Chapter 26 Turkey (9) He already knew about you! ...
The continuous rain caused the temperature to drop day by day, and at night the temperature would sometimes drop to single digits, making the originally dry wooden crate damp.
Even the kitten's dry fur will become wet after a nap.
“Let’s find a place to shelter from the wind and rain; we can’t live on the roof anymore.” 1221 flashed, “I know a few good places, dry and high up.”
"Apart from the fact that rainwater blows in when it rains too heavily, everything else is fine here."
Chichi was still a little reluctant: "...I can see Eyes Alley as soon as I look up, and I can go to Zelin's house with Aisha."
“I’ll take you to a good place near Hussein Street, so we can be closer to Zelin’s house and still see each other anytime,” 1221 advised. “This place is alright when it’s not raining, but it will get even colder in winter. You don’t want to freeze into an icicle, do you?”
After slowly licking his damp, cold fur dry, he finally made up his mind: "Okay."
So before dawn, she took all her belongings, including the round black agate stone, and followed the ball of light flying in the air, leaving Anran Alley.
"There's a small church on Hussein Street, the one with the onion-shaped dome. There's an abandoned attic extending from the top of that building. It would be great if we could find a gap to crawl into."
1221 skillfully cleared the way ahead, leading the kitten through the alleyways.
When they reached the end of Hussein Street, they jumped from the adjacent wall onto the roof, then from the roof onto an even higher roof, and walked along the narrow eaves to the annex of the chapel.
The ball of light flew around, scanning the area carefully, and found a narrow, cramped gap in the window above the attic.
The other window was old and dilapidated and could no longer be closed properly. He measured the size of the gap with his beard; his head could fit through, and his body could follow.
The kitten squeezed in with its lithe body. The space inside wasn't big; a human would have to bend over and lower their body to get in, but it was more than enough for a kitten.
In the corner were some old junk and broken stools, as well as half a velvet curtain that had been taken down.
He slowly put down the stone he had been carrying in his mouth the whole way, sniffed, and then sneezed loudly.
Some bird feathers remain on the dilapidated wooden floor. Judging from the color of the feathers, they look like pigeon feathers. There is also an abandoned bird's nest under the eaves, so it seems that a family of pigeons used to live here.
I started looking for a suitable place to stay from Anran Lane before dawn, and now the first rays of morning light are shining through.
The dust that was kicked up gathered into a small bunch under the light, swirling together as if it were moving.
"What do you think of this place?" 1221 asked.
Chichi wandered around the small space for a while, dragged out the carelessly discarded curtains, piled them into a soft nest, and rolled around on it.
"fine."
“There are even better ones.”
1221 flew to the window: "Come and take a look."
Chichi followed curiously, pawing at the window and looking out. Not far ahead, directly opposite Zelin's backyard gate, was the only way Aisha could get from Eye Lane to Hussein Street.
"Moreover, if you go outside and walk to the roof on the other side of the church, you can see the strait and the bridge in the distance, and the view is much better than before!"
Chichi is very satisfied with her new home; it's secluded, warm, and safe.
A few raindrops fell sporadically along the way, and the kitten's fur on her back was still wet. She curled herself into a ball and nestled inside the curtains, carefully licking her fur. She even tried to turn her head to lick the parts of her back that she couldn't reach.
After licking it once, I washed my face a few more times until my whole body felt clean and refreshed again.
I took a nap at my new home, then went out and found a stray cat feeding spot on a street corner where I had my first meal of the day. Unfortunately, it started drizzling again, and the cat food at the feeding spot was a bit damp and soggy.
He left some cat food for the next stray cat that came hungry, and looked back in the direction he had come from.
I wonder if that person will still go to the feeding point in Anran Lane every day to put out canned food.
She left suddenly, without saying goodbye, just as suddenly as she appeared. She left quietly, not wanting to disturb the other person since she didn't like cats.
She shook her head, trying to shake off that inexplicable emptiness.
1221 checked the weather: "It's going to rain heavily again soon, let's go back."
Several days of continuous rainy weather shrouded the entire city in a misty haze.
