Circa: February 2021
I’m busy.
I feel busy; almost super-busy, pecking away on the keyboard, completing something urgent for work. Someone’s waiting for what I’m working on—again.
KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK
It was faint-sounding so I almost dismissed it.
KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK
Now it’s unmistakable.
Huh? That’s weird.
But who would be knocking on our patio door window? And why now— when I’m ‘on a roll’? Especially since it usually takes longer to get restarted after an interruption.
KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK
There it is again—only a bit faster now that I’m listening for it. As I look towards the doors, it’s strange because I don’t see any figure standing there. Yet I definitely hear a distinct knocking sound. I think that the only way to resolve this mystery is to go look.
Me: Wonk?!? When in the heck did you learn how to knock?
Wonk: Just sitting there staring at me like he doesn’t know what he’s done.
Me: Dude! I guess I have to let you in after that trick, huh?
It turns out that his knock was more like a loud, steady tapping. So, it’s still sort of a knock I suppose.
Well, honestly I did experience a sort of chilling flash back to the days (as in maybe 2 years earlier) when he wanted-in and concluded that he’d get our attention by climbing on the screen door and then rattling it; when that didn’t work, he climbed on it and slowly slid down the screen mid-way where he’d be seen dangling from it whenever us lazy humans finally went to the door.
My wife definitely was letting him in; me: it was a crap-shoot. I spent too much time getting into the work to be distracted by his crazy antics. (Translation: I was definitely going to have to let him in even if I didn’t want to but at least I think he could almost psychically ‘tell’ that I was giving him my stern squint, so he’d know just how serious I was about his intrusions).
Update: Wonk never cared then, and doesn’t care.
Well, I always try to keep an extra card up my sleeve when it comes to dealing with this cat. I looked him in his cat eyes and gave it to him straight:
Cat. I’m in the middle of a lot of work right now. You better not be in here to play games with me again. C’mon. Hurry up in.
Wonk: (Sitting down outside the doorway licking his legs and pruning himself—slowly.)
Me: You have GOT to be kidding. After all of that knocking you better get your tail in this house. By the way, you’re not even supposed to be knocking, you know that right?
Wonk: REE-OWNNNN (I could swear that he rolled his eyes at me as he walked inside. He stretched a little and went towards the kitchen.) REE-OWNNNN!
Feeling confident that all of his food-stuff is set up for exactly this moment, I’m almost (but not really) surprised that he clearly is complaining about something. So, I entered the kitchen behind him to see what the issue is this time.
Me: Wonk? What is it crazy cat? You have 2 different types of food and fresh water.
Wonk: (he falls over to his side and then rolls to his back looking vulnerable and loving—to my wife).
My wife hears me being stern with him and comes to his aid.
“Awwwwww. Look at mommy’s boy. Awwww. Get him some freshwater and change out his food” she tells me as she squats down to pat him and rub his belly.
Wonk: (I am sure he was giggling at me from over her shoulder.)
Me: Honey, I’m right in the middle of working. It’s bad enough that I stopped this long to let this nuisance inside in the first place.
Why’d I say that?
“Husband. Don’t make me have to choose between you and my cat.”
Wonk got that fresh food and water he wanted plus some additional patting and grooming before rushing back to the door. And after a few nudges and tugs at our drapery, I stopped working—once more—so that his highness could be let out to roam the great outdoor plains again.
The Wild World of Wonk! #3
June 8, 2022