Strays

Strays

Adult nonfiction
"Two glowing eyes stared back at them. A soaked, shivering cat
was cowering from the rain. Michael was disappointed--food would have
been better--but something about the way the animal looked disturbed
him. Her stripey white fur was covered with dirt and motor oil. One
of her eyes was swollen, and she had a raw gash on her face. She
looked even more beat up than he was, and she was scared."
Michael King was homeless. A tragedy had caused him to walk
away from his home and life. In Portland, Oregon he was sleeping
rough. He and a friend, Stinson, grabbed the cat, wanting to get her
off a dangerous road, and took her to the UPS loading dock where they
crashed at night. They thought she would just spend the night...
...but the cat, whom they named Tabor, had other ideas. The
next day when Michael returned from panhandling she was waiting for
him. He had a hard enough time meeting his own needs. He wasn't
looking to take on a companion. But he began to look forward to
caring for her.
When Tabor began accompanying Michael and Stinson on their
rounds something amazing happened. People began to give them food and
money.
"Every time they passed a sidewalk cafe or restaurant, people
smiled. It had been a long time since anyone other than another hobo
was happy to see Michael, and most people did their damndest not to
look at him for fear that he might ask them for something. Once he
started walking around with Tabor, though, lots of people wanted to
talk to them or take their pictures..."
One late November morning, waking up with frost on his sleeping
bag, Michael realized it was time to head south for the winter, an
unpredictable trek consisting of taking whatever rides came his way
and sleeping wherever he landed.
"'Taking Tabor on the road south,' Michael said to his friends
as they walked out of the cemetary, 'is a compulsion of the heart.'"...
...not to mention a fascinating story which you won't want to
put down, especially if you're a cat lover.
As I write this in our studio, Joey is draped across my
shoulders like a furry scarf, purring contentedly in my ear.
On a purrrrsonal note, I have today and tomorrow off. Joey cat is
quite pleased to have me home. He's cuddling, purring, and napping in
close proximity to where I work. Tomorrow is the 15th anniversary of
the day he became a very important and precious part of our family.
I had two very memorable recent shifts at work. Friday lunch I did
tables at Hilltop. There were a lot of parents eating with their new
student kids. I was able to use my experience as UMaine mom to assure
them they were leaving their kids in a good place. The moms were
really enthusiastic about me starting school. I think at least one
will follow in my footsteps. A few times I saw Gordon watching me
smiling and nodding. Later I quipped that it's a good think he
doesn't write me up for talking to customers. I'd have blown through
three strikes in one shift. He says I do a good job of it.
Saturday night we had a barbeque to welcome UMaine's new president,
Dr. Joan Ferrini-Mundy. It was on the mall. The weather was
perfect: sunny with a delightful breeze. The students were psyched!
All of us serving were thrilled. It was were in a real life
promotional video, no touch ups needed. Then, OMG, Dean Dana, was
introducing me to our new pres! She's asked me to keep her updated on
my progress through the program!!! My fellow servers are lucky I
didn't faint on the spot.
A great big shout out and an enthusiastic Black Bear welcome go out to
Dr. Ferrini-Mundy!!! I know there is a lot to learn about a
university. Don't forget that not only those high in the hierarchy,
but a lot of us regular community members are willing to help in any
way we can.
jules hathaway


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