When It Rains, It Purrs

Some days life warnings start jumping at you the moment you leave home; and it’s quite important to pay attention and probably just stay in.

That Saturday night I was invited to a birthday party. It was already dark, when I stepped outside, so I called myself an Uber Pool. The app showed that the car happened to be just just a couple minutes away from my building, so I hurried out and noticed a vehicle with its emergency lights on.

Without checking the license plate, I rushed to one of the back doors and quickly opened it. Suddenly my face met with something large and soft that also started falling on my head.

I jumped back and screamed! However, when I looked closer, I realized that it was a huge pile of clothes, carefully built all way up to the ceiling.

“What the fuck happened here??” The voice I heard behind my shoulder didn’t promise anything good. I turned around and saw a girl throwing her hands up in the air. To be able to do that, she had to place on the grass a cat carrier that she was holding.

“I am so sorry,” I squeaked. “I thought you were my Uber!” “Nah, I am just trying to move away from here, and you have no idea how long it took me to fit everything in the car. I only stepped away for a minute to pick up my cat from a friend—“

“I am gonna help you put everything back,” I swore, just as I saw my real Uber park by the building. Without thinking twice I canceled it, noticing the driver’s weird stare before he drove off.

“Yeah, thanks,” sighed the girl, “but I really don’t want a stranger to mess with my garb. If you really wanna help, entertain my cat and keep an eye on it. He’s sick and panicky, and I can’t wait to get to my parents in Fresno. I will let him out of the carrier, and you just watch him.”

She sighed again and started slowly picking up her clothes off the ground, carefully folding it and sticking back on the back seat. I could tell there was a serious system to it.

No matter how guilty I felt, there’s no way I will ever pass on a chance to pet a feline. The kitty was very cute and furry, but seemed a bit shaky. “Maybe he’s cold,” I thought and picked him off the ground to warm him up, which immediately resulted in him screaming for dear life and peeing all over my shirt and jeans.

I immediately set him back on the ground and he darted for his carrier. The girl was too busy sticking her clothes in by the other door, she didn’t even notice the commotion, and I just couldn’t let her down one more time; so I was staying near the cat patiently while wiping my clothes with a wet tissue.

Thankfully the girl was done packing soon; so I profusely apologized again, handed her the cat, and sent her on her way with my best wishes.

When I finally made it to the restroom at home, I realized that even my phone was soaked in cat pee. I cleaned it carefully before jumping in the shower and texted my friend to let her know I’d be late.

Her reply arrived right away. “Aw shit! I forgot to tell you. The party has been canceled because the birthday girl’s car got totaled. She’s ok but sorry I forgot to tell you. Hopefully you haven’t made it too far from home on one of these awful buses...”