28 Old Friend

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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.

"Ten years has been a long time, my friend."

Mina was still confused. Perhaps he was a senile old man? She stayed quiet while observing the person before her.

'Is this grandpa thinking I am the Grim Reaper or a spirit guide?'

Should she pretend to be a spirit guide and maybe ask for more food?'

'This old man will share his food with a spirit guide, right?'

Mina came closer to the man, kneading him before meowing as if to give him comfort. The man reached out to her. His hands looked rough and coarse but when they run over her fur, she felt a sense of satisfaction. His warm hands made her want to curl up close to him for a little while. This seems to have calmed down the man who slowly distanced himself from her, giving her enough space. She meowed while looking at the man asking him for food. The sound was a sweet, pleading purr.

"It has been a long journey, I need sustenance."

The man, whose tears were now dry, laughed. It was a great sound, filled with mirth. The man got up and reached for the plate and placed it on the floor. The man did not mind sharing his food with her, and she was more than happy with his behavior.

"Old man, I do not know you, but I wish you would live for a long time." Mina meowed after her satisfying meal. The man got up and placed a bowl filled with water for her. She couldn't help but feel pampered until the man broke the silence.

"Devin, you heartless beast. You left me in this prison for ten years," he accused, looking as if he was wronged.

'How dare this man give me a name!'

"I am not Devin. Call me Boss, grandpa."

"Where did you pick up such language?" the old man scolded before continuing, "Why would you change your name to such a vulgar one, Devin is a better name."

"This... grandpa! Devin sounds like the devil. Are you trying to get me torched?" Mina replied, seriously questioning the intellect of the man before her.

"I have never heard you complain about that name before. Why are you complaining now?" he retaliated, challenging her.

"You have a bad taste in names," she couldn't help but retort until she realized something. The man has been answering her meows back. "Why can you understand me?"

The man looked at her like quizzically, before answering back, "I have always been able to understand you."

"How could you know me when I have never met you before!" Mina replied.

Could a human understand her? It may just have been a coincidence. But she couldn't discount the possibility that the man could actually interpret the sounds she made.

'If this man could understand me, he is a worthy ally! I need to get on his good side.'