Amber Eyes

Amber Eyes

For thousands of years cats have been teaching humans a thing or two, including how to live in the moment and when to let go.

It was just after dusk when the cat tiptoed its way across the garden. Fur ruffled by a breeze blown in from the desert, it regarded the woman through languorous amber-gold eyes. Carrying a lantern, she trod the path cautiously, anxious to avoid the sting of a passing scorpion. The animal already knew she was special, but this marked her out as wise.

    The woman whose name was Zara made her way to the bench beneath the palm tree, thinking of her loved ones. Their absence burnt a hole in her heart. She longed for their company the way one longs for a burst of rain after toiling for hours in a hot field.

    Zara’s donkey, currently out of sorts, was recuperating nearby; another donkey had been taken by her husband and sons to a compound reserved for pyramid workers further north. A day’s travel away, they were engaged in building the enormous mausoleum that would one day house the Pharaoh’s remains. It was common practice when Egypt’s river had flooded and farmers were unable to work the land. The annual flood or inundation was eagerly anticipated and celebrated by everyone. The pyramid was expected to take a decade to complete, and they were more than halfway through the project. Zara could have joined them, of course, but that would have meant leaving her home, including the livestock, to the care of others. All she could do was pray for their safety and prepare for their imminent return.

    Zara was about to take her seat when something brushed against her. On looking down, a pair of bright golden eyes met her own. “Ooh,” she sighed, as the cat weaved between each leg. It was quite unlike the long-limbed tabbies she usually encountered. Settling with a natural grace into the proffered lap, the creature mewed endearingly. There was something unearthly, maybe even magical about it. If the cat had been able to speak it might have whispered the words, “You are mine.” For the first time in a long time, Zara was at peace. The cat made her feel special, as if she’d been selected in some way.

     Zara continued stroking the soft fur until her eyelids began to droop. Before she knew it, she’d drifted off, her worries forgotten. When she awoke, the cat had vanished making her wonder if she’d imagined the whole thing.

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    Every year when the Nile flooded, it added a layer of silt to the earth. The dry earth turned green, and the crops flourished. The people of ancient Egypt showed their gratitude by worshipping gods of nature and offering sacrifices. Zara had always believed cats did far more than keep the vermin away from the grain stores. A symbol of luck and fertility, they were welcomed and given food and shelter in many a household. Some were even adorned in fine jewellery.

    A few weeks later, when Zara had almost given up hope of seeing her mysterious feline visitor again, the cat slipped into the garden just as the sun was setting and deposited two adorable fluff balls onto the grass. For a few weeks, Zara spent every spare minute watching the kittens snuggle up to suck their mother's milk through tiny pink mouths. Then, when they grew more confident, they played together, stretching their limbs and strengthening their bodies, and learning about life. Satisfied with their progress, the mother cat relaxed, even allowing Zara to place a necklace with a small amber amulet carved in the form of the Egyptian cat goddess, Bastet, about her neck.

    “From now on,” Zara said, “I’m going to call you Amber.”

     The cat purred demurely, raising no objection.

    Before long, Zara’s family returned home for a well-earned break. They were in high spirits, bringing grain, fruit and trinkets - payment in kind for their labours.

    “There’s no place like home.” Zara’s husband said, enjoying his wife’s freshly brewed beer. Then he put down his drink. “I’ve something important to tell you, Zara. I’ve been promoted to senior mason. It means I’ll need to spend longer away, but if all goes well, we’ll be able to live in a better house – maybe even one with a small outdoor pool. Wouldn’t that be something?”

      “Wow!” Zara said, trying to hide how much she’d miss him.

    “It’s that cat! As soon as I saw it, I felt good,” he said.

    It was true the cat seemed to have brought luck. A family with a pool, however small, was indeed doing well. Only the nobility or rich could afford bigger pools which they usually filled with fish and the much admired lotus lilies. Most people had to make do with swimming in a river that was sometimes polluted or tramping miles to get water from the nearest well.

    When Zara discovered she was pregnant with her fourth child, it was the icing on the cake. She secretly hoped for a daughter.

    “I’m going to get a local girl to help you,” her husband promised. “And I’ll make sure I’m back well before the baby is born. The most important thing is you won’t be alone. Now, you’ll have someone to help you while I’m gone.”

     For the next seven years, it was as if everything they touched turn to gold. Zara got her wish and had a daughter to keep her company. Knowing it wouldn’t be long before the rest of her family came back for good, made things so much easier. 🐈‍⬛

       One evening, feeling lethargic after overeating, Amber wandered near the river’s reed banks. Untroubled by lurking dangers, she hissed when a small alligator came too close. That was when an eagle swooped and lifted her in its talons. The cat twisted and fought wildly until the bird dropped her, flying off in search of easier prey.

     The maid who was on her way to the river, observed all this, horrified by the unfolding drama. As soon as it was safe, she rushed to the cat.

      Badly hurt by the fall, the creature lay helpless in her arms, and the maid cried. The only thing she could do was gently carry the stricken animal home. When Zara saw the by now lifeless cat, tears poured from her eyes. Disconsolate, she went into a state of deep mourning, even shaving her eyebrows, a customary mark of love and respect given to humans.

