A morning cannot be imagined without a cup of coffee. I am a big fan of coffee and have tried variety of flavors. The flavor I am talking about right now is the best flavor that I had in the last year. It was dark brown in color with orange tinge and too soft to touch.
 
Yes dear friends, Coffee was no one else but my wonderful little kitten which was given to me by my apartment owner after rescuing her from the street when she was two months old. She was an extremely naughty and a playful kitten and had the quality to attract just anyone. I loved to be with her.
 
One night in last December, coffee went missing from my apartment. Coffee was an indoor type, a shy kitten and had never been out of the apartment. I got scared not seeing her at home. I started searching for her immediately but couldn’t find her anywhere. I posted her picture on every possible place and local websites.
 
I searched for her by calling her name in the middle of the night (it sounded as if I was selling coffee in Indian trains) since cats are nocturnal and are more active at nights. My search continued for seven days.
 
On the 8th day, I thought of going to Tulsa SPCA (Society for The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) to report about my missing Coffee since they euthanize stray animals if no one adopts them. On the way to SPCA, I saw a dead cat run over by a car, just near my apartment complex.
 
I stopped my car and ran towards the dead cat, hoping it wasn’t my Coffee. But my worst nightmare came true. It was my Coffee, my little darling… it was unimaginable for me. I couldn’t stop sobbing in the middle of the road. I at once, called my very close friends. And thankfully, all of them came, leaving their important tasks for the day. With heavy heart, we buried Coffee in my friend’s backyard.
 
I was upset the whole day and constantly thinking about the good time I spent with her. She was like a fleeting happiness that came into my life and disappeared suddenly. For a change, I went to my lab in the evening. On my way back from the lab, I saw a glimpse of coffee disappearing into a sewage pipe near my apartment complex.
 
I thought it was my illusion because I buried my coffee the same morning with my own hands. But something within me urged me to go and look into the pipe. I did that many times but in vain. I left all my hopes, hardened my heart and continued my life.
 
After 2 days, I saw her again near the same pipe. Seeing the glaring headlight of my car, she ran into the pipe. A sudden feeling of hope sparkled inside me. I parked the car and started calling her…continuously……
 
She responded but seemed nervous to get outside the pipe. Before doing anything by myself I called many local animal rescue organizations for help. An officer from ARF (Animal Rescue Foundation) came and told that he is unable to help since the pipe is too narrow and long (about 20 feet).
 
There was no possibility of me to break the pipe because it belonged to a church and it was too thick and embedded inside the ground.  Still if we had to break, we had to wait till Sunday to talk to the church authorities. I was not ready to wait a single more minute. I was not able to even go back to my apartment leaving my Coffee in the pipe.
 
There were predictions of the impending ice storms. I badly wanted my coffee in her original shape…not the ‘ice coffee’. The weather became vehement and it started raining and thundering. My friends warned me not to go near the pipe to look for her. But I couldn’t resist myself….wanted to give my best to save her. The pipe was filled with water and her cries. I kept calling her.
 
I knew I had to do something or else I would lose her. I bought a cage, from a nearby clinic to catch her. She was too intelligent to enter inside the cage; she pushed the cage aside but somehow managed to eat the food that is kept inside the cage.
 
I was still standing there, calling her name. Finally, she mustered some courage and began walking towards me. Although she doesn’t like water, she swam through the pipe and reached me. I grabbed (as if never to leave her again) her overflowing with love and tears. I felt like heaven on this earth that day. I took her home with me. All my friends were very happy to see her back.
 
After that incident, my Coffee loved the outside world better than home. She metamorphosed into a brave and fierce cat. She made two more attempts to run away but I got her back. Finally I decided to let her go to have her own happy life. She is now living in a house in the neighborhood. She comes running to me whenever I go and visit her.
 
I know you all must be wondering about the other cat which we buried. She was some stray cat who looked and weighed exactly like my Coffee and in my intense moments I took her as my Coffee. But I was glad that I gave lot of love and affection to that “duplicate coffee” before putting her to her grave.

Saumya Vaikhari Saumya Vaikhari is doing her PhD in Molecular Biology at a reputable American university. She has also worked in pharmaceutical industries in India. Her passions include animal care, fitness, dance and traveling.Read More >>