Anne Krist
Sweet and romantic–forever love!
Sweet and romantic–forever love!
How many of us have said off-handedly that our dog or cat is special, that we owe them much for providing us pleasure and enjoyment? Some few of us can say we owe our very lives to our pets, but my grandfather could. Find out why in my contribution to this loving and inspirational anthology.
"This book is simply wonderful for any animal lover, but purr-fect for cat lovers. ... I loved reading this medley from the first story to the last. What a fantastic collection." - CeeCee on Amazon
"A Wonderful Read!" - H. Volpe on Amazon
"The best book I have ever read about our feline friends." - Steven B. Gelman on Amazon
"... 50 kitty-inspired tales guaranteed to charm any feline fan." - K9friend1 on Amazon
I don't know why I called my stepfather "Papa." It was probably because that's what my daughter started calling him as a child and the name stuck. Before, I'd always called him Stanley, the Americanized version of his Lithuanian name, Stanislaus.
He came to America as a child of four with his parents and younger brother, gaining entry through Ellis Island before the end of World War I. They moved to northwest Iowa, where, I suppose, the winters weren't any great shock, and where prosperity--compared to what they'd left behind--could be found in the meat-packing industry of the Midwest.
When my sister and I were eleven, Stanley married our mother. He was renowned for his skill in using a boning knife in the meat-packing plants that had made Sioux City a thriving town. We saw our stepfather as a strict, hard man. Certainly, we never imagined he'd be the sort who would love and care for a tiny cat.
Long after my daughter, my husband, and I left Iowa, a neighbor approached my mother and Papa, as I'd come to call him by then. She had a litter of kittens and was trying her best to get rid of them. Somehow, a child had gotten hold of one and squeezed its neck so hard that the poor thing couldn't make a sound. The mute kitty was the runt of the litter. No one would take a puny kitten who couldn't even purr. The woman didn't want to kill the little thing, and wondered if Mama and Papa would consider giving her a home.
"No," my mother said at the same time Papa said, "Sure."
Misha went home with Papa, starting a love affair that extended into old age.