      Zara wanted to give the cat full honours in death. She did this by making sure the body was preserved in the correct way to ensure a perfect afterlife. Using the most expensive cedar wood, myrrh, and other oils she could afford as preservatives; she carefully removed the animal’s organs and wrapped its body in special bandages. Some years later when Zara herself died, the mummified cat was removed from its casket and buried next to Zara in a much bigger one.

Many many years later

Sara Amin, a young archaeologist following in her father’s footsteps, leads an expedition in search of an ancient settlement some distance from Cairo. As a child, Sara loved hearing her father’s tales of meeting and falling in love with an English woman who was visiting his country. Eventually, he moved to England where he transferred his teaching skills to a university in London. Their union was a meeting of minds and cultures, and Sara was the product of a heritage rich in love.

    It is every archaeologist’s dream to make that elusive discovery.

    After a long day of searching, Sara’s group have uncovered a tomb belonging to an ancient family set high on a hill. Excitement peaks when they discover the sarcophagus of an intact female mummy. Judging by the wall carvings and tomb artefacts, the woman came from a family of skilled craftsmen. A trace of the oils used for preservation still lingers. Even now, it’s evident the woman had a lovely face. But perhaps the most striking feature of the scene is the mummified cat. Pressed closed to its mistress, a tiny amber amulet of the goddess Bastet hangs on a chain round the animal’s neck. Everyone remarks on its beauty.

    “She must really have loved her cat,” Sara murmurs. “Especially considering most pets were buried in pet cemeteries.”

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To some, delving into the lives of people who lived long ago and practiced mysterious death rites, may seem strange, perhaps even a little creepy, but to Sara, the mummification rituals were a way of venerating and caring for the dead. Ensuring a smooth passage into the afterlife meant loved ones would be able to continue the best of their earthly lives for their final journey across the sky to the Field of Reeds. According to ancient beliefs, they took the things they most valued on earth to help them on their way.

    So far, the trip to Egypt has been the start of what Sara hopes will be a rewarding career. Flying home, she can hardly wait to share her experiences with her father, especially the part about the cat.

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    We all know life doesn’t always turn out the way we expect. When her mother came to meet her at the airport, Sara knew something was wrong. Her husband’s death was written all over her face and mother and daughter collapsed into one another’s arms. What was supposed to be a moment of triumph had turned into the worst day possible. Sara loves her mother, but the hardest part was not being able to share her discovery with the man who had always been there for her.

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     On Halloween several months later, searching among the keepsakes left by her father, Sara comes across a paper boat he made for her when she was a little girl, now slightly faded but otherwise undamaged. She places it in her bag along with a candle and lighter. In the next room, her mother is resting so she leaves a note on the kitchen worktop. “Popping out. Don’t worry. Back later.”

    The sun has set leaving trails of pink in the inky sky. The air is pungent with the smoky breaths of a damp October. Crumpled leaves have dropped to form carpets of russet brown. Shoes scrunching along the paving stones, the pit of Sara’s stomach has a hollow which eating never seems to fill. If her father cannot be with her, she will have to celebrate in her own way. Not by dressing up in scary clothes — she remembers the pleasure he got from the sight of her waving a toy broomstick in the air when she was a child and indulging her love of carving wonky pumpkin faces and placing them in the front room window, all too well.

But with a clarity borne of her soul’s new growth, Sara sees his reminiscence of the ancient Egyptian Wag Festival may have been tinged with the bite of nostalgia; he must have missed his homeland. In modern times, some still celebrate Wafaa El-Nil or the “flooding of the Nile” – even though with the building of dams, the river no longer floods. Sara’s father had talked of people dressing up in wonderful costumes and making boats out of paper and sending them floating down the river. Others carried them to graves, making sure to set them west, the orientation that was once used to help the departed on their final journey. The festival was a kind of precursor to Halloween because food would be left out for any wandering spirits who happened to be without families. A bit like an ancient version of trick or treat.

    The damp has turned to drizzle, but it doesn’t take long to locate the grave. Since Sara’s last visit, a wreath of oak leaves and a cross have been anchored to the white stone. Delving into her bag, she produces a compass to ensure the correct position and lays the tiny boat there. Only then, does she light her candle.

    “I miss you so much!” She closes her eyes, cherishing her father’s many acts of kindness.

    The silence is broken by an insistent mewing. In the darkness, a cat’s eyes glow golden. They gaze up at Sara’s own, ancient and other-worldly.

    “Where have you sprung from kitty?” The cat which is a black-furred female allows Sara to stroke its back. It seems well-cared for, hardly a stray. Perhaps it has been chipped and the owner will be traceable. But then Sara notices something attached to the collar and her heart misses a beat! It can’t be! The amulet of the cat goddess Bastet, is carved in amber. 

    The cat purrs and arches its back. Hardly knowing what to think, Sara turns back to the grave. The least she can do is stay a while to honour her father’s memory. Afterwords, she will blow out the candle. She may even head towards the town’s river with her paper boat.

    However, when she turns around, the cat has vanished into the night. Turning on the torch on her phone, the beam shows no trace of footsteps along the mossy pathway. Shivering, Sara tightens the belt on her coat. The moon is almost full. Sara still has the amulet in her hand. Clasping it next to her heart, she thinks of her mother and rushes home.

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