Cat Detectives

He blinked twice then spoke for the first time in an hour.

“You like cats Juliette. You should write a book about cats who solve crimes.”

“Like why their bowl is only half way filled with dry food instead of overflowing?” I asked the ancient Vampire sitting next to me on his front porch.

“The cats could solve a murder of a politician or high powered technical person. You could call it something like A Purrrrfect Murder, or Claws for Murder. The cats could knock clues off of the table, eat notes written by the murderer then puke them up for the police, and find guns hidden in their litter boxes.”

“Guns in the litter box. That is original but sort of nasty.”

“You like cats.”

“Yes, but…”

“You like cats. There you go. Do want to borrow my typewriter?”

“No, I’m ok Tellias, but thanks for asking.”

“In the summer of 1892, on a hot day just like today, someone a box containing a single human eyeball on my front porch once. It was in a silk lined box. I think it was brown but it was hard to tell.”

“I remember that. Did you ever figure out who it belonged to?”

“No I did not. Maybe I need a cat detective.” Then he stood up and laughed a bit to himself.

Tellias is the oldest person I know. For my entire life he has told me stories about his childhood as a foundling in the Roman Empire. He was here during the first wave of Europeans settling in the New World. He came to California during the Gold Rush, then built his grand house along the river and planted an orchard. I grew up listening to his stories.

He looks all of nineteen, but he is ancient. Now a days he’ll tell the same stories over and over. He repeats himself. Sometimes he catches himself, but at this point I just don’t think he cares.

I care, but only about him. I don’t care that he repeats the stories, or sounds silly, or digs random thoughts out of the dusty rusty file drawers in his elderly brain. We’re just spending time together, two Vampires on a hot summer afternoon, and that is just fine with me.

Treasure the time you have with those you love. Have patience, a sense of humor, and maybe even a sense of wonder.

~ Juliette aka Vampire Maman