Turkey Lurkey Leo by Mustang Patty An animal's point of view contest entry |
Leo had his eyes closed on that early Thursday morning. Curled tightly into a ball of grey fur, his eyes couldn't be seen, because he had his front paws over them. His front paws wrapped around his back paws that were drawn up to his face. This place was cold, and he wasn't allowed to sleep in the bed, under the covers, like he did at home. Leo found the best way to keep warm was to wrap up in a kitty ball. He claimed the inside corner of the couch. With his back against the three sides of upholstery, he could get warm, and keep an eye out for Simba and Mufasa.He could hear Austin bumbling around the kitchen, but that wasn't all that unusual. Austin always went to work very early. He did something with phones, and worked an early shift. He would leave when it was very dark outside, but then he would get home while the sun was still up. The pungent aroma of coffee drifted to Leo's nose. His sensitive black nose was dilated. He loved the smell of coffee. It used to mean that Mom was awake and ready to start her day. Leo couldn't be sure what it meant now. Austin would make some coffee, pour a cup, mash his hat on his head, and out the door he went. Leo couldn't remember the last time he saw Mom. A new smell was in the kitchen now. It wasn't anything that Austin usually did in the morning. Leo could hear Mufasa 'talking' to Austin in that annoying kitty voice he used. Austin was explaining to Mufasa that he needed to get the turkey into the oven in time for dinner. Leo was wondering to himself, 'What on earth is a turkey?' It smelled like chicken! In spite of everything that Simba had taught him, Leo was letting his curiosity get the best of him. He did remember to be nonchalant in his approach, so he took his time getting up to go and investigate. He lifted his paws from over his eyes, and unfurled his body from the kitty ball position. Stretching his long grey legs in front of him, he extended all of his toes, and then lifted his back in a delicate arch to stretch to and fro. Stretching felt so good, Leo continued to flex, extending his back legs out behind him, one by one. As he stood up from his corner on the couch, Leo saw that Mufasa had noticed him. Mufasa, only a baby, was always happy to get into a romp. He began to stalk Leo in that foolish little stomach-crawl he thought was so original. His green eyes were dilated, and his stiff gait indicated that this was important business. Putting aside all thoughts of the turkey, Leo sat on his haunches, and started to bathe his grey-silver paw. Through squinted eyes, he watched Mufasa's approach. Crashing cacophony arose from the kitchen followed by Austin's string of expletives. Leo's ears hurt from the loud noise, and he instinctively laid them close to his head to keep out most of the noise. Mufasa jumped straight up in the air, and forgot all about hunting down Leo. Simba made a sudden appearance. Disturbed by the noise, growling deep in his throat, like a crotchety old man, he came roaring out of his kitty cave. Nose twitching and long, full tail slashing the wind, he was going to put a stop to this intrusion on his morning nap! "What the hell was that?" yelled Gregory from the bedroom. "Oh, nothing much, Babe, the turkey just tried to jump off the counter to get away from me," replied Austin. "Try to go back to sleep. You don't need to be up for a few more hours." All three cats were sitting in a row as Austin finished prepping the turkey for its big day. He sewed the stuffing, and arranged the drum sticks, as he put it in the deep roasting pan. Making a tent of aluminum foil, he carefully put the bird in the pre-heated oven. Simba was calmer now that the noise had stopped, and Mufasa was happy to be part of the gang. Leo held out his opinion. He didn't understand why such a fuss was being made about this large piece of fowl. Dinner was an every day event. Why did this dinner have to be started at the crack of dawn? Austin went and took out the package of kitty treats. Shaking it slightly, he made sure that he had everyone's attention. Simba was incredibly rude as he rushed forward to make sure that he got the first one. He could move his large black body when he wanted to - and he always wanted to when there was any kind of food involved! Leo stayed back while Mufasa stood up on his hind legs with his front paws dangling. Watching Mufasa make a fool of himself was part of the fun in getting treats, as far as Leo was concerned. When Austin turned his attention to him, Leo daintily grasped the treat from Austin's fingers, deigned his back for a smoothing of his fur, and ran to the other side of his room to protect the treat from Simba. Simba always tried to get extra treats. He insisted he was big-boned, but Leo knew that all of that weight came from the massive amounts of food that Simba imbibed. After all, they had been sharing a food bowl for over three years now. No one else may see who gets the 'lion's share,' but Leo knew it wasn't him. The sun was making its first appearance through the blinds. Leo went to his favorite corner. It was the recipient of warming rays in the early morning hours. It was a perfect spot for morning ablutions. Leo cleaned his paws, his back, the parts of his belly he could reach, and of course, the important things. Thoughts drifted through his kitty brain. He wondered if he would ever see Mom again. He loved her with all his kitty heart. He loved the way she would scratch under his chin, and talk to him in a soft voice. A heavy little sigh escaped him while he turned himself around three times and curled himself into a ball for his early mid-morning nap.
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Mustang Patty
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