Bisket Gets Lucky

Bisket Gets Lucky
OK, to start off, we never did decide on how to actually spell this cat’s name, so for the purposes of this essay, I am sticking with Bisket.
Bisket had been wandering around our neighborhood for a few days before we took her in. We had noticed that our neighbors had also noticed her and they asked us if she belonged to us. We already had two cats – Sylvie and Rico.
Finally, we took her in and started to ask around to try to find her owners. The moment I picked her up I fell in love. She purred so heavily and heavenly and she loved being held. Rico and Sylvie were not so sure. They let it be known right away that should she become a resident in our house, it was going to take some time.
We put up signs all over the neighborhood that we had found a cat. We took her to the veterinarian and got her shots and then we took her back to get her fixed. And that was when the first surprise hit. Bisket loved to eat. She ate so much that one of my wife’s colleagues at work suggested that perhaps Bisket was, good God, pregnant!
The vets called hours sooner than the time they said they would call for me to pick her up. “Mr. Rosso, you can pick up Bisket and we have a surprise.” “Oh, no,” I said, “She’s pregnant.” “No,” the vet said, “She’s a he.” They had already shaved her/him and anesthetized her/him when the discovery was made.
I picked him/her up and he/she staggered all over the house for a few hours until the anesthesia wore off and I stopped calling him her.
Over time, Sylvie and Rico started to accept Bisket. They still had their moments, but they also slept together, shared space together and ate together. Rico is all black, except for a small white patch under his chin. Bisket is all white. Sylvie is black and white. A perfect feline trio.
Last weekend, Susan and I took down many of the signs we had put up. It had been almost a month and no calls seeking a lost cat. Bisket was a member of the family.
Until this morning. At 7:15 this morning. That is when the phone rang. Gary was asking about a lost cat. Yes, Gary lived just a block away. His girlfriend got mad and left and let his cat out. Is your cat white? Yes. Gary said he could come by at 9.
A little before 9, Gary called again. This time Gary volunteered that Lucky, formerly known as Bisket, had a kink in his tail. Yes. That was Bisket/Lucky. Gary said, he and his father, who had a paper route had been out when his father ran over the cat. Gary retrieved it and nursed it back to health and has had it ever since, until his girlfriend put it out into the street.
Gary came to the house and I was holding Bisket and Gary yelled, “Lucky.” I handed Bisket/Lucky to Gary and he told his story again and how much he appreciated our taking him in and taking care of him and how happy he was to have Lucky back and we gave him the vet papers and he offered to pay for the shots and we said no and he said we could come visit and we said we would take him if he goes away on vacation and he told how he found Lucky and whey he named him Lucky and how his girlfriend let him out in the street and how much he appreciated us taking care of him and we had to go and we were happy he had him and I brushed a tear away and Gary hugged Lucky and we shut the door.
And Bisket is Lucky
And I cried.