Banshee

Stache

I was never really a cat person. My wife and I got one cat Stache, a few years ago. She wanted a cat as an anniversary gift. We got our second cat, Banshee to keep Stache company. But as Stache was six months old when we first got her, Banshee was only five weeks old. I felt she was too young to be away from her brood at that point, but no one listens to me anyway.

Banshee was really tiny. I thought she must have been the runt of the litter. She looked like a little puffball with stubby legs. You could hold her whole body in one hand. Yet, Banshee and I had and still have a bond of sorts. As I stated I'm not a cat person, but Banshee always curled up on my shoulder when II sat on the couch and fell asleep. Unfortunately Banshee had the distressing habit of hiding in dark places. I guess her eyes were sensitive, being only a few weeks old at that time. She crawled under the couch cushions, under the pillows and mattress...anywhere soft and warm. At the time I worked at the pentagon as a Multimedia Technician and platoon Sergeant.

Well, One day I came home from work and my wife was gone. She worked in the evenings. Stache was asleep on my computer chair, her favorite spot at the time. But I didn't see Banshee. I took the the trash out to the dumpster. Then I looked for Banshee. I couldn't find her in any of her usual hiding places. Oh, I begged Stache to do a lassie-like move and give me a hint on where the tiny kitten was, but she just rolled over to one side and ignored me!

"I'm doomed!" I thought. Mary will kill me if I don't find that kitten. Then I remembered how she liked to hide in dark places. Omigod! Banshee probably crawled into the trash bag. She had an amazing ability to slip beneath things. She was probably under all of the crap in the bag and I just threw her away! I ran outside and down the street to the dumpster. Keep in mind I was still in uniform...and jumped into the trash. It was full, it was hot outside and there were flies galore. But I started ripping trash bags open hoping to find the one I threw in and my kitten. Just then my neighbor came down to throw her trash out and saw me in the dumpster. Here I am, in a dumpster, in uniform, covered in trash and ripping trash bags apart. She looked at me and her jaw dropped. I said weakly "I threw away my cat."

My neighbor ran back inside laughing. I followed and went into my apartment to strip off my now smelly uniform and take a shower. As I put my shirt in the hamper I saw a gray and white puffball sleeping on the uniform I had put in there the day before. BANSHEE! The entire time she had been in the hamper! I would have been annoyed, but I noted she was curled up on my uniform just between the name tags that read my name and US ARMY.

Ever since then Banshee has always made it a point to sleep on my uniforms, as if she knew. And even though she pisses me off at times, Banshee will always be my cat. Hell, I've even given her the honorary rank of corporal.

Copyright © D4 Everman
August 21, 2000

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