Chapter 10 Hawaii (10) A cat that can ride the bus by itself...
The subtle changes in Mrs. Mailer and the others were like a reassurance to the kitten, and with its improved mood, the idea of continuing to go on vacation resurfaced.
The temperature hasn't been as high these past two days, and the sea breeze makes it very cool both day and night.
Such beautiful weather, and all they did was roll around in the litter box on the beach, completely wasting the rest of the island that hasn't been touched by cat paw prints yet.
1221 wholeheartedly agreed and carefully prepared route guidance for the kitten, taking it to explore even more distant places.
As I slowly passed an intersection, I noticed a figure below that seemed out of place.
It was a young female tourist, standing at the alley entrance with a worried look on her face, constantly swiping her phone screen and muttering anxiously to herself.
"...The navigation is wrong. Which way should I go to Ranikat?"
She looked up and around, seemingly trying to ask someone for directions, but the alley was unusually quiet in the afternoon, and it wasn't a popular spot for taking photos.
Human eyes inadvertently swept across the top of the wall, and happened to meet Chichi's gaze, who was curiously looking down.
"Hi, kitten."
The other person waved their phone and said to Chichi, half-jokingly, "Do you know how to get to Lanikai Beach? I think I'm lost."
He called out to the other person at a slow pace, then turned and jumped off the wall, walking unhurriedly towards the beach.
"Are you really going to lead the way for me?"
Seeing the kitten stop and turn around, as if to confirm whether she was following, the human inexplicably followed the furry little guide into the distance.
Chichi led his "followers" through the alleys and across the forks in the road.
The other person followed along with a mix of skepticism and hope, only to be surprised to find that the surroundings had opened up and the map on their phone finally showed that they were on the right route.
She looked up again and saw the tricolor kitten squatting in front of her, slowly licking its paws. She then spotted the path leading to Lanike.
"My God, you really brought me here!"
The other party was both surprised and delighted: "That's amazing! Thank you, clever cat guide!"
The human's mood brightened, and he waved to Chichi.
Chichi flicked its tail gracefully, doing a good deed anonymously, and turned to go where it wanted to go. After finding some food nearby, Chichi strolled to the port and headed west from there, even bravely taking a ride on an open-top sightseeing bus along the way.
The bus ride wasn't long, but the kitten became the focus of attention for people at every stop.
There have been precedents of animals riding in buses, but humans have never seen a cat ride a bus by itself.
Fortunately, Chi Chi has an exceptional mental fortitude and is not intimidated by the numerous mobile phone cameras.
Amidst the gasps of amazement from everyone around me, I found an empty seat next to a friendly human and headed to the park on the other side of the island.
"She even knows to get off at her stop!"
The human followed behind the kitten, uttering countless sighs, before finally nodding in acknowledgment and joining the rest of the group to cross the road at the green light.
The wind at the foot of Diamond Hill didn't become any gentler; it blew the kitten's tail tip into the shape of a dandelion.
Chi Chi shook his head and asked 1221, "Is this the park with the long name you mentioned?"
"This is it. What do you think? Is it big?"
1221 flew around happily: "Didn't you want to go to the rocky beach at the bottom of the crater? We have plenty of time to wander around here."
The sunlight, no longer the direct rays of the beach, is now filtered by countless broad leaves and falls softly on the gravel path.
The kitten couldn't contain its urge to run and play, so it ran onto the grass.
The leaves gently tickled the paw pads, making them itch. The dog rolled around on the lawn a few times, its orange-white downy fur covered in grass clippings, and its whole body smelled of fresh grass.
This vibrant lawn alone is enough for a kitten to play on for an entire afternoon.
After having a great time, we continued along the mottled park paths, wandering through this green park.
Humans are very good at maintaining their "secret gardens".
I saw at least dozens of plants here that I had never seen before.
For questions she couldn't recall, she would ask the system. The system was like an encyclopedia exclusively for cats, with a database stored up to answer the kitten's questions.
After several days of hardship and exposure to the elements, the kitten finally arrived at the famous volcanic reef beach under the guidance of the system.
