Shauna Had No Choice
by Shauna Checkley
Hearing the doorbell ring, Shauna hurried out of her bedroom to answer it. Wonder who that could be? She wasn’t accustomed to traffic at her door.
Upon opening it, she was surprised to see Sylvestra, her landlady, standing there. She looked grim as ever: mouth downturned, hair in a dark, tight bun, rigid in stance.
“Hello,” Shauna said.
“You’re going to have to get rid of that other cat. I said only one, and I meant it. That’s why I had you pay the five-hundred dollar pet fee in the first place. It’s for one cat only.”
“What cat?” Shauna asked, feigning innocence. Though a flash of fear went off bulb-like in her mind’s eye.
“Look, I’ve seen it peeking out the window. And it’s not that orange one you moved in with, either.”
Unfortunately, two cats had by then emerged into plain view. One was the large, orange cat Sylvestra had just referenced. The other was the gray tabby in question.
Folding her arms, Sylvestra frowned at the tabby.
“Oh, I’m just cat-sitting a bit for a friend—”
“It’s been here for months. I’ve only just had time today to come over as I’ve been so busy.” Sylvestra’s brow had knitted into angry folds.
Shauna squirmed. “I’d be willing to pay another pet deposit. I’ll give you another five hundred bucks to—”
“One cat only. That was the deal,” Sylvestra near-hissed. She was adamant.
Shauna’s face fell. To any outside observer, she was one stricken, newly aggrieved with a heart-wrenching dilemma. Starting to move her lips as if to speak, Shauna was trying to summon her voice.
But Sylvestra interjected with, “This isn’t a petting zoo, y’know!”
With tears filling her eyes, Shauna stood there as Sylvestra proceeded to browbeat her. “I want that cat out immediately! And if not so, then you all will be going! Do you understand?”
Shauna nodded weakly. With cats threading in between her legs, Shauna felt helpless, exposed, transparent.
Sylvestra looked at her with a mixture of pity and contempt, then she turned and left.
Reeling with disbelief, Shauna had been completely caught off guard. The last thing she had been expecting was a confrontation with her no-nonsense landlady. Such a bitch as ever! Wouldn’t have answered the door had I known it was her.
Crumpling to the kitchen floor, Shauna lay down with them. Both cats took turns sniffing and licking her. She petted them both, Handsome Jack and Kit, her orange dandy and gray tabby, respectively.
OMG! How am I ever going to let Kit go? My gray baby! It’s absolutely impossible, unthinkable in fact. What am I going to do? She felt another tsunami of panic. Wave after wave of thought jostled her until she finally burst into tears.
Rolling and crying on the old, faded, linoleum, she would have appeared to any observer as being in pain. But it was emotional only. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but it made Jack only playfully bat at them. Then Kit head bopped her, the classic cat kiss.
Finally, Shauna stood up. Feeling completely depleted and defeated, she returned to her bedroom. Both cats padded along behind her. Then she collapsed into bed with them.
She stared into the growing darkness. It was early evening. At least I’ve got tomorrow off from Princess Land, thank God! Even just the thought of donning her peasant costume and manning the door while preschoolers poured in set her teeth on edge. At least I’ve got time to think and plan. Hmm...
Weighing her options, Shauna was dismayed at her lack of a real choice. I could always move but where? I moved here in the first place only because it was one of the few places that allows a pet. So where will I go?
Eventually, though, she forged a plan. I’ll go to the doctor tomorrow and get Kit declared an “emotional support animal.” I’ll probably be referred to a psychiatrist first, but that’s okay. It will help me build a case. Then I’ll stop paying rent, if need be. If she tries to evict, I will just refuse to leave. I’ll squat. I’ll just become a squatter with my two cats and take my chances. At least, I’ll just see how things go...
Soon Shauna was cackling in the dark. Me, a squatter, who would have thought? She always pictured squatters as being shirtless and shoeless and hailing from deep inside some obscure valley. But this is a whole new century after all.
Yet what more deserving person than Sylvestra could it happen to? In Shauna’s mind’s eye, she saw the young urbanite success story, complete with a string of equity houses and a gold Lexus, out on the street.
Yet it was being scorned by someone so young that bothered her the most. Does she even know what scrambling to come up with the rent money is like? Has she ever had to choose between buying cat food or sanitary pads? Doubt it.
Still, it was more for her cats that she went thoroughly on the offensive. Otherwise, she would have just dumbly followed the rules. But momma bear was protective of her cubs. That was for certain.
Clinging to them, especially sweet, little Kit, Shauna lay. She felt the warm, meaty breath on her neck and believed that somehow, some way, everything would be alright.
Copyright © 2022 by Shauna Checkley
