So I've just gotten a most exasperating message over Whatsapp.
It is not a traumatic message, it is not a distressing message, but it is one of those that upsets me enough to make me go "Oh no, idiots, Sad" in quick succession, and it is one of those messages that make you wish you were there to resolve it right there and then.
But I'm not there.
And not only am I not there, I am in fact a pretty good distance away from Steppyhouse, and now I don't know whether or not this kitty cat of a name called Noel will still be on the bench by the time I get back there.
It's frustrating.
It's exasperating.
Because this is a cat that wandered through the gates of Steppyhouse's address four months ago around Christmas time, and since then- with the presence, and help, of many a fellow neighbor- has casually made her home here.
You know, there is a marked difference when a creature of God's creation chooses you versus you choosing them.
In the Master's eyes, it is respect to the creature HE has created where being a good steward of the creature is a form of worship and gratefulness to HIM.
In the way of the world, also, a cat's presence, especially one that chooses you, is a symbol of wealth and luck.
And god forbid I refuse to see it any other way.
Especially since this is a cat who chose us.
This is a cat who wandered in on her own.
No one left her behind, no one pushed her in, no one even knows just when it was she came.
It was one of those situations where one day there was no cat, next day there was one.
That's it.
Which date it was she turned up, I actually don't remember.
Neither do I even remember how.
But I'm pretty sure it was around Christmas time, maybe Boxing Day give and take a day.
At first we didn't pay much attention to her.
We had no idea who she belonged to.
We had no idea whether she was a stray, not a stray, or whether she had a home but had simply come out for adventures and kitty hustles.
The first few times we kept asking her to don't stay out, go home, but after a week or so she was still there, near the pillar, following everyone and anyone who came by.
What's more, it seemed like she was hungry.
We didn't know what to do when she kept following us into the lift, even up the 5th floor and although we could have opened the staircase door to let her run down, we were afraid she might jump from one ledge to another and fall down instead.
So we just gave her a bit here and there.
Eventually all of us started to give her little bits of food, one by one, a neighbor here, a neighbor there.
Truth be told, it didn't actually begin with the food.
Instead it began with a semi-broken cat house that a neighbor placed under the water riser.
Supposed to be, I guess, a place for her to sleep in, and everything, but it's been four months now and I don't think she's ever gone inside to sleep.
Dont ask me why.
This is a cat who sleeps on the bench, at the side of the car park, on the top of the stairs, on top of the water riser, and even under a parked car instead of going into a nice, comfortable, homely-looking house made of wood.
But she's a cat, that's her choice, and yep, ain't nothing going to move her out from her spot unless she chooses to.
Not long after the house got plonked there, a water bowl turned up, and it was so charming, I tell you, to see a neighbor, whilst rushing out of the compound on her way to work, make a quick stop to fill up the half empty water bowl.
Slowly but surely, more and more of us started giving her food.
Some of the neighbors came down with bags of kibble and cans of cat food.
And because this cat always seemed to want to eat, one neighbor left an entire bag of kibble by the cat house for the rest of us to drop a bit (if we wanted to)
Except that most of us didn't.
We each contributed to her tummy's well being in one way or another.
There was a neighbor who brought down a can of food each time he came down, opened it, and watched as she ate her way through.
There was a neighbor who brought some sort of snacks for the cat.
And there was a neighbor who brought cans and also gave them to the cat in front of her.
All of us had our little ways in taking care of this little feline.
For us, we brought a mix of snacks and canned cat food.
Some days we offered her snacks.
Other days we brought down the cans and opened them right in front of her.
Good nose that she had could smell the food the minute you lifted up the lid and she would then meow her way nonstop whilst going round your legs to make sure you gave the plate to her.
One good thing about this cat is that she's a clean eater.
There's no mess when it comes to meal time. Not only will she clean up the plate, she'll also eat up whatever has happened to drop to the floor.
Either way she always finishes up everything, and, more often than not, will continue hunting about the area for more.
It's easy to tell when she's finished and full though.
She starts cleaning herself.
When that happens I often sit there watching her.
It's therapeutic.
Perhaps it be the same for everyone else in the same building too.
I've seen her sit on the laps of some of our neighbors.
I've seen her meow excitedly as some neighbors bring her food whilst teasing her that she's a picky eater.
I've also seen her running over to greet people as they come home.
It's comforting, really.
And Noel doesn't even need to do much.
I'm happy to have her sit at my feet when I'm on the bench.
I'm happy to watch her as she cleans herself or as she runs around the car park sniffing at things in random.
But what I'm happiest most about is that she's familiar with people, she's somewhat domesticated, and she lets me stroke her fur, her head, her neck and even her ears.
I've never had a cat who let me do all that before.
What's more, she's the first cat whom I have ever heard purr.
Never have I heard a cat purr (which I'd always wondered what it sounded like), much less a cat who purrs whilst sitting serenely on my lap.
This is why the message made me scared and I started to cry.
Because Noel- this white furred, blue-eyed cat who came in around Christmas time- is no stray.
She's got a home here at this address.
A home that she chose.
She is a guardian cat who brings wealth and luck and comfort and love and quirky kitty charm to a otherwise kosong kind of place.
She keeps people staying here, choosing to stay here.
And all of us- whoever we are, whatever background we come from- we take care of her, we care for her, and we play with her.