Claire lived in a charming one-bedroom loft. As soon as she entered her apartment she heard faint meows coming from somewhere. She dumped her handbag and scarf on a chair, already piled high with a bunch of clothes. She called out ‘meow meow’ moving in the direction of the sound. She slipped off her shoes as she entered the kitchen for that is where the sound seemed to be coming from. Just then her phone rang it was her mother, again! She declined the call and got up on the kitchen counter to peek into the air vent as the meows had suddenly gotten louder knowing that someone was close by.
She turned on the flashlight on her phone as she could not see anything in the dark and there it was behind the vent a tiny white kitten meowing ferociously now that it could see her. “Oh you poor little baby” Claire murmured and the kitten meowed her agreement. Claire got down and took out her toolbox from under the sink rummaging for a screwdriver to open the vent. The kitten pawed at the vent as Claire worked on the screw.
“How did you even get up here?” Claire asked the kitten emitted a long meow explaining everything to her.
Claire saw that the kitten was even smaller than it had appeared to be through the screen. She picked it up in one hand using the other, which held her phone, to grab a cabinet to help her get down. Just then her phone rang startling Claire and the kitten. Claire’s jump was awkward, as she reached up to catch the phone that had slipped from her hand, the kitten scurried away. The damage however had been done because there was the face of her mother peeking curiously at her from her phone.
“Why haven’t you been picking up my calls Claire” I have been calling you for ages!”
“Momm I was busy with work. I justttt got home.”
“Well that’s okay then I guess.”
“But what are you doing? Look at the state of you! you look like a burglar.”
Claire got back up on the counter to close the vent again putting the phone against the wall but slightly away from her face so her Mom could not see her entire face.
“Mom I am busy! what do you want?”
“Well, I was just calling to tell you that cousin Jeremy will be coming over to your place tomorrow morning. You do have Saturdays off, right? I told him you did! Anyway, he wants to stay with you for a couple of days as he has some business in the city. But he will be coming back to New Jersey for Christmas and wanted very much, for you, to keep him company.” Her mother added slyly.
There was the old cousin Jeremy trick again. Cousin Jeremy was the nicest person in her entire family and the family often took advantage of his sweet and quiet nature. Claire was sure he had been bullied by her mother, to convince her to visit Westfield, New Jersey for Christmas. Her mother had tried this twice before, and Claire had been very cold and stubborn with Cousin Jeremy each time, but she did not think she could do it a third time. She had a feeling that she would cave in, and eventually become a part of, the plans her mother had, for her for Christmas which probably also involved meeting another guy “to explore her options” as her mother said.
“Mom No!”
Claire was very stern, as she got down once again from the kitchen top, and started looking for the corner where the kitten might have hidden itself. I am not going to be here. I know that you know that. Sometimes, I think you do these things to annoy me on purpose. I told you, I am not going to be here in the States for Christmas, and I don’t have the time on the weekend to spend any with cousin Jeremy.”
“And why would that be?” her mother asked too sweetly.
Claire’s head was pulsing with repressed rage
“Because I am leaving right now.
“Right now? Tonight? You mean right now? In this state?”
“I can see you, Claire! and I can see the clothes lying everywhere. The dirty dishes in the sink are probably going to wash themselves, I suppose, if you’re leaving now.”
“Well, I have a bit of time my flight leaves at midnight.”
“I am just getting packed so Mom I realllllyyy don’t have time to talk anymore please ask cousin Jeremy not to come knocking in the morning because I will not BE HERE!”
Claire nearly screamed into the phone.
“Well, where are you going, Claire? At least tell me that, would you?”
“Tunisia!” Claire shouted
“I am going to Tunisia!!!”