28 Old Friend (1/2)

ฅ•ω•ฅ

Following the delicious scent of meat, Mina found herself climbing up the stairs, avoiding a human who seems to have been delivering food to a room on the upper floor. From the top of the stairs, she saw a door which was slightly open.

Mina could see the faint glow of candlelight and she peeked into the room cautiously. From where she stood, a humble bed, smaller than the one from the room she was in, was visible. Detecting no movement inside, she took a brave step and entered the room.

Mina scanned the room. There was a small table in the corner of the room and the delicious scent she detected seems to be coming from there. Her entire focus was on the meal in front of her that she almost missed the man sitting in the dark close to the open window. The man had his back to her and he seems to be focused on the moon.

It was now dark outside. And tonight, the moon was extraordinarily big and yellow. Moonlight beamed from the window blending in with the warm light from the candle.

'Why is this man fixated on the moon?' Mina thought as she observed the man who seems to be oblivious to the delicious feast inside his room. As Mina's hunger grew, she made up her mind.

There was a melancholic air about the man. With slumped shoulders, the man's hunched back made her think that he had too many burdens to bear. From the back, he looked similar to someone who stood before the grave of someone who just died.

'Mina be strong. You just need a few pieces of meat and then you can leave the company of this creepy man.'

The sooner she grabbed her meal, the sooner she could leave this man in peace. With her eyes fixed on the man, Mina inched towards the meal trying to be as quiet as possible.

As she was getting to her first bite, the man suddenly turned. In shock, she swallowed the piece and her eye bulged in discomfort. It took her a few seconds to focus on the man, which she realized, was advanced in years. He could be as old as her grandfather if she had one.

Mina froze, unsure of what to do or how to act. Seconds passed by but the man did nothing but look at her quietly. She couldn't help but look at the plate in front of her before looking back at the man.

Feeling bolder, she gobbled up another piece quickly before staring back at the man across the room. The man remained still while giving her a meaningful look.

Unable to continue raiding the man's meal, Mina stepped off the table. The man unsettled her and she wanted to leave the room and the man in solace. On her way towards the door, she glanced back at the man who continued to look at her like she was an apparition. Forgetting her original intention to use darkness as a cover, she stepped in an area where the moonlight streamed from the window, illuminating her form. As if he confirmed something, the old man gazed at her and smiled.

”Old friend, I have been waiting for you,”the man said in a voice filled with longing.

Mina turned to see who the man was talking to. She continued to stay in place, unable to say anything in confusion. She looked around, even behind her but there was no one inside the room save for her and the man.

'What? We are not friends?'

She stayed silent, unable to advance or retreat while watching the old man.

”Did they send you to be my guide?” the man said in a jittery voice.

'What is this man talking about? I'm just here for dinner.' Mina thought with her eyes still fixed on the man who was advancing towards her. Mina's ears were up and her tail curled up and she was ready to bolt if the man proves to be a threat.

The man stopped advancing a few feet in front of her and crouched down. He said nothing but she heard something small drop on the floor, another droplet followed. The man wiped his face, and he sat still while looking at her.

”I have been waiting for me for a long time,” the man said, his voice filled with relief as if he was finally freed from something. Mina couldn't help but feel like the man mistook her for someone else, perhaps another cat? Before she could set him straight, the man spoke.