Queen of the Odd Days

Queen always appeared at noon on the odd days of the month only. So, as the holidays approached, especially Christmas, Zena expected to see Queen. After all, Christmas always falls on an odd numbered day. 

Zena first noticed Queen during the summer months, June 4th to be exact. She remembers that date because it was her birthday and Queen just showed up looking at her as if to say “Happy Birthday” in cat talk. Back then she called her Kitty Pretty.  One day she noticed that Kitty Pretty had a queen-like posture and when she stood close up her black and white fir seemed to form a perfect crown over her head and since that day she was renamed Queen Pretty.  She would stick out her chest when she sat down and that reminded her of royalty. Sometimes her fur would even glisten in the bright sunshine at the right angle. 

Queen would always wait patiently in what Zena called her courtyard, the front porch.  Zena would put out a small saucer of cat food and a bowl with milk. Queen would slowly walk to the food and eat it carefully before she would disappear, her tail flickering very slightly as she walked away. 

The ritual became so familiar and predictable that Zena found herself looking forward to those odd days of the month.  By December, the small city was in full holiday mode. Everyone was preparing for the upcoming holiday and Zena was no exception. She hung garlands and wreaths in her windows and a small tree was decorated in a corner of her living room near her sofa. The smell of freshly baked cookies and pies filled the crisp winter air. Despite the festive atmosphere, Zena often felt lonely during the holidays. Her only sister lived halfway across the world on a completely different continent with her husband and three kids and even a dog named Arnold. She would talk to her later on the phone to wish her a happy holiday but it was not the same as seeing her in person. Three Christmases ago her mom passed away and six months later so did her dad. Her friends were scattered all over the states and she rarely saw them during the holidays. 

Queen, however, with her mysterious comings and goings had become the only comforting presence in her life. Zena woke up on Christmas morning with an unusual sense of anticipation. She had spent part of the night before preparing Queen a special holiday treat. She hoped that she liked turkey mixed in with her usual cat food dinner and she even put a dollop of gravy on top.  She placed the dish of food on the porch at noon and waited for Queen to show up. 

As the minutes ticked off the clock there was no sign of Queen. Zena started to worry and feel concerned. Did something happen to her? Zena bundled herself up in her warmest winter coat and wrapped the new scarf her sister had given her as a gift tightly around her neck and went outside to find Queen. She took the path that she noticed Queen took to her house. She felt the crunch of the snow beneath her boots  as she walked quickly calling out Queen’s name with almost every step she took. 

“Queen. Here, Pretty Queen.” She called out. Just as she was about to give up she heard a small meow near a small cluster of bushes. She turned and saw two little green eyes glowing in the winter’s light. It was Queen and she was not alone. Beside her was a little gray and white kitten shivering in the snow. 

“Oh Queen.” Zena murmured, crouching down. “Who’s your friend?” 

Queen meowed again, nudging the little kitten towards Zena. Zena picked up the little kitten and wrapped it in her scarf. Queen followed closely as Zena walked the short distance back to her house. Once inside, Zena carefully dried off the kitten and Queen with a soft towel.  She placed the kitten in a small box lined with more soft fluffy towels and put her near the fireplace. Queen watched Zena intently, her green eyes soft with approval. 

“Looks like you brought me a Christmas gift.” Zena said to Queen , smiling, rubbing the back of her ears. 

As the day wore on, Zena kept a close eye on the kitten who soon warmed up and decided she wanted to explore her surroundings. Queen, however, was quite content to stay lounging in front of the fireplace. 

That Christmas evening as Zena sat in front of the fireplace sipping on a cup of eggnog, she thought about how the odd days of the month brought an extraordinary gift of friendship into her life. Queen not only brightened her days but she also trusted her enough to share a most precious secret with her. 

The next morning, Zena placed a small sign on the pole in front of her house with the kitten’s picture on it. It read: Found small grey and white kitten. If she is yours please call Zena at the number listed below. She hoped to find the kitten’s owner. But when days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months and nobody had claimed the kitten Zena had become attached to her and named her Mistletoe Bright in honor of the day they met. 

Queen continued her odd day of the month visits and Zena often wondered if Queen had always known that Zena needed Mistletoe Bright for companionship and brought Mistletoe to her on that cold snowy Christmas afternoon. 

That Christmas was just an odd day on the calendar when Queen would come to visit. It became the start of a new chapter for Zena and her new kitten. Her once too quiet house at times, was now filled with the noise of  little paws  climbing on everything and shared warm moments with a regal black Queen and a little grey and white kitten named Mistletoe Bright who appeared when she least expected.