Her name is Lexie.
Lexie had a home. She lived across the street and two houses down with a family that I didn't know. The suburbs aren't villages, and here on the vast ticky tacky encrusted prairie south of Houston, people living their lives a hundred yards away from you might as well be in be in another city. That's the way it was with the family in the house across the street, two doors down - I didn't know them but sometimes at night, while working in my two car workshop, I could hear the angry sound of two people's love dying. Some nights the police came and took the man away, but he always came back - until about a year ago when he didn't. After that the house across the street, two doors down was quiet.
A young woman was left and there were two children - a boy and a girl. I didn't know their names and didn't pay much attention to them. The little girl was about eight and I remember seeing her sitting by their mail box, petting a cat. Even from across the street and two doors down, I could see they had the kind of love only known by the very lonely when they find each other. I recognized it because I've known it - with both cats and people. I didn't notice when they left - the young woman and her kids - I saw a realtor's sign on the lawn about a month ago. People come and go and I didn't give them much thought - then a remainder of the family came to me and, with fear losing to loneliness, asked me for some kindness.
I was taking a break from the garage/shop, sitting on the grass in the front yard by three big pots of milkweed and just watching the bugs and lizards go about their day. I was a little startled when, out of the corner of my eye I saw her watching me from underneath the car in my neighbors’, Dave and Debbie, driveway. I know the local cats fairly well from having them wander into the garage/shop at night, or just sitting outside on the driveway, watching me with with that casual curiosity common to cats. There's five or six of them, and they are all older males that have good "road sense" and lack any curiosity about what lies on the other side of the boulevard. Outside cats with a taste for adventure don't usually get very old. This little cat was out of place. She looked lost and alone in a big scary world. She was sitting under that car trying to decide if I would help or hurt and if the risk was worth it. I helped her decide. I put my heart to peace, made myself small and approached her. It took about five minutes and a couple of dozen long pets and few chin rubs and the deal was made - sealed with a purr.
Debbie from next door knew more of the story than I did. After her partner and the kids’ father was gone, the young woman had lost her job. She then ran out of money, friends and hope. Two days before they left, the little girl who belonged to the cat, whose name is Emily, had come up to Debbie as she was returning from work and asked if she could take care of her cat, Lexie, because they were going back to Oklahoma to live with her grand parents - Mamma had told Emily that Lexie couldn't come and she should try to find her a home. She was trying not to cry. Debbie told her truthfully that she had three not cat-friendly dogs, but would ask around and let her know. Emily didn't come back and a two days later they were gone.
Lexie, alone and scared, found her way across the boulevard and two doors down and took a chance on me. I knew then that I couldn't keep her, but as anyone possessing a heart knows, they are troublesome things that can completely take charge of your head and force you to do things that make no sense except to your heart itself. I’m glad hearts are like that, though — sometimes the spur of the moment is when we humans are at our best.
Mrs. River Rover is the CFO of our family as well as the bread winner. I was laid off over the phone two years ago and haven't drawn a paycheck since. Guys my age with no degree and blue collar skills are not much in demand these days. I cashed in my 401K, bought a lot of tools and started teaching myself the skills to be an artisan. I’m building a gas forge right now and will soon be able to cast bronze. It's been hard. The work is proceeding as fast as I afford and that's been slow, but by the end of this year I will be able to produce bronze art objects. It’s my dream - I don't know if it will work, but it's all I’ve got. I believe in it completely and I'm the only one right now that has to. Mrs. River Rover is an engineer and can't quite see artisan dreams — her faith is in me. She has given up things she shouldn't have had to and made little complaint. We live pretty austerely and without any safety net - just like the majority of people. It's scary but you probably already know that.
That's why we can't keep this little soft little soul that's purring in my lap as I write this. A little cat isn't very expensive to take care of, but a check up, vaccinations, flea and worm medicine, food, litter and the chance of unexpected illnesses are more than we can afford for now. That's just the way it is.
Let me tell you about Lexie. She's small, about 6 pounds, mostly tabby with socks and breast that are snow white. She's been spayed. She’s a young cat, my guess would be around 2 years old. She seems healthy. Her coat is medium length and she has long white tufts between all her toes. Her face is serious and her eyes are wise and sad. I think she still misses Emily. She's a confirmed indoor cat with no interest in the outdoors, except to observe it through a window. She's quiet and calm. She doesn't claw things. Her main interest is laps, mostly mine. She sleeps by the fireplace on my old green robe. She’s not demanding or needy. She never wants anything except to be fed and held in a lap — oh, and chin rubs, she's quite fond of those. Her purr is ever so soft, like a whisper.
I've talked to several stray adoption agencies and have not been given much hope. I won't go that route. I want Lexie to have a home. She deserves that if anyone ever did - so I'm asking the Kossacks, the largest group of kind hearts that I know, to help her.
I will deliver Lexie, along with her bed and litter box, and all the food I can afford, to anywhere in East Texas where a someone needs a pure little heart to love and love them in return, and can give her a home and take care of her. If you are who Lexie needs, and if you need her, send me a Kos mail and we can work out the details.
One more thing — If you're in Oklahoma and you know a little girl around 8 years named Emily, who moved there with her mother and brother from Friendswood, Texas in the last week of October, tell her Lexie is OK.