Occasionally there will be two or three hours of sunshine, but the blue sky is only a fleeting moment, leaving some time for the evening showers.
Unable to travel far, my daily routine consists of finding food and returning to the attic, a simple two-point line.
Given the weather and school exams, Aisha hadn't come to Hussein Street.
Chichi originally wanted to go to Eyes Alley to find the other person, but the unpredictable weather, which started raining as soon as it got dark, forced her to give up.
It wasn't that she disliked the weather, but rather that she hated her fur getting wet in the rain.
Every time I get a little wet when I go out, I have to spend a lot of time licking my fur to keep it dry when I come back.
The kitten watched from the window as the rain dripped from the eaves, quickly soaking the stone bricks on the ground. The water from the cracks in the bricks flowed into the sewers, washing the streets and alleys clean.
“What’s going on? This rain just won’t stop,” 1221 said. “Istanbul doesn’t usually get this much rain.”
"Could it be that someone is unhappy, and even the weather has become so bad..." it muttered to itself, not knowing who it was talking about.
He blinked slowly, pulling his head away from his grooming routine: "How could the weather have anything to do with a person's mood? Are you talking about the gods worshipped by believers?"
“Yes, yes,” 1221 quickly echoed the kitten’s words.
Chichi wagged its tail and watched the people on the street hurrying by, carrying umbrellas of various colors, which looked like walking mushrooms from above.
"But this kind of weather is perfect for staying home and sleeping."
Chichi actually agrees with this point.
The roof and eaves of the attic perfectly blocked out all the rain, and the pattering raindrops served as white noise for the kitten, making the small space feel exceptionally comfortable and safe.
The velvet curtains beneath me have been gradually molded into a comfortable cushion shape as I lie down. After a while, my eyelids automatically become heavy, and I can sleep comfortably anytime, anywhere.
I stared at the dark agate stone in front of me for a long time; it seemed even darker in the overcast environment.
This is roughly the color of all the dark clouds if you condensed them together.
He couldn't resist reaching out his paw to poke at it, and the round stone started to roll along with it.
She still hoped the weather would clear up completely, so that she could stop by Anran Alley on her way to Eyes Alley and maybe meet that person and give them the stone.
She was a little reserved when she gave the seashell last time, and the other person probably didn't understand what she meant. This time, she must make sure to put the stone properly in the other person's hand.
"When will the rain stop?" Chichi asked 1221.
"According to the system's prediction, these next few days should be sunny." 1221 also encountered a problem that the data could not be analyzed. "It's all because of that 'god' in a bad mood."
"I hope he feels better soon," Chi Chi said.
"Did you hear that? Stop raining! The kitten hates rain, how can she go out like this?"
A crackling sound, like electricity, rang out, as if communicating directly with the sky.
After a while, he assured the kitten with great confidence: "Tomorrow should be a sunny day, get ready to go out and play."
"Really?" Chichi perked up her ears excitedly. "Tomorrow is Friday, that's great!"
The system was right; the next day was indeed a sunny day.
The sky turned azure, and the sunlight generously bathed the entire street, making the stained glass windows of the church gleam.
Feeling the warm sunlight finally fall on its fur, it stretched and shook off the dampness of the past few days.
The kitten slipped through the window crack and nimbly leaped down from the attic. Today was the last day of school exams, and after this day, Aisha would be on holiday.
There was still more than half a day before school ended, so I went to the market first to visit some old friends.
"Our little darling, it's been so long!"
The female owner of the ceramics shop was the first to pick up Chichi and kiss her round little face a few times: "Where have you been hiding these past few days?"
Chichi meowed and whimpered, telling the other person that she had moved to a new house.
Humans can't understand it either; they just keep cuddling the cat.
It seems it had been a long time since I last visited. I hesitated and let the other person hold me and show me off for a while before the shop owner across the aisle snatched the cat into his arms.
Chichi simply slumped onto the human's shoulder for a while, following the other person in and out as they packed up the goods.
This is probably the treatment of a beloved cat. From one store to another, its feet don't even touch the ground before it's been petted by several owners.
