Lewis

We told Lydia someone named Lewis was coming over. We told her we were going to pick him up. We mentioned that he wasn't married, he didn't have any children and he liked crunchy food. We said he was going to spend the night and that he was going to sit by her in the car on the way home. She was nervous and curious. Then she was surprised to find out that Lewis was indeed a CAT and that her parents like to tease. 

His owner was leaving the island and after much discussion about not getting a dog we decided we could handle a cat. I am not a huge cat person at all. They scare me.  

When we got home we had to run to a birthday party and then the next morning was church. We left in a hurry for church and when we came home we couldn't find the dang cat anywhere. 

I wasn't too sad. Is that bad? Lydia however was in tears. We searched in every room, in every closet, under the beds, behind the washing machine....everywhere. 

He was gone. We then searched outside. We drove the neighborhood. We thought maybe he got out when we left for church. 

Tyson had to tell his previous owner that we already lost his cat. That was embarrassing.

Lydia went through various stages of grief. First she was sad. Then she was mad at the cat. Mad that he left. Then scared for him because he was an inside cat and now in the outside world. We knew he would die for sure. 

We ended up taking a Sunday nap. 

We all woke up and Tyson started making up songs about "Lewis the cat.....why'd you go scat?" That made Lydia laugh. 

We decided to go look outside again. This time we enlisted neighbors to help us. We met new friends because of this dang cat. I texted a few friends in our neighborhood and they had their kids praying for our lost cat that we barely knew. After an hour we called it quits as it was getting dark. We searched inside once more. Nothing. No cat anywhere! 

We ate dinner, watched a show and then around 8:30 p.m. We were all sitting on the couch together discussing our day. Lydia had been a hot mess of emotions. It is interesting watching children deal with situations like this. It was emotional for her. 

I was at peace that Lewis was gone. I wasn't attached to him after our short time together. Lydia and Tyson finally joined me and we all concluded that he was gone and that it was ok. He most likely tried to go back to his old owner somehow, we heard they do that from time to time. Or he was in a tree, or had been eaten by a wild boonie pig. We thought of every possible scenario. 

Then all of sudden we heard a faint meow. It freaked out Lydia and she burst into tears. It was so funny, but I didn't laugh. 

It sounded like that sound it was coming from inside the wall. What? Cats are so weird. 

I sat on the couch consoling Lydia while Tyson searched some more. 

Lewis was BEHIND the washing machine. We had both checked there previously and hadn't seen him. 

Lewis came back. 

Ok, so Lewis never left.

But he was back all the same. 

What a day. 

Lewis has been low maintenance ever since. He eats, sleeps a lot and Lydia and Tyson sure love playing with him at night when he's active. 

The neighborhood loves Lewis too.