Since birth Charles had always been an introspective creature; Looking at his siblings and wondering how all the differences could occur. They were all birthed from the same mother, yet it was astounding; the variety. Some had blue eyes, others brown, but the majority had green. "Some type of magic," Charles thought.
It was made clear early that Charles was unlike any cat ever born. He thought, pondered, rolled around and played with yarn. His sisters and brothers would sleep, and he wandered in to rooms undiscovered. Charles liked to see knew things and he tried to experience a bit of fear every day, just to remind himself that he was alive. It was not clear where little Charles was heading, but he seemed to be a bright little prince destined for grandeur.
The only thing about Charles that bothers me is that he was sometimes picked on by his siblings or peers. It was not because of his appearance or the way he mew'd, but the way he saw the world. All of his brothers and sisters were cats; They survived because it was instinct. Charles, on the other hand, did not just survive, he excelled and thrived in a world full of unknown. He acted more human than some people I had the displeasure to know.
It was made clear early that Charles was unlike any cat ever born. He thought, pondered, rolled around and played with yarn. His sisters and brothers would sleep, and he wandered in to rooms undiscovered. Charles liked to see knew things and he tried to experience a bit of fear every day, just to remind himself that he was alive. It was not clear where little Charles was heading, but he seemed to be a bright little prince destined for grandeur.
The only thing about Charles that bothers me is that he was sometimes picked on by his siblings or peers. It was not because of his appearance or the way he mew'd, but the way he saw the world. All of his brothers and sisters were cats; They survived because it was instinct. Charles, on the other hand, did not just survive, he excelled and thrived in a world full of unknown. He acted more human than some people I had the displeasure to know.
Charles had green eyes and peach colored skin. His paws and ears were white, except for his back right foot. He was not the best at walking, but it made his personality that much more appealing. Though his footing was loose, his personality was strong and vivid, even for the cold heartened and aloof individuals. Charles was the guiding light for some of his peers, and they looked up to him so, nearly bending over backwards to get a glimpse at him. Yet he was not overly confident, in fact, he was nearly lacking the confidence to have such admirers. Charles was quiet, inquisitive, thoughtful, strong, in body, mind, and soul, and a natural leader. He did not lead with power, but humility. Some took advantage, as mentioned previously, but others saw his soft demeanor as a strength that others had never and would never know. Such a positive young cat.
The real story starts before Charles was even born. His mother, Balenta, spent her younger years perusing the towns closest to the ocean. One of her favorite places to spend time was in Monterey, where the mice ran free. During the 1940's, cats ran the town, or at least they thought they did. Anchovies would come into Cannery Row, and the hoards of cats would come down from the neighborhoods, being lured by the stench of fish being pulled from the ocean. They would sit across the street from the Tin Cannery and wait, until the fish had been processed, and the leftovers were available for consumption. OH what a life it was. Balenta did not like to gorge herself every night on the leftovers of humans, she learned about rationing and being humble from early on. Balenta had been born in Carmel Valley, but had made her way along the beautiful, cold beaches of Carmel and Asilomar. She had been the runt in the litter, just as Charles, but she was left for dead and somehow scratched and clawed her way back to life. Having struggled to stay alive, nearly dropping to one kilogram at one point, she made good company with a small group of older cats that seemed to attach to her. They would always say, "Balenta, are you sure you are only 2 years old, you are wise past your years, meow." On a side note, cats meow to show or grant approval, in case that fact slipped past anyone reading.
For years Balenta spent her days with these older cats. She would hunt, and bring back sustenance, while the old timers would talk about the good years. "I remember when I could chase down a mouse in the dark." The outrageous words of Karl, an old tabby colored brown, black, and gold with some of the most brilliant blue eyes any human or cat had ever seen. "Karl, you couldn't catch your tail if it was behind you..." The rousing and constant cat calling would never end. Every night, these cats ate, drank, and purred together. One humble, gentle group of lovers. Everything changed on a night that Balenta and Karl would never forget. It was a night of human celebration. Animals were terrorized by the loud explosions, except Karl and Balenta. They took off from the group of cats, now referred to in Carmel as The Salmon Boys, and walked down to the beach where the trees stop. Huddled under the trees, watching the explosions in the sky above them, the two cats mew'd in approval, of the colors and each other.