It wasn't until its stomach started rumbling that it struggled to get up and was put back on the ground.
By her own efforts, she managed to sample all sorts of breakfasts from people in the market, such as the grilled meat in a kebab, a little bit of pita bread dipped in curry, and sausages from a fast food bento box, and she ate a few bites of each of them.
Perhaps it was the clear weather, or perhaps it was the arrival of a kitten at the market, but there were especially many customers today.
When the market was busiest, the vendors were busy doing business, and the little cat leisurely strolled out of the market, preparing to take a shortcut to Eyes Alley.
Seeing the kitten step onto the familiar road, 1221 asked in confusion, "What are you doing going to Eyes Alley?"
"I'll go wait for Aisha after school."
“What if she goes directly from school to Hussein Street to find Zelin? Wouldn’t she be disappointed?”
Seeing that she couldn't hide it from the system, Chichi blinked her honey-colored eyes innocently: "Then I'll take a stroll around Anran Alley while I'm at it."
"Sure enough, his real intention was not what he seemed." 1221 also admired the kitten's perseverance. "Don't go looking for him anymore. You heard what he said. Just go your separate ways."
"Hehe." Chichi hooked the ball of light with her tail. "I'm a cat, you know, kittens all think everyone should like them, but I've figured it out."
"What do you want to understand?"
"I've figured out he's a good person. Even if he doesn't like cats, he won't be too mean to them. Even if I get close to him, he won't have any ill intentions, so there's no need for me to avoid him."
"...If you don't avoid him, then there's no need to get close to him."
“Didn’t you say I’m the most popular cat with humans?” Chichi said. “If I can change even people who don’t like cats, then I’m the real miracle cat.”
"..."
Who can defy a cat's will?
1221 gave up struggling and obediently followed the kitten to the usual spot.
As expected, the kitten pounced on empty air. The door was tightly shut, but the wooden box on the roof was still lying in the distance. After being exposed to wind and rain for so many days, the mat inside was still wet.
Not seeing anyone for a while, I wasn't in a hurry. I played with my own tail and shadow on the rooftop in the sunlight for a while.
After chasing the system for a while, having played and made a fuss, she finally had time to release the energy she had been holding back for so many days. Unconsciously, she jumped off the roof and strolled in the familiar direction.
In the small square where Aisha used to play football with the boys, there was a quiet bench.
He wandered aimlessly around the square, following his intuition, and soon stopped in one place.
The other party was indeed there.
The bench was empty, but there was a wheelchair next to it. The person remained calm and detached from their surroundings, with a book on their lap, but their gaze was fixed on the artificial lake in the distance.
The shimmering light cast a faint shadow on his profile, like a delicate, cool-toned sketch.
He hid behind the flower bed where most of the petals had withered, only peeking out half his head and a pair of eyes to secretly observe the other.
Wherever the other person sits, that place becomes the background, blending into their silhouette. Even the most anxious and frustrated mood will calm down upon seeing this scene.
It waited a long time before lying down behind the flower bed, resting its chin on its crossed front paws.
A cool breeze stirred the black hair on the other person's forehead, but the other person simply ignored it and didn't bother to tidy it up.
Afraid of being discovered, the kitten left the square before the people left.
"You seem to have done something meaningless." 1221 wanted to crawl into the kitten's head to analyze it. "Didn't we say we wanted to make people who don't like cats like cats? What's the point of you hiding like this?"
What is the significance?
She tilted her head slightly, but didn't stop walking: "I just feel happy to spend some time quietly with you like this. Is that meaningful?"
"this--"
1221 compromised: "I guess so."
"Then that's the point of my coming here," Chi Chi muttered contentedly.
She wasn't in a hurry to change anything, nor did she expect to gain anything; she simply followed the kitten's heart's desire, neither demanding nor disturbing it.
“You don’t have to hide next time.” 1221 flicked the kitten’s head.
He hesitated for a moment before jumping over a small puddle, then blinked upon hearing this.
"What's the meaning?"
"It means you can't hide anything from him; he already found out about you!"
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