Chapter 3
"The Rum Tum Tugger is a curious cat…" The cats sang, the older ones clearly displeased as the large Maine Coon jumped to the old tyre and stood there, paws on his studded belt.
"If you offer me pheasant, I rather have grouse~"
Grizabella couldn't believe her eyes. Was that really her sweet little Rum Tum Tugger?
She was right, his mane had grown quite beautifully these past years, but that wasn't all. He was tall, a bit lanky, but good looking, and he sauntered around the stage with a strut that put her younger self to shame.
Grizabella didn't know how to react, or what to think as she watched her youngest son, once nothing but a runt, be surrounded by toms and queens, dancing and singing as if there was no tomorrow.
"The Rum Tum Tugger is a curious cat…"
"And there isn't any call for me to shout it~" The Rum Tum Tugger sang, rolling his hips more and more, even as Munkustrap and the older cats shared disapproving looks. The younger cats clearly didn't share their judgement.
She watched as little, pale tabby got very close and personal to Rum Tum Tugger while he moved around provocatively. She clearly was one of his biggest fans…
Those hip movements…
-o-
"Alright, now, pay attention." Grizabella smiled at the little kitten. "You move like this…"
The little kitten tried repeating the movement like his mother showed him, having a bit of a hard time keeping both feet in place. Still, he watched and tried again, getting better with each new try.
"Well done." Grizabella smiled at her little Rum Tum Tugger, who smiled back at her, repeating the movement with a bit more ease. "Come, now walk with me, like this."
And he repeated her movements once again, falling on his butt, but quickly getting up again and repeating the movement. Grizabella couldn't help but watch as he moved around, dancing to his own rhythm.
He was still so young, barely three months old, but as expected, the little one was already showing interest on dancing.
How could he not?
Whenever Grizabella took the stage, she forgot about the world around her. There was just her and the spotlight and, sometimes, the cat or cats that she was dancing with. But there were times, even as she basked herself into her trance-like state during performances, that she could feel his eyes on her.
Her little Rum Tum, sitting at the sidelines, most of the time tucked under Old Deuteronomy's arm, watched her with eagle eyes, as if nothing else in the world existed. He never missed a movement, sometimes even guessing which direction she would move to next, and she could see him trying to do the same from time to time.
He was going to be a show-cat, just like her, and she knew it.
It made her proud.
But it also made her envious.
He was so young, he still had so much life to live, so much to do and so many opportunities.
She knew she shouldn't feel like that about her own son, but she couldn't help it. She wished she was in his place, that she was the one who was young and free, the one that still could have the chance to do everything she wanted to do.
She was growing older by the minute, with three kittens to take care of – well, two, really, since Macavity was already a Junior; her fur was losing it's shine bit by bit; and she felt like her whole being was becoming more and more muted. The more time passed, the more she felt a prisoner, maybe of destiny, maybe of the junkyard, maybe of…
Where had time gone…?
"Mama? Mama!"
Grizabella was brought out of her thoughts by her kitten's voice and a soft pawing at her legs.
"Ah, yes, Rum Tum?" She smiled at him, trying to push away the uncomfortable feeling of guilt that lingered whenever she had those thoughts.
"Did I do it right?" Rum Tum Tugger asked with a smile, showing his sharp little canines. And the innocence of that smile only made the guilt feel even more like bile burning her throat.
"Yes, you did great." She said with a smile, trying not to let any of those feelings show, as she lifted her little tom on her arms.
"I wanna dance like you do one day." Rum Tum Tugger said once settled against her hip, he made a determined face. "Be the bestest dancer!"
"The best dancer, Rum Tum." Grizabella giggled, pressing her snout against his. "I know you'll be it one day, the best dancer of the whole tribe."
Tugger continued babbling, talking about his future numbers in the Jellicle Ball, and his energy somehow was able to push those weird, disgusting feelings away, even if for just a moment.
-o-
Grizabella didn't know if she would laugh or cry at the memory. But she was quickly removed from her thoughts by another voice.
"The Rum Tum Tugger…" The tuxedo cat stood beside Tugger, side-eyeing him with an annoyed expression. Tugger simply leaned ever so slightly towards the smaller cat. "Is a terrible bore." And the tom rolled his eyes for effect.
Grizabella wasn't surprised by that, she would've expected some cats to not be big fans of her son, especially the toms. I mean, he was quite the competition, especially if the little tom was interested in any of the queens around them.
Tugger smiled at the tux, leaning his head towards him for a moment before continuing his song as if he hadn't been interrupted. The tux simply rolled his eyes dramatically and returned to the back of the stage.
That's good., Grizabella decided. My son takes flak from no one. Just like…
She stopped herself.
She couldn't help but compare the Rum Tum Tugger to herself, she had always done that before, it was no wonder she was doing it again.
But really, she couldn't blame herself. The Rum Tum Tugger could look a lot like his dad, but judging by the way he strutted around the stage, taking the spotlight and ignoring the critics, he was just like her.
She had been the Glamour Cat of the tribe for so long, she wouldn't be surprised if he had been given the title at some point. He was the tribe's showstopper, just like she had been once.
But, different from her, he had found his place; he didn't need to dream and wait for a literal magical change to go after similar things out there.
Incredible. Years had passed, but Grizabella still envied her youngest kitten.
