Wednesday morning
While hanging laundry outside, I hear a rustle in the bushes, not ten feet away. I call, Boots. I don’t see anything. I race into our house to get some dry cat food to set in a bowl on the wood pile. Upon my return, Boots is gone. My main hope of finding Boots remains that someone has big-heartedly taken him in and will soon realize he’s ours. I take every long shot I am given and put food in three bowls around the yard to lure him back. A long shot, but it’s my best option. It reminds me of the sequence from Dumb and Dumber with Jim Carrey as Lloyd and Lauren Holly as Mary.
Lloyd: What do think the chances are of a guy like you and a girl like me ending up together?
Mary: Well, Lloyd, that’s difficult to say. I mean, we don’t really…
Lloyd: Hit me with it! Just give it to me straight! I came a long way just to see you, Mary. The least you can do is level with me. What are my chances?
Mary: Not good.
Lloyd: You mean, not good like one out of a hundred?
Mary: I’d say more like one out of a million.
[pause]
Lloyd: So you’re telling me there’s a chance… YEAH!
Wednesday evening
Hannah calls that our neighbor has spotted Boots walking across his back yard as he raked leaves from Hurricane Irene. Boots then went into the woods by our house. Each sighting encourages me and motivates me to get on my bike to deliver another 20 Boots flyers. Sylvie lets me know they have had cats disappear, too. Sadly, first I have to introduce myself as a neighbor and motion with my hand that we live two houses away. Two houses! That is so embarrassing and indeed pathetic. We can’t live 100 yards apart. For a guy who believes in community I certainly haven’t done much to build one here on Chases Pond Road.
When no one answers my knock, I wedge flyers into screen doors. I feel these flyers will be taken less seriously, especially to the people I don’t even know. I certainly haven’t made any down payments on getting people to care about our situation by being a good neighbor. State Farm wouldn’t even think of having me. When I do meet people to talk about Boots, I find I like them. People are at their best when they are helping others in need. I am in need. Hopefully I haven’t crossed the line into sadly pitiful. It just feels awkward having to introduce myself as a neighbor when I’ve lived here for 29 years; and then just show up wanting something from them. One tells me we’re in the woods all the time. Another young woman, who was in high school with our kids, tells of her cat leaving and not coming back. I wish I knew these people better. They seem so nice.
I am encouraged that Boots again has been spotted.
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