Wednesday, August 13, 2008

A rat's tale... part deux! (which is actually a cat's tale...)

So the rat was not exterminated via the glue trap as we last heard...

We were still living out of the Elsayed's flat and it had been two days since the glue trap incident. On the third day mom and I were returning home and outside the building we saw a stray cat. AHA! That was the key to the rat problem! We had been eating shwarmas (lamb meat gyros) so we lured the cat up the stairs via the smell of the left overs.

Once at the apartment we unlocked the door and let the cat in and shut the door behind it. We then proceeded to the ElSayed's to commiserate over this turn of affairs. All were in agreement that this seemed like a good turn of fortune. We scrounged around for an old cardboard box to use as a litter box and Nabeela pulled out an old shawl and large fruit basket to use for a bed. Some plastic bowls were procured for food and water and then we proceeded into out flat next door to welcome "Whiskers" a unisex name (the gender of the cat was at this point in time unknown!)

We made dear old whiskers comfy and played with her for a while. Then after packing some more clothes an sundries retired once more to the Elsayed's for the night. We stayed with them for a couple of days more to ensure that Whiskers had her space to whack the rat. We returned periodically to play and feed and change her box but pretty much let her have the run of the place for a few days.

We returned at the end of the time period to a rat free house and a new pet! We never saw nor heard of Rat again and Whiskers never made any mention of him. Whiskers (a female) was held in VERY high regard by members of both the Elsayed as well as the Khan family and very soon niched out a comfy spot for herself in our lives.

She lived with us for a year (my seventh grade year in Yemen!) until I was going to be leaving for boarding school. My mother was going to be accompanying me to Pakistan for a month of vacation before returning and a new home had to be procured for the cherished feline. Sofia Saleem (Habib's twin sister) offered to take her in until my mother came back. Whiskers was delivered and there she remained for about a week until- Alas! Shameem Hilaly's home was taken hostage by (you guessed it) a rat!

After one day's griping on the phone with my mother, Auntie Shamim was made privy to the qualifications of Whiskers as a hit woman for a rat whack job, by my mom. Auntie Shamim immediately sent a driver for the cat and a very surprised Sofia called me shortly to inform me that my cat was now being Transported to the Pakistani Ambassador's residence in the official Mercedes Benz with flags and all....

Much perplexed and with still a month before I was to leave I was a little concerned how poor Whiskers was taking to all the sudden changes. In a week I decided to go and visit her. Mom and I went over for dinner one night after hearing that Whiskers had again successfully completed her designated mission and eliminated the "mark" (aka the Hilaly's rat!).

A most perplexing spectacle met our eyes when we walked in. We were shown into their corner sitting room and had barely sat down when with a rather loud caterwaul Whiskers streaked past dripping wet in what could only be described as an escape attempt. In close pursuit were Haider Ali (son) armed with a hair dryer and Auntie with a brush. To prepare Whiskers for our visit and to appear worthy care takers the Hilaly's had decided to give her a bath. It being winter they worried about her health and so decided to dry her off- with a hair dryer! The chase ended shortly when the length of the extension cord at the end of the dryer gave out. Whiskers had vanished. Orders were given by Auntie to turn the heating in the house up high so that she (Whiskers) wouldn't freeze to death.

A very frazzled Auntie came in and apologized profusely for the turn of events. Mom and I just chuckled. We told her it was normal for cats to air dry and assured her that the sound of the dryer was probably terrifying to her anyway. Auntie now asked if Whiskers could just live with her instead of Sofia until Mom's return. It was settled and after an hour or so Whiskers herself showed up all fluffy and smelling of jojoba shampoo. She looked perfectly cute and I enjoyed playing with her until it was time to head back home.

I returned to Auntie's house for one last visit with her before leaving the country a few weeks later and was completely blown away by what I saw. Whiskers ruled the household! With an iron feline paw moreover. She barely glanced my way. And when his Excellency, Zafar uncle returned home that evening and sat on his favorite chair, he was made to move by a most haughty and indignant Whiskers who apparently had a liking for the same spot also. I looked on enchanted as the evening unfolded.

The cook came in to inform Antie,

"Begum Sahiba- Mano khanna nahi kha rahin hain."

"Kiyun bhai, kya banaya that un kay liyai?"

"Begam sahiba machi banai thee dopayhar main..."

Zafar uncle interjects:

"Bhai pata jo hai, jo din main khateen hain raat main nahin pasand karti!"

"Kuch aur bana kay do"

"Sir jee kiya banay?"

"Keema hai freezer main?" (Auntie)

"Jee begum sahiba"

"Woh bhun kay do chaldi say.... ziyada der say khati hain to phir hazam nahi hota unhain..."

I was floored! Wow I thought, what pampering. I was a little jealous I admit. I wanted to be a the Hilaly's pet and have my digestion and preference's catered to in this manner. Haider Ali came in and asked about what we were having for dinner.

Auntie had made Dal chawwal.

"Dal chawwal? Is there something else?" (Haider Ali)

"You eat what was made. I worked hard to make that" (Antie)

"How come the cat doesn't have to eat what was made? (Haider Ali)

I was thinking the exact same thing myself..... hmmmmmm....

"Sheesh! I'd rather be the cat in this house...." muttered Haider Ali as he went to the bathroom to wash his hands for dinner.

I was thinking the same thing myself....

After dinner Whiskers, (now known as Mano Begam) came and made herself comfortable on Uncle's chair. The grown up's talked as Haider Ali and I played on his Sega Game Boy. Mano began to get restless.

"Turn that thing down" (Uncle Zafar) "You know it upsets Mano..."

Haider looked at me and rolled his eyes. "This house has gone to the cats" he muttered. I couldn't help but agree.

Mano lived with them until the end of their tenure in Yemen. When they moved back to Pakistan she went with them. I recall visiting them at the foreign office appartments in Islamabad- where they were staying until their next posting. Mano was still around....

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

See, this is why I don't have a blog; this sort of stuff just doesn't happen to me. Unless people would be interested in hearing about petty power-struggles in academia.

You should write a book, seriously. You could call it something like, "carrying the flag", or something like that.

Speaking of flags, happy Independence Day. Here's hoping this year turns out much better than the last two.....and of course, the judiciary is restored, can't forget that. :)

Shahnaz said...

Mouse what's your real name? You can e mail it to me....

shahnaz.khawaja@gmail.com

Calm Cool said...

ahm ahm ahm how lucky "Mano Begum" was...
Being a Hilaly's pet is the matter of gr8 fortune which is ordained only to the blessed one's :p ;)

Unknown said...

cats... i love cats.. i have a natural affinity to cats.. and they have one with me... and i one thing i know about them... they are more location oriented than owner oriented... and once they get comfy... they get real comfy... lol...

cats remind me of a lot of things... funy lil incidents in my past life... discussing cats with certain people... aaaaggghh... i am mad... lol...

but yea... such behaviour is expected from teh cat... lol

Unknown said...

cats... i love cats.. i have a natural affinity to cats.. and they have one with me... and i one thing i know about them... they are more location oriented than owner oriented... and once they get comfy... they get real comfy... lol...

cats remind me of a lot of things... funy lil incidents in my past life... discussing cats with certain people... aaaaggghh... i am mad... lol...

but yea... such behaviour is expected from teh cat... lol