The Luggage Van
"Skimble!" the stationmaster's youngest daughter, Betsy, called. "Where is Skimble?"
"Has he gone to hunt the thimble?" Her sister, Tilly, asked.
I knew they were looking for me, but at the moment I didn't care. I had much more important matters to attend to in the luggage van...
"Everything is fine, I'm right here, dearest," I said soothingly to Jennyanydots. "How long?"
My mate smiled up at me. "Soon," she said. "The same as when you asked five seconds ago."
"Oh," I said sheepishly, and she laughed.
"You aren't usually so disorganized," she commented. Then she gave a soft meow of pain that hurt me but at the same time filled me with joy. I knew that I was soon to become a father.
I placed my paw on top of hers as she laboured for what seemed an eternity. Then, all at once I was holding our daughter. Our beautiful, new, darling, baby daughter. Awed, I lifted her up for Jennyanydots to see. We were both crying tears of joy as we dried the kitten off with our tongues and our paws.
As I stood there watching our tiny baby snuggled up against Jennyanydots, nursing contentedly, I whispered, "What shall we call her?"
"Well," my love said, "I think she will be a great dancer one day. See how her legs are long--and fine and strong as well?"
I nodded. "And look at her markings," I said, "Red with the black spots here and there. Why, it looks almost like an exploding bomb..."
"Bombalurina?" we said together. The look on Jenny's face was priceless, and I imagine mine was much the same. We both laughed, and little Bombalurina mewed angrily, set her ears back against her skull, and let out her claws, threatening to scratch her mother. She was upset because Jennyanydots was jostling her with her laughter, upsetting her first feeding.
"Her coloration is not the only explosive thing about her," I said, once I had gotten my breath back. "So is her personality."
"Yes," Jenny agreed, "She will be quite a handful." Then she cocked an ear towards a window that was open slightly. "Isn't it about time for the train to be leaving...?"
"Oh, I completely forgot!" I exclaimed, checking the little pocket watch I carried in my vest. "It's 11:42! The train should have left the station two minutes ago!" I waved a paw dismissively. "But I would not have missed this, even if it had made the train two hours late."
From the passenger car attached to the luggage van, I could hear the passengers becoming more frantic by the minute.
"I have to go now," I said, standing up. At the doorway I paused and looked back. Our daughter was already asleep, curled up in the soft fur on Jenny's stomach, and my mate was washing her with her soft, pink tongue. It might have been my imagination, but I thought that I could see a halo of light surounding the two, completing the perfect picture. After a good long look, I turned and marched out of the luggage van, and sauntered proudly to the rear of the train.