Chapter Two( Re-establishing Old Friendships
The sun seemed to have risen earlier this morning for Demeter. She was used to living under a large rubble heap where the sun did not penetrate until at least ten. It was about 6:30, not that she knew the number.
She woke when the light hit her eyes and she sat up from Bombalurina's lap and stretched. It actually felt wonderful to be in the junkyard rather than with Macavity. Bombalurina smiled at her as Demeter turned to look her sister in the eye.
"Morning!" Jemima said perkily as she jumped up from the front seat. "You look much better today, Demeter!"
"Thank you, little one," she told the younger cat.
"I have an idea," Bombalurina piped suddenly. Her sisters looked at her in question.
"Maybe a little fun with the others will help you forget the anxiety created by Macavity." Bombalurina was going somewhere with these antics. "There is a little get together going on tonight that, to tell you the truth, we didn't think we'd be seeing you at. Everyone will be mighty glad to see you back and I'm sure they'll do all they can to protect you from Macavity."
"Don't say his name," Demeter whispered. "He might hear you!"
The three went back to sleep, basking in the sun pouring through the dirty windows of the busted car.
~}~}~}~}~}~}~}{~{~{~{~{~{~{~
As promised, that night came down with the expectation of merrymaking. The two younger cats followed Bombalurina to a part of the junkyard where several cats were already munching on catnip and other delicacies either stolen from somewhere or found.
Demeter clung to Bombalurina though Jemima went off to find her friends. Several cats recognized her but not many came near. There was a tom with a brilliant golden mane running from a few kittens that looked familiar. Bombalurina snagged him rather roughly and whispered something in his ear. He grinned seductively at her and raced off before the kittens could catch him.
"Who's that?" Demeter asked.
"You don't remember?" Bombalurina gasped incredulously. "He's only the hottest cat in this place. The only cat with an article in his name, The Rum Tum Tugger."
"Okay," Demeter said. "And what did you tell him?"
"I gave him a message to give to Munkustrap," she answered as they neared a table. "You'll find out what it is." She snagged a bit of nip and popped it into her mouth.
Demeter continued to follow Bombalurina around until a cockney accent jarred her from her sister. There were two striped felines arguing over a bauble of shiny proportions and Demeter recognized one of them almost instantly.
She smiled and took a running leap, landing on the shoulders of her brother, Mungojerry.
"Whot the--, who the--, git off a me! Teaza' 'elp me git 'em off, will ya!"
"Mungojerry!" Demeter exclaimed. "It's me!"
"Hoy, Demi!" he shouted in surprise. "You're 'ere! 'ow'd you git away frum 'at bloke M'cavty? Oi thought Oi'd ne'er see ya 'gain!"
"'oose'at, Jerry?" the smaller cat asked. She had a rather childish expression on her face that made her look like she'd been caught with her hand in a cookie jar.
"Hoy, its me sista!" he told her excitedly. "She's beck!"
"Beck from M'cavty? Dint we do a bi 'o work fo'im a whoil beck?" she asked.
"Oi believe we did, Teaza! 'E won'ed ta jip us frum our pay, lest oi rememba!"
Demeter left the two to gab by themselves and got bumped as a tom rushed past. It was Tugger. He turned and grinned at her, tipping an invisible hat. He continued running and Demeter turned to find several kittens following him. One of them was Jemima. She stopped and waved, grabbing Victoria and Etcetera. They recognized Demeter and ran up to tackle her.
"Demi! You're back! I've missed you so much!" the little Victoria purred. Etcetera was so happy to see her that she couldn't even speak. She just squealed in excitement and didn't even see Tugger sneaking away. He winked at Demeter and mouthed a thanks, disappearing up a tree.
"Attention all cats!" a voice commanded. All eye swung to the center of the clearing where a black and white striped cat stood on point, his ears erect and his eyes alight.
"What do you want, Munkustrap?" Tugger shouted playfully from the tree.
"I would think you'd know," he told his younger brother. "Seeing as you gave me the message."
Munkustrap turned back to the rest of the Jellicles and began. "A while ago, before the time of Macavity's nefarious deeds, there was a queen who lived amongst the reeds. Her voice cut through to a toms heart, owing then to her next minutes depart. She had left for awhile, her voice for a time hidden. No-one knew to where, but the cry of a frightened kitten. That queen has returned, from the depths of Jellicle despair. She stands now under Tugger's tree, the one Demeter fair." Cheers emanated from the cats and Munkustrap moved smoothly over to Demeter. He held out his paw and pulled her to the center of the clearing.
"Now," he said aloud. "I know that a lot of cats have recognized her tonight and not bothered to speak to her because of where she has been kept. I now tell you that nothing that has happened to her will ever happen again. I pledge to protect you from that fiend." He bowed and licked her paw.
"I as well," sounded a voice from the entrance to the junkyard. Attention moved to Skimbleshanks, Demeter's father. "I should have been there to protect you, dear." Soon, toms and queens alike were calling out encouragement. Jellylorum ran to her daughter and enveloped her in a hug in which all the Jellicles contributed.
