Tied Up with a Bow

Tied Up with a Bow

I had just a few minutes to finish wrapping the last Christmas present. Carefully organizing everything, I laid the roll of paper on the table, the present for Bill on the right, and the scissors and tape on the left. I opened the roll of paper and held it flat, then reached across and placed Bill’s present in the middle. I bought him this cute picture frame with a rocket on the frame I found last month when we went to Huntsville for a conference. I put in a photo of the two of us in front of the rocket display. It had been a memorable trip - one I hoped he would never forget either.

Anyway, I admired the present for another minute, then set it in the center of the paper and proceeded to wrap the paper around it. Then Taja, my kitten, decided she needed to help. First, she wanted to sit on the paper, I tried to brush her off, but she thought it was a game and pounced on my hand. I pushed her away again, and she struck back, drawing blood with her little needle claws. “OW! Taja, No!” I yelled and popped my bleeding hand into my mouth. Using my other hand, I pushed her off the table. At least the blood spots were on the inside of the wrapping. I measured the paper and reached for the scissors to trim it to size.

Taja took that moment to jump back onto the table, hitting my hand and causing the scissors to rip through the paper. I tried to trim around the tear and folded the paper around the gift. The tape. Where was the tape? I looked around. Oh, yes. I put it right over there on the left side of the table. It wasn’t there. Taja looked at me innocently. “Taja! What did you do with the tape?” She rolled her blue eyes at me and licked her paw. I looked over the edge of the table. Sure enough, the dispenser was there on the floor.

I held the wrapped paper around the box with my right hand while I tried to reach the tape with my left. My fingertips just grazed. I pressed my face tighter to the table and stretched a little more. I succeeded in pushing the tape completely out of reach. I stood back up and huffed. Glancing regretfully at the present I had neatly encased in paper, I let go of the wrapping and turned to where the tape dispenser lay half under the chair. I held on to the chair with one hand and bent over. I had forgotten the chair had wheels until it scooted across the floor, and I went down flat on my face. I stood up and straightened my shirt. At least I had the tape now. I returned to the table where Taja now sat on top of the unwrapped present.

“Move, Taja.” She ignored me. “I said move!” pushing her off the package. She huffed and stalked off. I should’ve known better. It wasn’t over. This was Taja; she would find a way to win this battle.

With the paper firmly taped around the gift, I turned to where the container of ribbons and bows sat. I needed to dig out just the right color of ribbon. Taja sat in the middle of the spools, batting at them until she spilled the container onto the floor. Delighted, she jumped down and began chasing the bright-colored ribbons as they sprang loose from their spools. I let loose a big sigh and bent to pick up the ribbons. Just then, the door opened, and Ben, our big, clumsy Lab, barreled in. As he knocked me flat and began kissing me with his slobbery tongue, my sister called out, “Hi, Susie! What are you doing on the floor? Shouldn’t you be getting ready for your date tonight?”

I gave her the evil eye as I regained my feet and tried again to pick up the yards of loose ribbon. Taja decided to help. But her idea of “helping” was to try to snag the ribbon out of my hand as I picked it up. She caught my hand again with her claws, scrambling away as I yelled. “Taja!”

My sister picked up the imp and cuddled her. “You sweet little thing, is big, bad Susie being mean to you again?”

“Just hang on to her, will you? I need to get this present finished before Bill arrives.” I grabbed the ribbon and tied it tightly around the box. Bows. What happened to the bows? I looked around. Maybe under the couch? There it was – the pretty green one I got especially for this present. I pulled it out and brushed off the dust bunnies it had found when Taja knocked it into hiding. It looked like Taja had chewed it first.

“You’re not going to use that one!” My sister looked at the bedraggled bow. “Can’t you find a better one?”

“I don’t know, I can look.” I got on my hands and knees to check under the couch for more bows. That’s when Taja wriggled free from my sister’s arms and leaped onto my back, digging her claws in as I jumped, trying to escape.

“Woof!” Ben bounced over and tried to join in what appeared to him to be a game as my so-helpful sister bent over in laughter.

“It’s not funny! Ow! Get her -OW- off!”

Still giggling, my sister pulled off the kitten and set her on the chair by the table. I pushed Ben away and stood up in time to see the troublesome kitten jump onto the table. She tasted the ribbon on my package before batting at it, aiming for the edge of the table.

“No!” I screamed as I reached for Taja, the package, or anything I could grab to stop the impending disaster. Tripping over Ben, who decided at that moment to insert himself between me and the kitten, my destination suddenly became the floor – again. My grabbing hand touched the package as Taja successfully knocked it off, but the present only bounced off my fingertips and hit the floor with the sound of breaking glass.

That’s when the doorbell rang. I knew it would be Bill.

Frustrated, I grabbed the startled kitty and stuck a bow on her neck. “Surprise, Bill! Looks like you get a kitten for Christmas!