We danced in the moonlight for what seemed like forever.
I danced wildly and freely with the others, but something was bothering me.
Grizabella.
Why was everyone being so mean to her? She seemed to me like an old, worn cat that just needed someone to reach out and accept her.
Before the ball, both me and Victoria had tried to reach out and touch her, but Jenny and Jelly had pulled us away.
As the time for Victoria to perform the mating dance approached, I quickly laid down beside Tumblebrutus.
He smiled up at me as he watched Victoria and Plato. I looked at him and smiled slightly as I laid down beside him.
He slowly turned to look at the other Jellicles, who were crawling towards Vic and Plato.
I slowly got up and started to crawl over to them. Tumble followed.
I smiled as I laid down next to him once more. I snuggled into his embrace.
Suddenly, Coricopat and Tantomile sat up.
Misto sat up as well.
As Skimbleshanks got up, everyone got up quickly and looked around.
Misto suddenly pointed behind me. I turned around quickly.
It was Grizabella. She had been watching us dance.
She flinched as Misto pointed at her.
I got up quickly.
Alonzo hissed at her, making her run away quickly. We started to dance again.
I danced along with the others, noticing that Grizabella was still watching us as we danced.
As we walked towards her, she slowly walked away.
I followed Rumple as she led me and some of the other kits behind Alonzo, who was dancing along with some of the other toms. I smiled slightly as I watched them.
As they finished, Rumple led us forward and we danced by ourselves for a moment, but the others quickly joined.
As we finished, Tugger and some of the other toms started to dance, making Etcetera and some of the other kittens squeal happily. I quickly walked up next to Tugger before Etcetera and danced along with him.
As we neared the end of the dance, I followed the older cats.
As we finished, Victoria looked around and nodded at me.
I turned around quickly to look as Grizabella slowly limped toward us.
I walked over and slowly reached toward her, but Skimble blocked me and gave me a stern look. I nodded and slowly walked away.
I watched as Victoria slowly reached out to touch her, but once again Jelly pulled her away.
I walked over and reached toward her. She walked towards me slowly. But as I leaned forward to touch her, Jenny grabbed my arm a pulled it away.
I ran away quickly, and watched the poor old cat as she began to sing.
She sang with a voice so beautiful, it made me want to run over and give her a hug.
But Jenny held me back, saying it was Old Deuteronomy who accepted Jellicles, not me.
I frowned and continued to watch the old queen as she slowly limped away. I smiled as I watched Old Deuteronomy slowly reach towards her as she walked away. He frowned as she walked away without a backward glance.
All the Jellicles came out quickly and lay down as Old Deuteronomy started to sing.
The moments of happiness.
I slowly looked up at him.
We had the experience but missed the meaning
And approach to the meaning restores the experience in a different form
So, we had the experience of happiness but we didn't get what it meant. But if we approach the meaning, it restores the experience we had by showing it to us through something else.
Beyond any meaning we can assign to happiness
The past experience revived in the meaning
Ok. So we can't give a meaning to happiness because our past experiences of happiness have been lost as we age.
Is not the experience of one life only but of many generations
Not forgetting something that is probably quite ineffable
Oh I get it. So our experiences of happiness are not just ours, they're also the experiences of the people we shared them with. And we can't forget the good times that we shared with them.
I looked around to see if anyone else understood. All of the others had blank looks.
As the leader's voice died down, Tanto looked over at me and nodded.
As she and Cori helped me stand up, I quickly took a deep breath and began.
Moonlight
Turn your face to the moonlight
Let your memory lead you open up, enter in
If you find there the meaning of what happiness is
Then a new life will begin
I sang softly, trying to explain to the others what Grizabella had been trying to say. That just because your life may not be amazing now, if you remember the good times, then you can always find something good in the present.
I sat down quickly as the other Jellicles joined me as I sang Grizabella's song once more.
Moonlight
Turn your face to the moonlight
Let your memory lead you open up, enter in
If you find there the meaning of what happiness is
Then a new life will begin
I smiled as I watched the other Jellicles smile and think of Grizabella.
I slowly looked over at Old Deuteronomy, who was smiling over at me. I smiled back and promised not to forget this moment of happiness.