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Monday, May 20, 2013

The curious case of the cat in the night

Last night my migraine was so bad that I vomited, felt excessively dizzy and hot, and decided to put myself to bed early, 9:30 or thereabouts.


Yesterday being one of the few warm days this year, and my own body temperature reaching that point between 'blood boiling' and 'face exploding', I hesitated before shutting the first-floor kitchen window.

I thought: 'perhaps I shall just put it to; a little cool air may do me some good'.

But then a voice from deeper, further, a voice born of instinct or God, spoke like a wise elder across my thoughts. "Shut the window; something could get in. Could climb on that roof and get in." I was obedient to that voice, shut and secured the window, although in all my nine years living there, nothing has come in, except whatever creature Monty The Cat has deemed acceptable as a half-alive/dead/alive-and-exceptionally-affronted offering. But Monty The Cat was curled up in whiskering contentment on my bed.

We both slept. Until there was a scratching, a tapping at the kitchen window. Because of my migraine, I dozed fitfully, so the noise woke me immediately. It happened again; the cat, too, with his extraordinary sense, looked immediately at the kitchen, bounded noiselessly onto the counter and peered at the garden visible neath the four inches of gap between blind and sill.

Ears forward, tail twitching, he had reached there in a second; my bumbling humanity, tho almost as silently, reached it in four seconds. Nothing was there; the security lights were on downstairs and in the alley to the side, but there was no sign of a fleeing tail or crouching tigger, hidden fox. No sound from outside nor shaking of a tree to indicate the flight of the culprit.

I am sure it was no more than a large bird, or cat or, at an outside chance, a fox - but this is the first time that any animal other than monty has attempted to come in. Mindful of the voice of warning I had heeded, I thought how auspicious it was that I had listened to that voice, even though it had been contrary to my desires.   I glanced at the kitchen clock, which is digitally linked to the correct GMT. It was by then a few seconds after midnight. The scratch, heard by both MTC and myself, happened at midnight exactly. Curious, eh?

2 comments:

Electro-Kevin said...

Curious indeed.

Brilliantly written btw.

Migraines. I get these too. Vomit inducing brain-splitters. You're not going to believe this but force yourself to read when one comes one. Force yourself to read through the zig-zags that come on before the pain.

I find that, if I do this, the pain doesn't come - nor the sickness. The worst thing to do is lie in a darkened room or try to sleep. In fact, when a migraine comes in my sleep I get the sickness and the vomiting and a day is lost through it. Strangely they happen on my rest days and not at work. Funny that.

Mermaid of Moorgate said...

Plenty of water, significantly reduce dark chocolate intake, obliterate red wine and cut down on cheese from my diet - these are all things that I have done to help overcome migraines.

I have not thought about the reading. That is a very very interesting suggestion and one that I will endeavour to follow, thank you!

I assume you mean a book, though, rather than a Kindle or other such electronic device?