Malaika & Xayah – Say Their Names

Falling In Love
By Amy Brown
WINTER 2008

It was an ordinary day. I went to school, then to work, and finally made the walk home. And to my surprise, I fell in love before I reached my destination. It was a rather dismal day, the kind I have always been partial to. I grew up on the blistering hot desert crust, south of the wondrous Grand Canyons and north of the Mexican border in Arizona, where the heavens erratically fall.

Suddenly, I was startled by a baby meow; actually it was more like a blood-curdling screech. I could not see a kitten anywhere, which was frightening because I was standing on the sidewalk next to a congested intersection. Then I spoke feline language, and it replied. I followed the sound to a dull red sedan with a mismatched black hood. The car sat on a used cat lot at 9th and Cook near downtown Springfield, and the car lot was still open.

Quickly I walked back to the garage area, and to the first man I saw, I asked “Do you work here?” He spoke zero English. I explained my situation to him anyway. Shortly after, another man approached. He was foreign as well, but we could communicate nonetheless. I explained my predicament once again. As we were walking to the car he said to me, “I don`t know what we`ll do with it.” “Just open the hood and I will take the cat with me,” I replied.

That unyielding hood was finally open. There was the tiniest and cutest kitten ever! He was maybe five or six weeks old. His grayish – blue eyes were so wide and innocent, and his orange fur looked especially soft. I fell in love at first sight! If you had seen this miniature, you would have loved him, too. My friend, who is not a cat lover, even agreed with me.

As I reached for the kitten, he tried to run down into the engine; he did not get far. I caught him and, when I did, he bit me really good, sinking his teeth into my skin about five times! However, this beautiful, undersized kitty was not getting away from my loving embrace. Yes, he was ferocious, but he was petrified; I was love-bitten.

Everything about this midget was magnificent. Instead of routine, my after work walk proved to be purposeful. I saved an abandoned baby and fell in love. What a gorgeous surprise. Sadly, I could not care for that baby I loved. What was I to do? Somehow I had to protect the helpless creature. I fortunately, a friend suggested the Animal Protective League of Springfield and how it would be helpful. My hopes were high.

Upon entering those miracle doors, the heavens sang! I saw large, healthy cats roaming and they seemed content. Everything felt right. The staff seemed to love that darling cat as much as I did. During examination, APL people embraced, talked to, and calmed the frightened feline. The kitten I fell in love with on that unordinary day remained in the care of APL as I walked out of those doors, never to see that baby again. However, I was confident the orange fur ball was safe, protected, and would soon be part of a family. I am forever grateful to APL for taking him.

Amy Marie Brown
November 4th 1977 – December 25th 2008

MISSING PERSON
Keenan Robinson
active safety warrant issued-11/29/10
Where are you Keenan?
Come home, stay in school.
One day everything’s gonna be fine again
captured-1/5/11

Keenan

Because they took Amy, they will never take Malaika and Xayah. This fight is blood, legacy, and justice. We do not bow. We do not break.

This entry was posted on December 25, 2010 at 2:29 am and is filed under Corruption with tags Fascism, tyranny. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.