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THE JELLICLE CHRONICLES - SPECIAL STORY
LOVES AND REPASTS
By Dennis C. Callin (Rumblepurr)
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Old Deuteronomy enjoyed much of his free time by lying on the brick wall that surrounded the Vicarage. Overlooking the Village’s High Street, he had ample time to watch Humanity as it flowed around him. Since he was the oldest cat in the Village, many of the larger creatures did exactly that. He once closed down an entire stretch of the road between Ash Lane and Mulberry Lane - just because he wanted to take a nap on the sun-warmed pavement. Although a few of the older citizens paid homage to the venerable feline, most of the Village let him be - a trait that suited Old Deuteronomy just fine. He took much of that latitude to sit and watch, or doze in the sun… and dream…
As the sun began its run for the western horizon, and a few clouds scuttled across the sky, Old Deuteronomy raised his head and sniffed at the air around him. He recognized the scents, and knew a few of the Jellicle Tribe were on the move. He could identify Jennyanydots coming from Number Four Rose Court, just over to his right and down the first cul-de-sac. And to his left, two scents meant Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer had just left their house. Another scent told him that Rum Tum Tugger was headed this way from his place on Bridge Street. Everyone from the Village was on their way, and Old Deuteronomy smiled.
“It is time…” he murmured.
Tonight, the moon would rise just after sundown, and sail into the indigo sky in full glory. To the Jellicle Cat, this moon was a special one - a Jellicle one… From the town across to the west of the Vicarage, other Jellicles were starting to converge on the old Junkyard. As the old cat had said, it was time - for the Jellicle Ball…
To the Humans, Old Deuteronomy was an old wooly immense housecat. Most cat fanciers called him a “Maine Coon” after the large breed seen over in the States, but he did not mind them. When they could not see him, he was an old wooly immense… Jellicle Cat. Were they able to see him, he would have stood a little over mid thigh, being slightly taller than most Jellicles. In most ways, he still looked like a cat, but with many humanoid features as well. He did have fingers and thumbs, though they would have been described as slightly stubby, and he still retained the retractable claws. He stood upright… when he was younger and not quite as heavy, he stood even straighter… And finally, he understood, wrote, read and spoke English quite well!
Climbing carefully down from the wall, Old Deuteronomy dusted off his fur and started towards the pipe that went into the old junkyard. As he did, someone hailed him from the walkway on the street.
“I say! Old Deuteronomy? Please wait, dear boy!”
Turning about, the Jellicle Leader found a rotund tuxedo Jellicle struggling slightly over the uneven ground near the wall, and was coming towards him.
“Bustopher? Aren’t you a bit far from home?”
“Oh, quite… I found it most difficult to find the right lorries and buses to come out to this quaint locale of yours. But! Tonight is the Jellicle Ball, and I was not going to miss it this year. I trust you are on your way?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact I was.”
“Do you mind if I keep you company?”
“If you don’t mind walking at a slow pace.”
The St. James Street Cat smiled magnanimously. “My dear sir, I do not mind in the least. As you can tell, I am not built for speed either.”
“We both have dined far too well for our good,” Old Deuteronomy chuckled.
“And probably loved all too well,” Bustopher said, touching a stunning red carnation on his lapel.
“Yes, we have probably done that, too, haven’t we…”
“I know you have, you sly old fellow. They say half the area has your kittens of various ages over the years.”
“Shhh. That’s supposed to be legend only…”
“Hah-ha! Very droll…”
“And I heard you made your path though the ladies during your youth, Topher.”
“Well,” the Tuxedo stopped and made a show of looking around the vacant field. “My distinguished coat and spats always did make a good show, and I always did have a eye for a sleek Queen…”
The two old Jellicles chuckled a bit as they made their way slowly to the Vicarage pipe. In Jellicle form, they had to bend over a bit, but they still made it through, under both a road and the stout wooden fence that surrounded the Yard. Plato was on duty as they appeared on the other side, and he let them proceed without challenging them. He did give them a pleased look, seeing not only the Leader but Bustopher as well.
“Tell me, my good fellow. Did any of the Queens in your long life so far really stand out over the rest?”
Old Deuteronomy reached under his beard-like chops, and scratched his neck thoughtfully. “Well… This was long ago, mind you, and she probably is gone by now. Her name was Raindancer, a very beautiful gray tabby. She had short fur, and that was good for her since she did not mind the rain. In fact… I believe that was her third name. She danced, and within the turn of the sun, the sky would cloud up and it would rain… The more joyous the dance, the heavier it would be. And if she were angry, it would thunder… And if she danced during the winter, it would snow… I would not be surprised if Munkustrap was her grandkitten… He looks a bit like her in a way…”
“What would be your finest memory of her, Deut?”
