd have to do it again, no matter how hard she tried. So she didn't. Now, however, she'd have to scrub thoroughly, and the longer the better. So she grabbed the vacuum cleaner and got to work.

Kićka hated the sound of the vacuum cleaner and usually fled to another room. But not now. For now, she stayed as close to Ewelina as possible.

*

They had the cat for almost two years. They'd adopted her from outside. Autumn was approaching, and it was getting colder and colder outside. A nasty wind blew, and it rained intermittently. Ewelina was returning from school, completely out of sorts, walking slowly, oblivious to the wind blowing past her. Then she saw her. She was sitting, curled up in the corner by the building's entrance. It was as if waiting for someone to take her in. Ewelina bent down and carefully, slowly, reached out her hand. She didn't want to scare her away, but she was worried unnecessarily. Kićka immediately approached and began rubbing against her hand. She immediately secured a place in her girlfriend's heart and a warm home for the winter and beyond. Ewelina scooped her up and went upstairs. Her parents didn't even object much, they grumbled a bit, as parents do, but overall, it was clear that the kitten had quickly won their hearts as well.

Two days after this incident, Ewelina's mother, standing in line at the post office, noticed other cats wandering the street through the window. She struck up a conversation with the woman standing in front of her and told her how her daughter had brought home a stray cat, how gorgeous she was, and what wonderful, shiny, all-black fur she had. The woman (now quite elderly) replied that it was a bad omen, that black cats brought bad luck. And when Ewelina's mother laughed, the woman told her about her neighbor who also had a cat just like that, all-black. He was a drunk, but he took good care of the cat. Only when he came home drunk could you hear her meowing and snorting. Then, one day, when he returned home from a night out and closed the door behind him, all that could be heard was a scuffle and his scream, and then the cat flew out with a bang. The next day, the neighbor's face and hands bore clear scars from deep scratches, and his chin was marked by the imprint of the cat's sharp fangs.

The line quickly approached the window, and the conversation ended. Ewelina's mother didn't know what to think. At first, she was a bit horrified by the story, but eventually she concluded that the man was a drunk, probably didn't take proper care of the cat, and who knows, maybe he even tormented her, and that's what he got for it. That was the whole story. But she hadn't seen the woman in the line again, so she couldn't share her conclusions with her.

*

Ewelina finished and put the vacuum cleaner in the hall closet. The cat kept hovering around her legs, as if afraid that if she were left alone, Grandma would quickly find her and leave her alone. She, too, was quiet, not running, not meowing. Just being near her owner was enough for her. Ewelina picked her up and went to her room. She turned on the TV and began flipping through the channels, constantly stroking her soft fur. Kitty began purring softly with contentment. Finally, a moment of respite.

"Are you finished yet?" Grandma burst into the room like a hurricane. "That went really fast. I'll check it later so you don't think about it. Now you'll get something to eat and then something to study. And stop changing channels on the TV!

" "But I wanted to go to a friend's," she replied uncertainly.

"A friend's? You see your friends all week at school. Now you'll study."

Grandma left without closing the door behind her. A moment later, she returned carrying a plate of sandwiches. As she handed it to Ewelina, the kitten climbed down from her lap and tried to sit on the couch next to her. She tried, but couldn't. Grandma grabbed her by the fur and, holding her with her other hand, threw her out of the room.

"That stinker won't be sitting with you now. You have to study in peace and quiet."

- But you could be more gentle with her.

- That's exactly how I treat her.

Ewelina didn't respond, preferring not to continue the conversation because she knew from experience it wouldn't lead anywhere good.

She spent the entire evening poring over her books. She read a little at first, but most of the time she just pretended. She drew on the back of her notebook, wrote down various things, and waited for the day to end. Alone, she was locked in her room. Grandma watched TV in the other room, sipping a drink. And Kićka tried her best to ignore herself. There was no time or place for conversation or jokes. Just Grandma's regimen.

In the evening, when Grandma decided it was over, she came into Ewelina's room and told her to get ready for bed. It didn't matter that it was still early. Grandma goes to bed early, and no one would stay up later than her. Ewelina made the bed and went to wash up. Kićka wanted to go into the bathroom with her and almost succeeded, if Grandma hadn't kicked her in the back.

"Where are you, you rascal?" Get out of here and don't show your face to me.

Ewelina's heart sank. She couldn't bear to watch Kićka being abused, scared, hiding in corners, seeking shelter, and as soon as she emerged, something like this would happen to her. Of course, she couldn't sleep with her either. She was thrown out the door again.

The next day, she was awakened by the cat's shrill meow. She jumped up and ran to see what was happening. Grandma was pressing Kićka by the neck against the couch, holding tweezers in her right hand. Ewelina knew what was happening. Grandma decided to pluck a few hairs from the cat that she didn't like.

"Stop! This is a cat, not a toy, and it hurts her!

" "You don't tell me what to do. I'm older and I know better than anyone what's good."

Ewelina didn't try to argue further. She walked over and snatched the kitten from the surprised grandmother's arms. She knew how this would end, but she couldn't watch it calmly; she knew she had to do something.

