Zak and Zelda On a Date

    It was seldom that Zak and Zelda went out on a date.  As two house happy cats,  it would seem unlikely that there would be any reason to go on a date.  Nevertheless the renewal of romance was a necessity, even for two middle aged cats that had been together for a long time. 

    They had decided to go to the Cat Diner.  In reality this was the shore area by the pylons under the Wharf restaurant.  The Wharf was well know and had a great view of Lake Logan Martin as the sun set on the lake's edge.  For a human, the view and the smell from under the restaurant wouldn't seem particularly  attractive.  For a cat, however, the smell and site of rotting fish was a delight.  Cats from far and wide would congregate and eat fish on the logs that had accumulated beneath the Wharf.  One of those logs was Zak and Zelda's favorite table. 

    Since the Wharf was quite some distance away from their home, and since Zak's bulk no longer permitted him to walk that distance, he and Zelda had acquired a child size supermarket cart.  Zak would climb in the top and Zelda would push the cart to their destination.  Once at the destination, Zelda, with a massive effort, would heave the cart to its side and dump Zak out, helping him to unwedge himself.

    Once seated at their table, Zelda had rounded up two nearly complete fish, still fresh in sauce. (lake water) and brought these to the table.  They ate and talked and watched the sun set beyond the lake's edge.  As time wore on, the lights from the restaurant above filtered down and provided a romantic setting for the two love cats to stair into each other's diamond shaped eyes.

    It wasn't long before their friend Kate came by.  She stared at Zak with contempt.  Then she said, " I haven't forgiven you." 

    Zak responded smirking. "Your coat is looking remarkably very new and shiny.  I am glad to see you are recovering." At that Kate turned around and stormed off.  Zak started to snicker.

    "What was that about?" asked Zelda.  

    "Remember a few weeks ago when you wheeled me over here so you could look for some cans we might play with?  You left me on the Wharf with some of the cans you found while you went to find some more.  Kate came by and I told her we were experimenting with shaving cream, making ourselves into big white fluffy balls.  I told her humans thought that was cute.  Anyhow, I covered her head to toe in Nair foam.  She was so proud and pranced up and down the wharf trying to get some human to notice her. 

   Zak explained, "I was already about to burst out laughing when she started yelling, "It burns! It burns!"  She jumped off the wharf into the lake.   When she came up, she was as bald and wrinkled as one of those hairless mice you are always hoping to find.   When you came back there was so much to do to get the cans and me back into our cart that I forgot tell you."

By now, Zelda was laughing too.  The good humor lasted them all the way back home.

Copyright - Keith Risman - Oct. 2006