“Really?”
“Yes. I’ll talk to the doctor on your behalf. I hope you get better soon. Take care.”
“But what about this cat?”
“Take care.”
“What should I do with this cat?”
“Take care.” The nurse’s voice was flat, and she did not lift her gaze from the desk.
Once outside the building, Abino read the instruction leaflet, holding the carrier in the other hand.
Name: Mimita. Male. Five months old. Scottish fold. Feed moderate amounts of cat food in the morning and at night. Water bowl must always be full. Clean kitty litter as needed. He is sociable and may appear attached to you, but in reality, he may still be wary. It’s important to connect with him to foster a bond, but please be aware that he has a tendency to run if you pursue him. At bedtime, he should sleep in the same room as the patient. That’s all.
“What’s this? What does it even mean?”
Her mind was filled with uncertainty. She hadn’t come into contact with a cat in a year. When she thought of Chitose coming home and smelling a different feline on her, it made her hesitate to even get near one. Yet, suddenly, without warning, a cat had been thrust upon her. Tomoka had said it might spark something in her. Spark what? she wondered.
She slipped out of the dark alley and continued walking, but she still felt shrouded in a fog.
Shizue was crawling on the tatami floor, desperately trying to catch Mimita’s attention. Beside her, Abino’s sister geisha Yuriha was also on the floor, wiggling a feathered toy.
“Mimita, what a good boy you are. Now come over here. Come.”
Mimita observed both of them and, on his short legs, approached Yuriha. Then Shizue brandished a cat treat.
“Here, Mimita, come to Mama. I have a treat for you.”
“That’s not fair!” cried Yuriha. “You’re totally cheating, Mother.”
Abino watched the two of them fight over Mimita. Shizue was a cat lover, so she accepted Mimita immediately even though Abino had brought him home without consulting her. If anything, she welcomed him with open arms. Yuriha, like Abino, lived at the okiya even after she had graduated from being a maiko and debuted as a geiko. In the days when Chitose had been around, these two women had taken great care of her.
Scottish folds had small folded ears, round dumpling-like faces, and short legs. Their adorable appearance made them a popular breed. Mimita had folded ears that stuck to his spherical head. Rather than ears, it looked like Mimita was wearing a headband with a crushed ribbon. His eyes were perfectly circular, and his entire body was round. If it weren’t for the light brown stripes and whiskers, he could have been mistaken for a different feline species altogether.
As the instruction leaflet had said, he was accustomed to being around people and would come to you if you called his name. He also liked to show off his charming movements whenever he played. Presently, he was busy swatting a ball of yarn.
“You’re so cute, Mimita,” said Shizue. Her voice was steeped with emotion. “It’s like a hole in my heart has been filled. I’m glad that Abino decided to get a cat again.”
“That’s true. Abino, you’ve been so down. I’ve missed our dearest Chitose, but I’m glad Mimita is here,” said Yuriha, her eyes brimming with tears. She burst into laughter.
Mimita was struggling to hold on to the ball of yarn and ended up flipping over.
“Mother, Mimita reminds me of something. Oh, I know. He looks like an ohagi,” said Yuriha.
“Ohagi? You mean rice balls coated in sweet red bean paste or seaweed?”
“Yes, exactly! He looks like a kinako ohagi—coated in soybean powder, round, and delicious-looking.”
“You’re right. If that’s the case, I’d like mine with coarse bean paste inside.”
“I prefer smooth bean paste. How about you, Abino?”
Yuriha smiled at Abino, but Abino couldn’t bring herself to return the smile. They were both completely smitten with Mimita, and it worried her.
“Mother, Yuriha, I’ve said this many times: I have to return this cat in three days.”
The two women exchanged glances and laughed awkwardly.
“Oh, Abino. The fact that you were open to taking in a cat like this shows you’re feeling more positive. Can’t you ask the doctor at the clinic if you can adopt the cat?”
“That’s right. I’ll help out with taking care of Mimita as well.”
It was as if they had planned this conversation. Abino suspected they had conspired behind her back.
“What are you two talking about?” Abino desperately tried to hide her agitation. She remembered the downcast eyes of the nurse who had told her she didn’t need to come back to the clinic. “I’m only taking care of him temporarily, not adopting him. And besides, what you’re saying is unfair to Chitose. It’s like we’ve given up on finding her.”
“It’s not like that, Abino. Even if we adopt a new cat, it doesn’t mean we’ve given up on Chitose. I don’t mind waiting for Chitose. And we won’t forget her. Still, your happiness matters, too,” said Shizue calmly but with a hint of admonishment. She clapped her hands softly and said, “Mimita, come here. Come on…No? Here, I have a treat.”
She showed Mimita the treat, then scooped him up when he abandoned his ball of yarn and came bounding over.
“You’re a good boy, Mimita. Abino, you haven’t held this cat or even played with him once since he arrived. I don’t think you’ve even called him by his name, have you?” asked Shizue.
She pulled up Mimita by the crook of his front legs and held him toward Abino. Because his front legs were short, it looked like he was holding his arms up high in a cheer on either side of his perfectly spherical head.
If things were different, the sight would have made Abino smile. But the more she watched Mimita make adorable gestures, the more her guilt increased. Whenever she thought of doting on Mimita, she felt like she was abandoning Chitose. She felt Chitose was watching her from somewhere.