When I finally saw the black reef clearly, my mind went blank for a moment.
As far as the eye can see, there are vast stretches of jagged rocks, like the remains of some giant beast left behind.
They got up earlier than humans and arrived before the reefs had absorbed the warmth of the sun.
1221: "If you come here in the afternoon, the rocks here will be so hot that you'll jump with every step you take."
Chichi: "No wonder you came so early, you were so prescient."
The transparent sphere of light flashed briefly, its merits and fame remaining hidden.
The kitten leaped back and forth on several of the best landing rocks, while at the bottom, several hermit crabs the size of coins busily scurried among the gravel.
When the hermit crabs approached curiously, they would retract their heads and shrink back into their shells, leaving behind only the shells they had carefully selected as their private homes.
"Their homes are all beautiful."
This coincides with the kitten's aesthetic appreciation of seashells.
After searching for sparkling things on the beach, I soon set my sights on the seashells scattered along the shore.
Mrs. Mailer said that all sorts of seashells could be inlaid on the grass skirt.
She thought these hermit crabs were perfect.
Unfortunately, she couldn't transport the seashells back from here, and she was too embarrassed to steal the hermit crab's home, so she could only admire them.
However, she planned to find a strangely shaped volcanic rock to take back and give to Richie as an apology for trespassing and ransacking his house without his permission.
They were still looking down, searching for oddly shaped rocks, as large chunks of reef buried in the sea were exposed after the tide receded.
1221, with her keen eye, pointed out, "There's a stranded little fish here."
There was an unexpected surprise!
Chichi carefully jumped from the big rock to the small rock, bent down, and used his sharp claws to hook the fish up and eat the lively fish.
The fish was very fresh and delicious. It was smaller than any fish she had ever eaten before, and there were hardly any bones. It slid right down her throat.
Not only could we enjoy the sunset beach scenery, but we also had a snack and found a strange rock in the crevices of the reef, just like Richie. I felt that this trip was well worth it.
"Let's go, the tide's coming in," 1221 said.
It hesitated for a moment before extending its paws, taking one last look at the cool seawater. It still didn't quite like the feeling of its fur getting wet, so it shook off the water droplets and jumped off the rocky beach using all four paws.
After spending a few days wandering around Diamond Hill, I finally made it back to Elima Street.
She still felt that this simple, unadorned street had a warmer, more homely feel to it.
After several days apart, the kitten brought the small volcanic rock that looked very much like a crab to Richie's yard. Seeing the still messy yard, it felt a little at ease.
He hesitated for a moment before greeting the budgie, then turned and went to Mrs. Mailer's house next door.
Kara was late for work today. She usually arrives before 9:00, but she hadn't come by 9:30 today.
The kitten was already showing Mrs. Mailer the crab-shaped volcanic rocks she had carefully selected.
1221: "Rich usually looks like a parrot with its feathers standing on end, or even more like a crab that walks sideways and pinches people with its pincers. This shape suits him very well."
Mrs. Mailer rinsed the volcanic rock for the kitten and placed it on the table.
Kara then rushed over, saying, "Sorry I'm late."
As soon as the other person came in, they hurriedly asked Mrs. Mailer about her medication this morning and then went to get the tools to measure her blood pressure.
I watched as the other person reached for the blood pressure monitor in the cabinet, and noticed that they unconsciously frowned as they squatted down and bent over, looking like they were in some pain.
"Where did she fall?" Chichi asked 1221.
"Maybe, otherwise why would I be late today?"
While still observing the caregiver's unusual behavior today, Richie, who had just returned from a sea trip yesterday, unsurprisingly kicked open the gate with his seafood.
The kitten was pleasantly surprised by what the other party brought: a large, still-wriggling octopus.
Just as Richie handed the basket to Carla, he jumped onto the table, picked up the crab stone, and nudged the grumpy old man's hand, signaling him to accept his apology.
The moment the old man touched the fluffy head, he flung his hand away with lightning speed: "Go away, I won't touch you."
"This child wants to give you something."
