The Longest Wait – 3rd Part

We planned to shift on the 5th of June. Before that day, I gave a suggestion to my sister. Why not move the kittens through my niece’s car first, and then the other things. It would save the kittens from the trauma of going through the shifting procedure. At least they won’t face the noises of the huge boxes and the screeching sound of the cellotapes. She agreed and contacted the shifting workers. They decided to report at 10 a.m. the following day. We all went to sleep on the 4th of June with the relief that it was our last night in that house.

Finally the 5th of June arrived. I woke up, went to the premises, and plucked a hibiscus flower for God as promised. Offering the flower, I thanked him as He helped us to get a new rental home on such short notice. We packed other personal things and had our tea. It was as usual from outside as we had no option. We had tea, lunch, breakfast, and dinner these four days from outside. The reason was that the cooking gas was not installed as our stay there was undecided.

It was 9 a.m. My sister got a call from the shifting workers.

I thought it was a confirmation call. But they suggested starting the shifting process right away, as it will ensure the completion of work on time. She informed me the same. I disagreed because the kittens were to be shifted first. As decided, we had to wait till the shifting of kittens was complete. But she somehow agreed with what the people said. I still was not happy with the decision. But destiny had other plans. I usually don’t change my choices, but I still agreed with what she said. Within five minutes, the shifting workers knocked on the door.

On sensing the outsiders, the kittens ran inside.

Some hid themselves in the cupboard in the inner room. While others went to the adjacent room. My sister, mom, and I were busy guiding the workers in picking up and storing things in the huge boxes. We saw the kittens once. Some were still in the cupboard. Few sat in the window grill where they sat for these four days. Since not one of them jumped on the ground from the grill frame till now, we were relaxed and continued with our work. After about an hour, my sister asked if all the kittens were safe and together. I opened the cupboard. Around five of them were inside it. Three were out but cuddled in the same room in a corner.

Then I went to check on the kittens in the grill frame. Divine and the other two were seated there, so I informed my sister. Later, with the intention of moving these three to the room where the rest of the kittens were, I went back to the window grill. Two kittens had already gone into the room where the other kittens were, but I could not see Divine. I got worried.

I peeped outside from the window grill.

Divine had done something he had never done before. He had jumped down to the ground out of fear. Immediately, I informed my sister and went outside to get him. He had jumped right down to the backside of our house. I went there and looked for him but couldn’t spot him. I saw a parked car. On looking under it, I found Divine sitting there, full of fright and trauma.

I don’t know why I didn’t immediately take him with me. Like a fool, I returned to the house to get a cage, place him inside it, and bring him back safely. In a hurry, I picked up their cage, rushed outside, and went near the car. He was not there when I searched for him under the car again. My heart sank. It almost stopped beating.

I called out his name, thinking that he might have run somewhere nearby. But I was troubled when he was not seen anywhere for the next two minutes. Leaving the cage there, I ran madly inside the house to inform my sister and mom about this.

They consoled me,

saying he must be nearby. But fear had engulfed my whole being in a matter of seconds. I again came outside. Called out his name, again and again. My sister came out. Without a thought, I scolded her for changing the plan at the last moment. But even I had agreed with her decision. So the guilt started eating me because I had even allowed the shifting process before shifting the kittens. She tried to console me by saying he must be hiding somewhere nearby. She assured me he would come back. But my eyes searched him, everywhere. She also started searching for him on our premises. Two hours passed but he was not found anywhere. The shifting process continued, but my feet roamed on the premises in search of my dear, angelic, Divine. I went inside the house, teary-eyed, once again counting the kittens, hoping that he might have run inside. But my hope proved wrong.

More than three hours had passed.

My eldest sister had come to help with the shifting process. She accompanied me to search Divine. But he was nowhere. We did not leave any corner of the premises. Slowly, the shifting people packed everything in the boxes and arranged everything outside. They were about to leave. So my eldest sister and mom decided to accompany them in my niece’s car. They left. Now my sister and I were at home. I never went inside as my eyes searched him everywhere. I refused to go inside as the hope that he might come and search for us was still there. My eyes had swollen. A woman was seeing me from her balcony. She called and asked me what happened. I narrated the incident. At once, she said there was a lady nearby who had cats. He might have gone there.

Without a thought, I exited the building and searched for him in the scorching sun. After some time, I lost hope and came back to the house. Later, my sister searched for him, but in vain. Reluctant to talk with my sister, I blamed her and myself for changing the plan at the last minute. She still said, “He will come back. We will find him.” But at that moment, I was furious at three: her, myself, and God.

My niece came back,

after leaving my mom and eldest sis at our new rental home. She ordered lunch for us as we were unaware of the timings or anything else. After eating half-heartedly, the three of us again started the search. It was evening now, and my hopes were slowly diminishing. But my sister was sure he would come back. It was becoming dark. I was inside the house. My sister and niece were searching for him in the nearby areas. First, I got angry at God for doing this. Later, I assured him I would never ever doubt Him. I begged Him to send my Divine back to me. I screamed from the bottom of my heart, not to punish him for my mistakes and sins. Not knowing why this all happened or was happening, I turned quiet. The remaining ten kittens were safe in one room together. The only one missing from the eleven was Divine.

It was night now.

My sister and niece did not say a word to me. They knew I was not in a state to listen or understand anything. My mom eagerly waited for us at the new rental house. Finally, I said, let us leave. Disturbed, devastated, and utterly upset with my sister and God, we three left the home with the ten kittens. I hated myself at that moment as I was helpless. God could have stopped all this mishap, but he didn’t. When the car’s engine started, my heart cried as I felt I was leaving a piece of myself there. Constantly apologizing to Divine in my mind, I regretted my decision repeatedly. So did my sister. She is a second mother to me. She loves me more than herself. For my happiness, she would do just anything. But she felt she was responsible for my state at that moment. We reached our new rental home.

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