Dad liked to pretend that he was a tough and detached guy, but we all knew that underneath that mask was one very squishy, sensitive, tender hearted man.
For a brief moment Dad and I lived as roommates in a small cabin in Cedar Ridge CA. The cabin was set back in the woods, far from any other home. One day Dad noticed a frail orange and white cat creeping on the back deck; it skittered away before he could get near it. Without telling me, he left some food out on the deck the next day in hopes of luring the cat in. By nightfall the food had been taken. Over the next several days, there were more sightings of the cat, which excited me but seemed to irritate Dad. "He's gonna come back looking for food and piss all over everything" was the usual remark. Well, the cat did come back, each time coming just a bit closer to door. Why? because Dad was feeding him in secret! As the cat hung around for longer periods of time, we could see that he was emaciated, hair ratted, and clearly abandoned. Dad could no longer resist his compulsion to care for this little orange cat; soon, bowls of milk and cans of tuna were set for a full on gourmet cat food extravaganza. In full Dad fashion, he would curse the cat for being so skiddish and clingy while simultaneously promoting his return by delivering more food. Eventually, the cat received a name - "Mao" - simply because that was the sound he made repeatedly. It wasn't a surprise when Mao progressed to making it into the house and allowing Dad to pet him. Still, Dad would complain about Mao - "that thing won't shut up!" "He's gonna shred the couch" "I don't even like cats"...
I walked through the door after work one day to find Dad half asleep on the couch with Mao sprawled over his chest, purring while Dad stroked him. I tried to remain silent so I could snap a photo of Dad in the act of openly loving this adopted cat, but when he noticed I was there, suddenly sat up, brushed the cat off and said "I don't really like him, he just started doing that..."
Sure, Dad. Deny it all you want, but you are one giant force of love, compassion, and empathy that more than one shabby old orange cat can recognize.
