A letter from a cat (fiction)

Lights turned up. A black cat appeared on the stage. There were bookshelves, some lamps, a writing table, and a chair.

The cat was wearing a beret. It was flamboyantly tilted. It made him looks like Tezuka Osamu.

"Bonjour tristesse. Adieu tristesse. Bonjour bonheur," said the cat.

The cat sat on the chair. With a quill, he began writing a letter.

"Dear my uncles, how is it going with my family? I hope you all are well.

I'm in Nice. It is very quiet here. I found a good place to live in. I also met a professor with fine whiskers. He let me in a college. I'm a college student now.

The college is a nice place. Especially this college is a very good place for cats. There are lots of us, human shaped cats.

The college has cozy rooms. It is called silent rooms. It is membered rooms. There are cussions, chairs and a tiny lamp. Small and dark rooms. To some it sounds like a cell, but you know how it is cozy for cats.

How is our dear grandmother? I had not known how old she is, but the professor said that ninety was a very very old age for humans. I wish her well. Her Alzheimer's can't be cured, I believe. But she had been worked hard for decades, so we must make rest of her life comfortable. Please make sure she has everything she needs. Hot tea, warm meals for three times in a day, an afternoon cake, good baths, et cetera. As I recall she liked hot chocolate, dried fruits like Hoshi-gaki, and anything sweet. Send her my best regards.

Ere long we meet again.

Love, Blacky.

Post scriptum. I'll send something yummy with my letter. Some fish and cakes, perhaps."

Curtain fall.

Dear Blacky

We had read your letter ten times before we found that something was terribly wrong with you. Though we, or should I say your uncle Calignostro, had thought something was wrong with you from the first. By "the first" I mean the first time we heard that you were going abroad. He said that you would never left our house unless something was dreadfully wrong. I agree. Because you were, or are so attached to our dear grandmother.

We don't know what it was. We hope that you'll tell us someday.

But, life goes on. Our dear grandmother is quite well. You would not be surprised even if I had said she wasn't aware of that one of her cat was missing? Well that is so. It is not a bad thing, I think. After all, She can do nothing for reaching you. Still, it made me sad when I thought through it. She was such a spiteful lady. There was a time that if she had found out that one of her cat was missing; she would have searched all over our city. She would even search the police station. That is what a strong lady she was. She was little fire dragon in our city. Well, in her own way she still is. Although I think you had never suspect it with that warm old lady. She has a little too big fire in her tiny body.

Let me back to your life's story again.

What I can say to you is short. "Life is sometimes very hard to us. Too often, in my opinion. I won't say so what it is. What I want to say is... Well, I picked up your favorite tea in that teahouse. I meant that Tochu-cha you like. Drink it before you go to bed and have a pleasant dream. Goodnight."

We hope we'll hear from you again soon. Even a picture printed postcard without your handwritten word is enough in relations like us. But if you can, write something. I used to write letters with such a foolish jokes to my mother. She loved them. She knew they were picked up from some joke books, though.

Love, your uncles Whitey and the Count Calignostro.