“That would be easy… The night my Human host, the old Vicar, made his lamb stew. Raindancer had come that afternoon to see me, and we snoozed in the Vicar’s comfy lounger while he worked on one of his sermons. I imagine you would find it regular fare, but for us, it was a feast. He would cut the meat into little pieces, and throw us a chuck or two. He always seemed to have a twinkle in his eye when he did that - as if he knew he was not supposed to do that, I suppose. I always gave Raindancer the choicest pieces, and she always paid me with a kiss… He’d coat the meat with flour and brown it in some butter, and then pour in some water and simmer it… Then, he would take out the pot and in would go the meat, and then carrots, potatoes, a few peas, and some celery - cut up in healthy chunks. He would show us a bay leaf before putting it in, and told us to remind him to take it out later… We always told him we would, but I imagine it only sounded like a meow to him. While the lamb was simmering, and the vegetables were cooking, he would spice the pot, and we would remind him. He located the bay leaf and showed it to us again before he tossed it. The piece de resistance was his dumplings… He made the most delightful dumplings. Others might call them glorified biscuits, but the old Vicar made them with cream instead of milk.”
The stout Tuxedo Cat’s stomach growled in sympathy, and the two shared a laugh.
Old Deuteronomy nodded as they strolled down one of the many “lanes” in the Yard. “He served his guest that night, but then came back into the kitchen a bit later. Taking out a couple of dishes, he poured some of the stew out for us, and made sure we had plenty of Lamb and even some dumpling… Raindancer paid me more than just a kiss for that repast, I tell you. But it was the way she repaid me, I suppose, that made it special. She was a very tender soul, old chap, and her loving was befitting that spirit. I never regretted that night because she made a habit of coming by several times afterward. But that night…”
Stopping, he looked up at the rising moon as it just cleared the fence. “The moon was full, just like it is now, and it was a warm spring night. We strolled out into the yard behind the Vicarage, and we found a place near the rosebushes. I chose a particularly lovely red one for her, and she kissed me for it. We sat on a bench that the Vicar liked to frequent during the day, and looked at the moon, listened to the night around us, and enjoyed the nearness of each other… I am not sure to this day whether I made love to her, or she made love to me… or if we found each other and completed the joining… However it happened, I do remember that night… and her…”
“Lovely story, old boy,” Bustopher Jones nodded. “I take it she moved on eventually?”
“Yes,” Old Deuteronomy nodded. “By the time winter came, she no longer came by the Vicarage. I never did find out what happened to her, or if she had kittens by me. Munkustrap bears a strong resemblance to her, so I think she did, and never told me… What about you?”
Bustopher chuckled lightly, and took off his monocle to polish it with his handkerchief. “Well… I suppose turnabout is fair play here. Let me see… the dinners are far too many to go through, so I will have to start with that special Queen, and decide which of the many entrees struck my fancy later. Velvetta was the one who comes to mind more often than not. Oh, she was a naughty one when she wanted to be. She was a beauty, with short fine fur that covered her very appealing body. Her poise was superb and her manners fastidious. The turn of her ankles and wrists would make the Human Queens in my clubs green with envy - that is, if I could actually make comparisons… I met her at the Siamese of all places, but she definitely was not out of place. Her Human mistress must have had good judgment, for she was wonderfully arrayed with a stunning necklace of a collar. Dark fur, which I found to be black like mine later on, graced her every move, and her smoky eyes bedeviled me instantly. In my youth, I daresay I cut a good figure, and I could tell she had discriminating tastes of her own. We hit it off rather easily, I would say, and I was determined to begin on the right foot.”
