Jan 9, 2011

She had been in the house for around six years. This beautiful cat that my mother had brought from her relative’s home while just a kitten had a mixture of black, white and brown colours and was quite beautiful to look at. My mother fondly called her Chimmi.

Chimmi was all alone for sometime till she got her own kittens. From the first batch of the kittens my mother kept back one smart young kitten which was greyish and whitish with a tinge of brown colour and named her Ashu so that Chimmi could have a company while other kittens were given away to the needy.

Chimmi had been a smart cat and was very good in hunting rats and mice which used to be a menace within and outside the house. After catching a mouse, Chimmi would bring it and place in front of her daughter, Ashu and train her in the art of hunting and catching rats and mice. As Ashu grew up, both Chimmi and Ashu would go for hunting in the attic of the house and in the bushy areas around the house. As a result of their hunting expeditions the problem of mice and rats gradually reduced.

The rats had been causing considerable damage to our tender coconuts. As there were no mice or rats in the attic and surrounding bushy areas, Chimmi would climb the coconut trees of medium height in search of these pests. She was quite an expert in climbing coconut trees and catching mice hiding on the top of these coconut palms. The mother’s example of climbing the coconut trees was followed by her daughter Ashu as well. As a result of the hunting operations by Chimmi and Ashu, this year the damage to the tender coconuts has been considerably reduced.

As Ashu also grew up, both Chimmi and Ashu would deliver kittens more or less at the same time and would nurture each other’s kittens and take care of them in turn. Both mother and daughter had great bonding and would help each other in grooming and feeding their little ones. As it was not possible to maintain all kittens, my mother used to give them away to anyone who would take good care of them.

This year, both Chimmi and Ashu gave birth to two kittens each. While three of them were given away, one that had more or less similar colours as that of Chimmi was retained by my mother. Thus there were three cats at home, mother-Chimmi, her elder daughter-Ashu and younger daughter-Billu. Billu has been fortunate to have mother like Chimmi and an elder sister like Ashu as both of them would suckle, groom, protect and play with her.

Chimmi had been extremely protective of her daughters and was very considerate while eating food. She would let her daughters eat first. Many a time I had seen the youngest, Billu, eating first while both Ashu and Chimmi would wait their turn. It was only after both her daughters finished eating that Chimmi would have her food.

It was indeed great fun to have these cats and watch their antics and playfulness. While Chimmi watched over them, both sisters - Ashu and Billu - would display their mock fights and play hide and seek games. The matriarchal instinct of Chimmi had been really great. She was a caring mother and an excellent hunter. Sometimes, while both sisters remained inside the house, Chimmi would be on her hunting expedition and would return after sometime getting something, either a little frog or a tiny mouse for her youngest daughter to teach her the skills of hunting.

On the evening of December 31, 2010, Chimmi had gone out for her usual hunting expedition. However, that night she went missing. As usual we thought that she might have gone for a long expedition of hunting and would eventually return home. However, the night passed and even on the morning of January 1, the New Year day, Chimmi did not return. We started getting worried about the whereabouts of Chimmi. Different thoughts flashed across my mind and apprehension gripped my heart. I began to reason out the causes of Chimmi’s disappearance - whether she was taken away by some kind of wild animal or was she bitten by a poisonous snake, the one which I had seen some days back in our courtyard.

The day passed. My wife and I had to attend a pre-marriage function (roce) in our ward. When we returned at around 10.15 pm, my mother in a worried voice said that Chimmi had returned, and was lying under her bed completely shaken and trembling. Thinking that Chimmi was feeling cold she took her to the outhouse and kept her near the ‘choola’ for warmth. Feeling delighted that finally Chimmi who we had thought would never return had come back, I rushed to the outhouse.

Chimmi was crouched there with her head down. I gently placed my hand on her back. She was scared and trembling. Her eye was swollen and she showed no response. I placed pieces of cake in front of her and enticed her to eat, but she had no interest in food. Patting her gently over and over and hoping that she would recover by next morning, I went to sleep.

Early next morning, my wife went to the outhouse to light the ‘choola’ to prepare the morning ‘conji’. She called me out, when I rushed to the outhouse, I was flabbergasted to see Chimmi sprawled on the ground - dead. My throat choked with emotion of losing someone who was an integral part of the family. Immediately, I took the pickaxe and spade dug a small grave and buried Chimmi. As I buried her I was just wondering how the cat that was missing for a whole night and a day could come back home just to die and have a decent burial.

I do not know exactly what happened to Chimmi - whether she was attacked by a wild animal or a poisonous snake or if she was injured by some other means. But the fact is that Chimmi will never come back and her memories will linger in my mind for a long time.

The absence of a mother has been felt by Ashu and Billu. They were expecting their mother to return at any time. However, their wait was in vain. Having lost the mother, Ashu has taken her place and she has become more protective of her younger sister Billu and now they are always found in each other’s company.

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