Homecoming
By Sara Morris Swetcharnik
We had been away for nearly nine weeks. We pulled into our driveway dead tired, but eager to see our beloved cat Rebecca. We wandered around our barn calling for her, but she did not come. We became anxious. A veterinarian had once told me that cats do not have a very long memory, that if you have been away for several weeks they forget about you. Finally I heard a wistful meow approaching in the darkness. I picked her up, hugged her and went off to bed. Hours later we awoke with a start, hearing a mournful wail outside our window. It was not like her to wake us. Fearing the worst, we ran outside. There was Rebecca. She picked up a small object and dropped it at our feet. It was a mouse, a homecoming present.