Like his friend, Bustopher looked up at the moon, peered through the monocle at the shining orb, and nodded. Adjusting the monocle in his eye, he smiled. “Although the Siamese was a good establishment, I felt more continental that night. Just a little off the beaten track, I found a small Italian restaurant where the chef and I were good friends. I made sure his kitchen was rodent free, and he made sure I was well fed. I worked for my meals then - before I became the region’s gourmet critic…”
Both chuckled. Bustopher patted his round frame, and hefted his spoon like a walking stick. “I escorted my lady friend to the place just as they were closing. The chef saw me, and my charming lady, and told the owner to close up. He had a guest to see to, and he would lock up on his way out. Even when I no longer worked at chasing vermin, I always saw to it that some urchin would keep his place clean, and allowed the little tyke to have some of his excellent Scaloppini Di Pollo Appetito… Ah, yes… that was the dish he served us that night. He made it fresh for us, too. I supervised him, but he never required it, old boy. I could tell even in my youth that he was a chef, and not just a cook! He placed the lean breast of chicken in a shallow bowl, and then made a beautiful marinade of lemon peel, juice, some virgin olive oil, a dash of onion and sugar, some Worcestershire sauce (for us Britons, you know), some mustard and salt and pepper. And while the meat tenderized in this, he fed us an appetizer of some leftover salmon steak served that evening. Then, he broiled the chicken, and the marinade smelled divine! When the dish was ready, he sprinkled the meat with parley, slivered almonds, and served it to us on a plate. When I nodded my acceptance, he proceeded to cut the meat into fine chunks, and I complimented him on his culinary excellence. It was truly exquisite…”
“Velvetta was more than impressed that night, I daresay. I was not out to make a conquest, for I truly saw that she was a lady and not just some Queen about town. We made some small talk and I asked her if I could escort her home. She acquiesced, but only if we returned to my abode. I was not adverse to that, dear boy, and so that is what I did… I must say that she was a Queen I shall remember always as being the fairest one to ever sleep in my arms. Her fur was exactly fit to her Name, Deut. Soft and delicate to the touch… She pleased the senses as much as she fired them. Her body did things to me I never dreamed possible… And the pleasures! I could search the world over many times and not find a culinary repast that would satisfy anywhere close to what she gave me that night…”
“She left you?”
“I do not know, dear fellow, and that was the mystery of things. We spent many a night frequenting the many places I enjoyed, and always returned to my place where she would treat me in kind. Just when I thought I had found the one to satisfy my every pleasure in life, she did not return. I am in hopes that her Human mistress merely had to move abroad, and that Velvetta still lives… Apart, yes, but I have hope of someday seeing her again…”
Old Deuteronomy nodded, and took his friend’s elbow. Guiding him by that friendly touch, the two old Jellicles eased through the tunnel that came out just to the left of the old car. A few of the Tribe’s kittens played about the Square as Old Deuteronomy came in, and they swarmed over him in playful greeting. He always enjoyed the attention, and the pawing, of the young ones. He soon guided them back to their play, and took Bustopher Jones over to the tyre.
“You know something, my friend?” Old Deuteronomy chuckled as he sat on the old lorry tyre. “We have two things in common, and they seem to go together.”
“And what is that, pray tell?”
“Just think… We both remember times when we were young, in love with a fine Queen, and salivating over a fine meal.”
Again, Bustopher’s stomach growled, and the two Jellicles laughed warmly over the joke. “I believe my palate is protesting my memory tonight, old boy! I say… Do you know of a fine establishment nearby that could satisfy two old gourmets after this Ball of yours?”
“The old Vicar is no longer with us, I am afraid,” Old Deuteronomy said with a small grin. “But his replacement is still a good cook. He will most likely still be up late tonight, working on his morning sermon. If I ask nicely, I am sure he will agree to it. As you see, he still is partial to serving me good food.”
“I hope he is as good as the old Vicar you told me about. I somewhat favor your tale of lamb and dumplings…”
“I am afraid you make have to make due with chicken and dumplings tonight,” Old Deuteronomy laughed again. “The new Vicar is young, but the Sexton was good enough to pass it on about the cream in the dumplings. Not truly the same, but it will do nicely.”
“Do you think Jenny will be here tonight?”
“Yes. I scented her on the way before you showed. I’m sure she’ll be here… Why do you ask, if I may?”
“I somewhat fancy her, dear boy. Is there some problems there?”
Old Deuteronomy smiled. “No, Topher. Jenny is a kind soul, and she’ll be glad to see you, I’m sure.”
“And what of that gorgeous red one, and… ah, Jellylorum? I find her easy to remember and your lamb story will aid me there. Just connect her with mint, and her name will file in my mind quite nicely…”
“Bombalurina is the red one,” Old Deuteronomy said, his grin broadening. “She reminds me of a curry dish the old Vicar tried once… He did not realize just how potent that spice was and we were both drinking water for days!”
“Jolly good that one! Bombalurina and curry! Ah-hah! Do you realize we are doing it again, dear fellow?”
“What is that?”
“Lovely Queens and fine food… Ah-Hah…! Even if it makes our eyes water more than our mouths!”
The huge Leader joined his friend once more with a warm laugh. Their revelry was interrupted by a surprised baritone voice.
“Leader! You’re early!”
A tall muscular Silver Tabby appeared from over the top of the old car, and grinned at the happy expressions of the two older Jellicles. Old Deuteronomy waved him to come down.
“Munkustrap! I was just thinking of you not so long ago…”
“Not badly, I hope.”
“No, no, no… Topher and I were just reminiscing about things, and I got to thinking about your grandmother, I believe…”
***** Finis *****
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