What kind of mother was she…?
She shook her head, knowing the answer to that, but not wishing to think about it.
"The Rum Tum Tugger is a curious beast~" Another voice sang, the very well-known voice of a tortoiseshell queen.
"My disobliging ways are a matter of habit~" Tugger smiled at Bombalurina, continuing his song as she approached him. The two danced together, clearly very used to being this close.
Could it be? Rum Tum Tugger and Bombalurina? Grizabella remembered how they were always fighting and butting heads when young; but she also did have memory of the two getting closer, back when things had started to get more… Hectic in the junkyard. All thanks to…
"For I only like what I find for myself…" Rum Tum Tugger sang as Bombalurina clearly offered himself to her. He ran his paw over her front, before saying, almost toneless. "No." And he quickly withdrew the paw that held her in place, practically dropping Bombalurina.
So, he was a player.
Grizabella couldn't say she was surprised…
Her son continued dancing and singing, unfazed, and the cats continued following him as if they were moths drawn to a light. And Grizabella remembered how it was to be in that position, not only in the tribe or at the junkyard, but out there as well.
Now all she experienced was rejection.
She shook her head, she had to stop thinking about those things and focus on what she had come to do.
She felt conflicted. She wanted to continue watching her son dance and sing like there was no tomorrow, but she also wanted to stop, to ignoring him, for he remembered her so much of herself.
Grizabella made a compromise; she had a mission to accomplish. If it could be called that.
She moved from the top of the bucket as silently as possible, walking slowly towards the stage and making sure no one could see her.
"The Rum Tum Tugger is a curious cat! The Rum Tum Tugger doesn't care for a cuddle!" The cats continued singing as Grizabella made her way.
Huh, funny, if there was something Grizabella remembered from her son's young years was that he was very much a huge cuddler.
Things had changed… And she wondered why.
Grizabella heard the sound of paws somewhere in the middle of the trash, and hesitated in her steps. She looked around, startled and confused, ready to try and leap away from danger even with her bad leg; but she could hardly see anything amongst the piles of scrap and rubbish.
Maybe it was just some rats or cockroaches…
Keeping her ears perked for new sounds, she continued her slow walk towards the stage.
Her son's number was reaching it's end, she guessed, as the music slowed down and the voices quieted, until Rum Tum Tugger's voice was the only one heard.
She crawled under a few stacked boxes, cringing slightly at the high-pitched sound of the young cat's mewling. Grizabella could see the warm lights of the stage up ahead like it was a light at the end of a tunnel, and she felt hesitant once more. She looked around, making sure no one was going to get her by surprise, but every single cat was clearly more focused on Rum Tum Tugger, who was rolling his hips in a sensual and teasing manner, playing with his belt and swishing his tail back and forth.
"Aboooouut~!" He held the last note, repeating the hip rolls, and hist voice was drowned by the very high-pitched squealing of the pale tabby kitten.
Grizabella held back a giggle. She was indeed his biggest fan…
Rum Tum Tugger shut her up with a simple motion and smiled at the other cats.
"About it~" He added and struck a pose.
There was silence and everything was still for a moment.
"Wow!" Rum Tum Tugger cried out with a laugh, thrusting his hips forward and the song started again.
The choreography was left behind and the cats joined in on the Rum Tum Tugger's chaos, calling his name, laughing and just having a good time. Their voiced drowned the complaints of the older cats.
Grizabella took a step back when the tuxedo who was sitting on the pipe beside the tyre jumped down and joined the others with a smile. And he hid herself even more as Tugger ran towards the pipe, even though part of her wanted to reach for him, to touch her, pat his head fur and see if he was still as fluffy as she remembered him to be…
"Yeah! Let's go!" Rum Tum Tugger cried out with excitement, jumping from the pipe to the tyre and the to the car, fast as a bullet, and clearly ignoring the looks he was receiving from his older brother.
He shook his mane in time with the song and Grizabella couldn't help but smile, the memory of her little Rum Tum doing the same thing as that giant fluff started growing fresh in her mind.
And then, his eyes turned towards the shadows where she hid, and once those golden orbs fell on her, she felt drawn to them.
Grizabella barely registered how her son's expression changed upon seeing her. She didn't care about it at the moment, all that she cared about was that her son was looking at her; those pretty amber colored eyes that she had seen the last time, so long ago, glittering with unshed tears.
-o-
"Hey…" Grizabella kneeled in front of the sniffing kitten, who was trying his best to fight back the tears. "Hey, no crying." She grabbed his face gently and two little yellow paws rested over hers. "There is no reason to cry, my dear little Rum Tum, I won't stay away forever."
He sniffed one last time, finally looking up at her with those big eyes of his.
"Will…" Tugger said, voice hopeful. "Will you come back…?"
Grizabella gave her kitten a saddened smile at those words. It hurt her to see Tugger like that, and part of her momentarily wondered if this was worth it, to leave the junkyard.
She had hoped to do so for so long and now that Macavity had given her a chance of chasing her dreams, she couldn't turn back, she couldn't miss that chance.
"Of course, I will." She said, controlling her voice. And, as if to lighten the mood, she booped Tugger on the snout. "No doubt of it." She promised.
-o-
She had meant it…
No doubt of it.
And now she was back…