Grandma slowly rose from her seat.

"You... you brat! Are you going to snatch things from me? Me??? You're going to do as I tell you. You're going to leave this monster here and study all day. You can only dream of breakfast. Go to your room!

" "Fine," Ewelina replied, "I can go to my room and study all day. But the cat is coming with me." She

turned on her heel and went to her room. She sat on the bed, hugging the frightened kitten, and cried quietly. She had defied Grandma, and that could have ended badly. She didn't know what was about to happen, what would happen to her and Kićka. But she knew she couldn't do otherwise.

Nothing happened. Grandma didn't come into her room, and Ewelina preferred not to leave it alone, at least for a while. She dressed, combed her hair, and sat down with her books. She preferred to pretend she was still studying. If Grandma had decided to come in, she would have at least that to defend herself. But after two hours of pointlessly poring over her notebooks, she had had enough. She picked up a book and started reading.

Around 3 p.m., the hunger became unbearable, and she decided to leave the room. First, she tried to listen through the closed door. She hoped she would be able to locate Grandma, or perhaps even discover what she was doing. She didn't want to stumble upon her in the kitchen.

But the apartment was completely silent. She slowly opened the door and stepped into the hallway. Nothing, just silence and peace. She began to worry. What if something had happened to Grandma? She went into the living room, but she wasn't there. Her heart began to pound. Holding her breath, she approached the kitchen. At first she couldn't see anything, and when she finally did, it was too late to back out. Grandma was sitting at the end of the kitchen by the window, reading a newspaper spread out on the table.

"What do you want here? I thought I told you clearly you wouldn't get breakfast. And dinner won't be until your parents get home. So get back to your studies." Did I not make that clear?

This was too much. She couldn't bear this treatment in silence any longer. But anger and weakness robbed her of her speech. She threw on her jacket and began putting on her shoes. Grandma, hearing what was happening, moved from her seat with a scream.

"You're not going anywhere! Did you hear? You'll stay home and study like I told you!"

But it was too late. Ewelina already had one foot on the staircase. Seeing Grandma trying to catch her, she let go of the door and began running downstairs.

"Then you'll wait downstairs for your parents to come back!"

She heard the door slam and the lock turn, and she was already outside. She stood for a moment, unsure what to do. Grandma had stayed home; there was nothing to be afraid of; her parents would be back soon. She set off; a walk in the fresh air calms her, so I'll take a walk and then decide what to do next. It had rained during the night, so the air was pleasantly crisp. She walked slowly forward, watching the leaves fall from the trees. The sun was shining exceptionally brightly, and there wasn't a cloud in sight. She walked forward, thinking about what had happened. About what Grandma would tell her parents. About how she would have to listen with her head bowed. She had tried to deny everything and tell the truth. Then, for two weeks, she couldn't leave the house. Children shouldn't lie. She sat hugging Kićka. She was the only one who knew what really happened.

Kićka! I'd completely forgotten about her because of all the stress. I had to go back and see what was happening to her.

She turned around and walked back a little faster. What if Grandma hurts her? No... she can't do that because it would reveal it to her parents. What if she tries to blame me? No... her parents wouldn't believe it either. In any case, I can't leave her alone. I have to go back.

The walk turned into a jog. Apartment keys jingled in her jacket pocket. She ran upstairs, inserted the key into the lock, turned it, and pressed the handle. When she opened the door, her heart sank. She had already been losing her voice that day, but what she saw left her breathless for a moment. Grandma was lying in the middle of the hallway. You probably think she had fallen, but she hadn't. Although who knows... maybe that's where it all started. Maybe she tripped and, falling to the floor, hit herself so hard that she lost consciousness. The fact was, she was sprawled like a log, unable to move. Her hair was a mess, and there were obvious scratches on her hands and face. But that wasn't the worst of it. Blood was pouring from her eyes. Actually, not from her eyes, but from her eye sockets; ichor oozed from them, along with thick blood, dripping onto the floor.

Ewelina leaned against the wall and slid into a sitting position. Some say that in situations like these, a million thoughts run through one's mind. But she thought of nothing, felt nothing. She looked at her cooling grandmother, her face as calm as stone. She couldn't move. She sat and stared, as if it weren't her dying grandmother lying there, but some macabre mosaic. After a moment, she noticed something that brought a grimace of disgust to her face. Only now did she notice that her grandmother's throat had been torn open; in fact, she didn't have an apple, just a hole from which blood was still leaking. She hadn't noticed at first because her grandmother had one hand to her neck. She had to defend herself, because her hand was completely torn. But she couldn't do anything; she was already old and not fast or strong enough.

Kićka stopped smoothing her fur and approached her feet. She rubbed against her boots, meowing and purring. Ewelina took her in her arms and cuddled her, stroking her ears. Kićka loved this and was soon purring with contentment.

A car pulled up downstairs. Someone slammed a door, and a moment later the intercom rang. Ewelina got up and opened the door for her parents.