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My Friend Sam

A cat lovers tale

By Coupon ParentsPublished 4 years ago 4 min read
1

You have probably heard the saying, “a dog is a man’s best friend.” For me it was the opposite. I have never been a dog person. It’s not because I never had one. I did.

I grew up in a small rural town, west of the bustling noise of city life in New Jersey. Although New Jersey is known for being a commuter state, there are still some quiet parts up North and South, and as far as Route 78 will take you.

My family’s property wasn’t too big, but we had enough land to raise some chickens. I grew up with my parents, my sister Susie and Charlie, our dog. My early childhood memories are filled with adventures, especially with Charlie.

The best part growing up in a rural community is open land. But, that open land always gave my dog Charlie a reason to run. My sister and I spent many afternoons chasing him and exploring with him. The challenge was that he was always on the go. I guess that’s the will of a dog, to let their noses lead the way.

Fast forward many years later and I traded in the rural life for the city life. As an adult, I experience different adventures now. They are usually concentrated in my commute to work from Jersey City to New York City or at work itself.

Monday through Friday’s, the game plan is the same. Wake up early enough to get ready but dilly dally around my apartment. I have the same routine as many others getting ready for work. The main focuses are: Bathroom, Clothes, Kitchen and Cat.

Yes, I now have a cat. I don’t think apartment life would be as great without my feline friend. A fish would be suitable too, but where’s the fun in that? My cat’s name is Sam and I am glad he is always waiting for me at home after the long exhausting days of the rat race lifestyle. On the weekends though, we enjoy the real outdoors.

My parents still have their home and I visit them often on the weekends. I take Sam with me because he enjoys having the ability to roam the wooded trails and country. There is a popular hiking site about a mile down the road from my parents house that we both love.

However, I fear we will not be able to have adventures much longer. After several recent visits to the vet it has been determined that Sam is now years past his prime. Still, Sam has shown interest in leaving the stuffy apartment in the City. He taps on the door as if to say, “One more trip, please.”

One weekend, I decided to take a last minute trip to my parents house. On that particular trip I decided I would deviate from our routine and that I would keep driving to the hiking grounds instead of stopping at my parents house first. It was already late in the afternoon and I wanted to make this trip memorable, because I knew I might not have much time left to share with Sam.

Once we got to our destination, I took Sam out and he proceeded to lead. We walked for no more than 10 minutes when he stopped. I sat next to him and we enjoyed the breath taking view. For the next hour we continued to stay there, relaxing and we watched the sun start to set. Sam climbed on my lap and fell asleep forever.

Many weeks later I was back at my parents and I was helping my father clean his garage. He never threw anything away. So you can imagine that we were far from done when dinner time came. As we walked towards the front on the house I heard a familiar sound. One that I have not heard in years. It was the meowing of a kitten.

I went around the house, and there it was, a Calico kitten that looked like it hadn’t eaten in days. I brought out some tuna and the rest is history. Cali is her name and she has brought me happiness that I didn’t expect so soon. I will always love Sam and cherish our memories together but I do not think it was a coincidence that Cali came to me at my parents house, a place Sam loved so much.

The End

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