Fortunately, the gentle and considerate Mrs. Mailer was there to speak up for the cat: "She said, please accept this beautiful stone."
Wagging its tail slowly indicates that it is correct.
The old man took it with disdain, examined it for a moment, and said bluntly, "This is the ugliest stone I've ever seen."
"......"
Chi Chi bared his canine teeth at the other person: "You wait, I'll make trouble for you, though not much trouble."
1221: "...You can make the threats even more vicious."
Mrs. Mailer patted Chichi's head at just the right moment, helping the kitten put out the fire.
"When I was a child, I also liked to look for stones and seashells of all shapes and sizes, but unfortunately, I can't walk around like that now."
"Do you need any materials?" Richie stuffed the strange stone in his hand into his pocket. "You said you wanted to make a grass skirt last time."
Kara quickly stopped her, saying, "Don't make things worse, I don't need a grass skirt."
“Yes, I will,” Mrs. Mailer said with a smile. “We just happened to run out of seashells. Thank you, Richie.”
Chichi also called out.
She can also go to the beach to help find pretty seashells to decorate grass skirts.
The kitten spent the day resting in Mrs. Mailer's yard, during which it went out to find some food and then luckily enjoyed a feast of octopus upon its return.
Kara has gotten used to preparing fresh water for the kittens on the porch every day. Every time they come to the yard, they can drink fresh and clean water, which is much more convenient than finding water outside.
Chichi was deeply moved.
She decided that, regardless of whether the other person participated in the hula festival or not, she would collect the prettiest seashells for their new hula skirt!
Surprises are most likely to be found on the beach at low tide. After the sunset dyes the sky golden orange, the honey-eyed kitten sets off on a treasure hunt with great ambition.
She's gained experience from collecting recyclables and knows which spots on the beach have the most seashells.
Chichi hopped to the wall at the end of Elima Street with her little head held high. Just as she was about to come down and turn into the park, the rich, sweet scent of ripe papaya wafted into her nose, making her stop in her tracks.
Not far away was that courtyard shrouded in mystery. After glancing at 1221, which was still drifting straight ahead, I turned around.
By the time 1221 realized the cat hadn't followed, it was too late. The kitten was already perched on another wall, looking towards the house with its doors and windows tightly closed and its curtains heavy.
The courtyard was still empty, and there were more green papayas on the trees than when she last passed by.
One of the first to ripen has already begun to sway precariously, and it's uncertain when it will fall.
Several increasingly lush tropical plants cast shadows on the wall, swaying along with the treetops. As before, the yard was deserted.
"Let's go, aren't we going to the beach to collect seashells for Kara?"
1221 flew over like a small cannonball.
"Hurry up, hurry up, if we're late we'll have picked up all the pretty seashells."
I always feel...
He gazed longingly at the room, hidden in the shadows by the plants: "There's someone behind the curtains."
1221 peered around and said, "There's no one here. There's no one at all. It's just an empty house."
He couldn't quite explain where his intuition came from.
Behind the dark-painted window, the two curtains provided excellent light blocking, with only a barely perceptible gap in the middle, as if the person drawing the curtains hadn't closed them completely.
1221 was still urging her to leave, lingeringly looking at the tightly closed window frame, where the afterglow gilded the edges.
She couldn't see a single person through the gap in the curtains, so she could only look away and prepare to jump off the wall.
With a "snap," the branch broke.
The heavy bunch of papayas on the branch fell down with a thud, landing on the stone path in the yard, the flesh splitting open.
He turned around subconsciously.
A figure appeared behind the curtains, which had been empty just moments before.
The other person sat in a wheelchair, facing the wall where Chichi was, his profile thin, almost blending into the dim shadows inside the room.
The setting sun peeked in sparingly through the gaps, outlining the blurry contours of dark eyes and the cold metal frame of the wheelchair.
Although they weren't close, Chi Chi could still clearly sense that the other person's gaze wasn't on the fallen papaya outside, but rather on her...
There was no malice, no curiosity, just a deep, silent gaze.
Like an old cloth soaked in seawater.
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