“That’s smart.” I went and stood beside him, a hand on Mimsy so she wouldn’t jump down and scare the babies. “How many are there?”
“Nine,” Arthur said from behind me, squeezing through the half-open door and reclosing it. “Bottle babies. I don’t think I slept for the first two weeks.”
“I said I would help,” Kevin pouted.
“Growing boys need their sleep. Anyhow, they’re eating solid food now. Two more weeks and they’ll start going to new homes.”
“And you’ll take in more kittens the moment you have space,” Kevin said, suddenly sounding older than his years.
Arthur sighed. “Probably.”
“Why don’t you just take them to a humane society?” I asked.
“Nearest one’s almost an hour away and full to the brim. Plus, they euthanize when they run out of room. I couldn’t.”
Staring at the balls of fuzz tumbling over each other and batting at toys hanging from a perch thing, I said, “No. That’s not right.”
“I wish someone would build a shelter here, but a modest house costs a million dollars. A space big enough?” Arthur shook his head.
“Don’t look at me,” I said. “If the money in my pockets hits a hundred bucks, I’m rich.”
“No, of course not. I didn’t mean that.”
“But I’d clean up here and you don’t even have to pay me.” I hated those words before they were out of my mouth because I was flat broke, but it was the only help I could offer.Mimsy and I can earn money the regular way.
“No, no,” Arthur said. “Forty bucks won’t break the bank and it wouldn’t pay for even one inch of building a shelter. No worries. Come on, let me show you the litter boxes and the feral cat enclosures, and we can let out some of the dogs while you do the cats.” He tapped Kevin’s arm. “Time to head home, Kev. You’ll have to hustle to make it by eleven.”
“Aww.” But Kevin pulled his fingers away from a kitten’s four-pawed grip and straightened. “Okay. I guess. I’ll be back tomorrow.” He looked at me. “Will I see you here again?”
“Sure,” I said without thinking. “I mean, I don’t know.”
“You’re both always welcome,” Arthur told us.
Somehow, through four hours of cleaning litter boxes and scooping shit and brushing dogs and washing out bowls, while Arthur sat at his computer and typed with headphones on, those words stuck with me.Always welcome.Not many folks had said that to me and meant it.
Arthur shared a heaped plate of ham sandwiches at lunchtime, putting away twice as many as I did, so I didn’t feel shy about taking a second one. When he finally handed me forty bucks and offered to drive me back to the river park or wherever I wanted, I asked, “Do you have a map of the town? A paper one? I’d just as soon walk.”
“Probably? Don’t you have GPS?”
I looked at the back of my bare wrist. “On my smartwatch? Sure do.” I waited for more interrogation.Don’t you have a phone?No.Why not?Duh.How do you survive?Like folks always have.
But he just said, “Let me look.” I stood in the entry with Shorty sitting on my feet and Eb leaning against my knee and felt some kind of unfamiliar way. I heard a printer running, then Arthur reappeared, holding out a couple of papers. “I printed a fresh map for you. That way, it’s up to date. The town keeps growing.”
I took the pages, folded them and tucked them into my sweatshirt pocket.
“You sure you don’t want me to drive you back?”
“Nah,” I said. “It’s a nice day for a walk and I’ll be fine with a map.”
“It’ll take you more than an hour.”
I waved at the sun shining in the window behind him. “Nice day, remember?” I patted my other pocket. “Thanks for the cash, boss.”
“Arthur, not boss.” He held out a plastic bag. “And the cat food.”
I wanted to tell him to keep it, but I wouldn’t throw a gift back in his face. I took the kibble and made a vow to come back sometime and do enough work for free to settle the debt. “Thanks.”
“Don’t be a stranger.”
