Sophie

THREE WORD WEDNESDAY

Draft; noun: A preliminary version of a piece of writing; a plan, sketch or rough drawing; compulsory recruitment for military service; a current of cool air in a room or other confined space; verb: Prepare a preliminary version; pull or draw; adjective: Denoting beer or other drink that is kept in and served from a barrel or tank rather than from a bottle or can.


Locate; verb: Discover the exact place or position of; place within a particular context; establish oneself or one's business in a specified place.

Serenity; noun: The state of being calm, peaceful, and untroubled.


Is that you, or Sophie?

Sometimes I see you in my cat, Sophie- a boy cat. Sophie is a prankster. Yesterday he hid beneath the dining room table and as I walked by, Sophie jumped and knocked a glass of chocolate milk from my hands. The milk went everywhere and Sophie turned back to look at the empty glass spinning on the hardwood floor, only as if to snicker as he ran to escape my cursing that filled the room. A few minutes later, Sophie sat at my feet as I rinsed the glass in the kitchen sink. He sits not facing the cabinet or me, he sits watching the rest of the kitchen like a protector to make sure nothing comes up behind me, watching and waiting. Sophie started biting his nails. Unusual for a cat, but every evening, he will sit upright with his back propped on a pillow against the couch and bites and pulls at his front paw nails until satisfied. I’ve taken to biting my nails too. I didn’t used to. I do a lot of things I didn’t used to do, since you’ve been gone.

Occasionally, I feel you in the room with me. If I didn’t think you were re-incarnated as Sophie, I’d hope she could see you when I don’t. There isn’t a draft in the whole house. It is sealed up tight. I could not mistake the wind for your ghost passing through the room. I know when you are there. You are like Sophie, hiding in wait, one day you will show yourself and I will certainly be surprised and fling everything I am carrying through the air, and you will laugh. We will both think it is funny . I would love to hear your laughter again. Knowing you are near is my serenity. I miss you; I love you, brother.