Chuckles

Soon after Socks had given birth to Bobby Socks, it had become apparent that the word about Odyssey's kittens and Sock's one kitten had hit the grape vines that grew over the driveway on the south side of our apartment. There were cats in the courtyard in front of the apartment. There were cats next door to the south in the pasture. There were cats next door to the north in the neighbor's garden. My husband and I weren't sure if all these cats were there because they wanted to see the kittens or if all of them thought we were a kitten nursery that they could use.

There was one cat that we were sure of. Chuckles was new to the neighborhood. He was adopted by Chris and Maria, who lived across the courtyard from us, above the summer quarters of our landlord and landlady, George and Helen. He wasn't actually a cat yet. He was still small enough to be called a kitten but older than any of Odyssey's lot. It was obvious that he was looking for other kittens to play with. Usually we saw Chuckles outside in the courtyard tormenting Romell, Chris's dog but every once in a while he would stroll into our living room if the door was open to see if any of the kittens were awake and bouncing about.

There was one day in mid-November that I remember finding out how appropriate the name, Chuckles, was for that half-grown kitten. It had rained most of the morning and yet our apartment was actually hot enough in the afternoon for me to open the door in the living room. Of course, in walked Chuckles. He had been playing in the courtyard and, then decided to try to clean up before visiting Sassy, Cleo, and Apollo (Odyssey's kittens). He had missed a whole section of his face. He came prancing in, plumped his butt down on the rug next to the coffee table, and looked at me as if to say, "Well, where are the kids? It's a great day outside." The section he had missed on his face made it look like he had black mustache on his yellow and orange upper lip. He looked like he had just come off the plane from France. Yes, he made me chuckle.