She's there; you know she's there. Watching, waiting - she's always there. As you head towards home on this brightly lit night, your thoughts take you back to when you "acquired" her. You'd just moved in to your flat and the walls were distressingly bare. Your best friend had one of those funky Simone cat clocks. Before setting off on her backpacking trek around Nepal , she gave that blinking, winking factitious feline timekeeper to you for safekeeping. Now "Simone" was certainly not your idea of tasteful objet d'art. After all, she wasn't nearly as friendly as your father's old electric Kit Cat clock with the smile and goofy sideways turning eyes. However, you agreed as a favour to your friend.
Your friend never returned from her trip. They said it was a landslide but you didn't take in much through your tears. The memory of that sad day long ago causes those tears to well up again. You never told her family about Simone; she was all you had left of your friend. And what would they do with an electric cat clock anyway?
Time passed and even though you grimaced every time you saw it, that facetious feline wall clock with wagging tail provided a sense of not being alone, all alone in your flat.
Indeed, this "retro"cat as she came to be known, moved in with you, moved out with you; she even moved across the country with you. And at every place you called "home" this caterwauling cat wall clock with wagging tail and green blinking eyes made it feel familiar and safe.
So here you are, about to turn into your driveway. It's been a long time since those flat-hopping days. There have been marriages and children.
Simone was quite the centre of attention with your children and their friends. As babies they would watch with fascination at her wagging tail and blinking eyes.
As they grew, your children sometimes forgot about that funky clock cat. Then one of their friends would say something like: "Hey, cool cat!" or "Check that out. Excellent!" Suddenly Simone would be restored to her place of prominence within the household.
Now your children have children of their own who always associate a visit to Grandma's with "Simone's Place". The grandchildren have grown now and your eldest granddaughter is embarking on her own trip to Nepal . You were shocked when she asked you at the airport to mind her original art deco Kit Cat clock.
You were so overcome, in fact, that you had to sit down. Memories of your father's old Kit Cat clock and memories of your friend asking you to mind her Simone cat clock were almost too much to bear. You were afraid, too, for your granddaughter. What if her Kit Cat clock can never be returned either? You wanted to say: "No," but couldn't bring yourself to. So you take this other funky cat clock, say: "Of course" and kiss your granddaughter goodbye.
Your son and daughter-in-law walked you back to your car and as you placed Kit Cat clock carefully on the passenger seat you hoped he'd get along with Simone.
Finally home, you can't help smiling at the sight of two sets of moving eyes and wagging tails hanging on the wall.