The sun seemed to have risen earlier this morning for Demeter. She was used to living under a large rubble heap where the sun did not penetrate until at least ten. It was about 6:30, not that she knew the number.
She woke when the light hit her eyes and she sat up from Bombalurina's lap and stretched. It actually felt wonderful to be in the junkyard rather than with Macavity. Bombalurina smiled at her as Demeter turned to look her sister in the eye.
"Morning!" Jemima said perkily as she jumped up from the front seat. "You look much better today, Demeter!"
"Thank you, little one," she told the younger cat.
"I have an idea," Bombalurina piped suddenly. Her sisters looked at her in question.
"Maybe a little fun with the others will help you forget the anxiety created by Macavity." Bombalurina was going somewhere with these antics. "There is a little get together going on tonight that, to tell you the truth, we didn't think we'd be seeing you at. Everyone will be mighty glad to see you back and I'm sure they'll do all they can to protect you from Macavity."
"Don't say his name," Demeter whispered. "He might hear you!"
The three went back to sleep, basking in the sun pouring through the dirty windows of the busted car.
~}~}~}~}~}~}~}{~{~{~{~{~{~{~
As promised, that night came down with the expectation of merrymaking. The two younger cats followed Bombalurina to a part of the junkyard where several cats were already munching on catnip and other delicacies either stolen from somewhere or found.
Demeter clung to Bombalurina though Jemima went off to find her friends. Several cats recognized her but not many came near. There was a tom with a brilliant golden mane running from a few kittens that looked familiar. Bombalurina snagged him rather roughly and whispered something in his ear. He grinned seductively at her and raced off before the kittens could catch him.
"Who's that?" Demeter asked.
"You don't remember?" Bombalurina gasped incredulously. "He's only the hottest cat in this place. The only cat with an article in his name, The Rum Tum Tugger."
"Okay," Demeter said. "And what did you tell him?"
"I gave him a message to give to Munkustrap," she answered as they neared a table. "You'll find out what it is." She snagged a bit of nip and popped it into her mouth.
Demeter continued to follow Bombalurina around until a cockney accent jarred her from her sister. There were two striped felines arguing over a bauble of shiny proportions and Demeter recognized one of them almost instantly.
She smiled and took a running leap, landing on the shoulders of her brother, Mungojerry.
"Whot the--, who the--, git off a me! Teaza' 'elp me git 'em off, will ya!"
"Mungojerry!" Demeter exclaimed. "It's me!"
"Hoy, Demi!" he shouted in surprise. "You're 'ere! 'ow'd you git away frum 'at bloke M'cavty? Oi thought Oi'd ne'er see ya 'gain!"
"'oose'at, Jerry?" the smaller cat asked. She had a rather childish expression on her face that made her look like she'd been caught with her hand in a cookie jar.
"Hoy, its me sista!" he told her excitedly. "She's beck!"
"Beck from M'cavty? Dint we do a bi 'o work fo'im a whoil beck?" she asked.
"Oi believe we did, Teaza! 'E won'ed ta jip us frum our pay, lest oi rememba!"
Demeter left the two to gab by themselves and got bumped as a tom rushed past. It was Tugger. He turned and grinned at her, tipping an invisible hat. He continued running and Demeter turned to find several kittens following him. One of them was Jemima. She stopped and waved, grabbing Victoria and Etcetera. They recognized Demeter and ran up to tackle her.
"Demi! You're back! I've missed you so much!" the little Victoria purred. Etcetera was so happy to see her that she couldn't even speak. She just squealed in excitement and didn't even see Tugger sneaking away. He winked at Demeter and mouthed a thanks, disappearing up a tree.
"Attention all cats!" a voice commanded. All eye swung to the center of the clearing where a black and white striped cat stood on point, his ears erect and his eyes alight.
"What do you want, Munkustrap?" Tugger shouted playfully from the tree.
"I would think you'd know," he told his younger brother. "Seeing as you gave me the message."
Munkustrap turned back to the rest of the Jellicles and began. "A while ago, before the time of Macavity's nefarious deeds, there was a queen who lived amongst the reeds. Her voice cut through to a toms heart, owing then to her next minutes depart. She had left for awhile, her voice for a time hidden. No-one knew to where, but the cry of a frightened kitten. That queen has returned, from the depths of Jellicle despair. She stands now under Tugger's tree, the one Demeter fair." Cheers emanated from the cats and Munkustrap moved smoothly over to Demeter. He held out his paw and pulled her to the center of the clearing.
"Now," he said aloud. "I know that a lot of cats have recognized her tonight and not bothered to speak to her because of where she has been kept. I now tell you that nothing that has happened to her will ever happen again. I pledge to protect you from that fiend." He bowed and licked her paw.
"I as well," sounded a voice from the entrance to the junkyard. Attention moved to Skimbleshanks, Demeter's father. "I should have been there to protect you, dear." Soon, toms and queens alike were calling out encouragement. Jellylorum ran to her daughter and enveloped her in a hug in which all the Jellicles contributed.