Read Salem's Sight for Free Online Page B

and one found a
new home this morning. The sign probably won’t do much good, but if
they’re not gone in another week I’m going to take them over to the
pound. Most people looking for pets go there first. I’m just nosy
and like to place them myself. That way I know they’re going to
people who’ll be good to them.”
    I stepped over the gate that was
blocking the pantry from the rest of the house and sat down in the
middle of the old Formica floor. In spite of the fact that the
flooring had lived longer than I did, it shined with a polish that
had to come from hard work and constant effort.
    My eyes darted from one kitten to
another like nervous radar trying to determine which one to pick up
first. “Do you know if they are males or females?” I asked. “That
might matter to my mom.”
    “ They were only eight weeks
old yesterday so it’s hard to tell and I don’t want to say the
wrong thing, but a vet would know. If you find one you want, take
it over to the pound and if it’s the wrong sex you can exchange it
for another.”
    I looked at her as if she were crazy.
That would be like giving a mother a baby in the hospital and then
telling her she could exchange it if it cried too much.
    “ As if I could give it up
once I took it.” I knelt closer to the kittens and started petting
them. One fluffy white one with striped paws and dark ears
sauntered over, climbed on my lap and sprawled.
    She chose me. Or he did. Either way I
had to have this one. I picked up my purse, dug out my cell phone,
and punched in Mom’s number. She picked up on the second ring.
Before she could even manage a hello I blurted, “There’s no reason
to not get a fur bearing animal now. No one in the house is
allergic. I could understand while Dad was alive, but he’s not now,
and I think a pet would help me adjust better, sort of like a
security blanket.”
    “ Salem, please, take a
breath,” she cut in. “What made you think of this all of a sudden?”
Mom asked.
    “ I mean it Mom, all my life
I wanted a pet and couldn’t have one because of Dad’s allergies.
Now he’s dead and I have to live without him. I’d give up a pet in
a minute to get him back, but I can’t, so the least you could do is
help me deal with things by letting me have a pet…”
    “ Okay, you can have a pet,”
she broke in, “but can it be a small one? Not a Great Dane? Okay?
Can we talk about this? Dogs are a big responsibility. You have to
walk them…”
    “ How about a cat?” Dead
silence. I had her and I couldn’t help but gloat.
    “ A cat would be great. We
can check the paper...”
    “ Already found one Mom.
There’s a litter down the street that’s old enough to be adopted
and one sort of chose me.” I held my breath. If there were going to
be a protest, it would be now.
    “ Then it looks like I
should stop and get kitten chow on the way home.”
    “ Thank you, thank you,
thank you,” I squealed into the phone as I jumped up and down like
an idiot. With the first bit of joy I felt since the accident, I
picked up my baby and shoved the phone at Mrs. Taunton. Breathless,
I gasped, “My mom.”
    She smiled and took the phone while I
cuddled up to my fluffy bit of sanity.
    I didn’t register the conversation. I
only knew she said yes. I felt my eyes well up and I could hear
Dad’s voice say, ‘When God closes a door, He always opens a
window.’ This tiny animal was the window.
    I stayed at Mrs. Taunton’s for another
hour and a half until my mother picked us up. I was afraid if I
left it wouldn’t be real. Luckily, Mrs. Taunton is a real nice lady
and one who also wanted to unload her basket full of felines,
hopefully without taking them to the pound.
    Mom showed up with a little blue
carrier and had the car packed with supplies. Dry food, wet food,
bowls, litter, a litter box, a bed, and a couple of toys. Yeah,
looked like maybe Mom was just as excited as I was.
    It never occurred to me that Mrs.
Taunton and my mom might know