This could be the beginning of a romance or a terrible tragedy but in reality it is simply a tale of two cats that loved each other with such selfless emotion, that good came from their love. Unfortunately, Karl did pass, but not after granting Balenta with the seed of our hero in this story, little Chalres.
Charles was introduced to The Salmon Boys at a very young age, and from the very start they took to him like the had with Balenta. She would sit in with the group now and again, but the liter had taken a toll and she found herself with her paws full of hungry kittens. Charles reminded everyone of his late father, not because of his markings, but of his intelligence and humility. The Salmon Boys would always say that Charles was just a reincarnation of Karl. Charles knew that deep down, they actually believed it.
As he grew up with these Salmon Boys he was introduced to many cats older than he. This prompted him to ignore his younger cats, he found them less developed and slow to understand, whereas the old cats were quick in mind and wit. Of course, if Charles was interested in a chase or a run, the younger cats would do for his physicality. This went on for years, and again he was ridiculed because of his interest in the older crowd and conversation rather than going down to Point Lobos to check tide pools for crabs and mollusks with his siblings. He was an intellectual, just as his father had been before him. He didn't hang out with many other cats but there was no doubt that he was capable of being social. This led to a kittenhood with very few friends, but ones that were very much attune with their own existence and being.
As Charles grew, his mother continued to spend time with the Salmon Boys and eventually started to spend a great deal of time with an older grey tabby named Merrick. He was a renegade, had been on many sailboats with his person, and faced dogs and seals with the courage to stop a hawk with one paw. He was unlike many of the other cats. He had quit catnip years before they met and had never once looked back. Charles thought very highly of this Merrick cat, but was always on guard, for his mother had raised him to be the cat he had been, when this situation took place.
Years passed without much change in routine. Everyone seemed content and well. There were no fights between the ranks of the Salmon Boys. Everyone got along well, and were staying healthy with their daily walk to the beach to check for fish that had washed up on shore along Carmel Beach. These cats, what a sight to behold.
From the human perspective, to see a group of seven or eight cats walking along the beach in the morning, mewing and bumping into each other was the oddest yet most soul warming thing to see on any foggy morning. Who would have ever thought cats create groups of friends like humans? Rhetorical, of course, but still a mystery. I personally had my thoughts that they were all reincarnations of a group of men and women, that were once humans and very close throughout their lives. The odds of ending up in the same area, as the same genus of animal, was astronomical, but anything is possible.
The real story starts before Charles was even born. His mother, Balenta, spent her younger years perusing the towns closest to the ocean. One of her favorite places to spend time was in Monterey, where the mice ran free. During the 1940's, cats ran the town, or at least they thought they did. Anchovies would come into Cannery Row, and the hoards of cats would come down from the neighborhoods, being lured by the stench of fish being pulled from the ocean. They would sit across the street from the Tin Cannery and wait, until the fish had been processed, and the leftovers were available for consumption. OH what a life it was. Balenta did not like to gorge herself every night on the leftovers of humans, she learned about rationing and being humble from early on. Balenta had been born in Carmel Valley, but had made her way along the beautiful, cold beaches of Carmel and Asilomar. She had been the runt in the litter, just as Charles, but she was left for dead and somehow scratched and clawed her way back to life. Having struggled to stay alive, nearly dropping to one kilogram at one point, she made good company with a small group of older cats that seemed to attach to her. They would always say, "Balenta, are you sure you are only 2 years old, you are wise past your years, meow." On a side note, cats meow to show or grant approval, in case that fact slipped past anyone reading.
For years Balenta spent her days with these older cats. She would hunt, and bring back sustenance, while the old timers would talk about the good years. "I remember when I could chase down a mouse in the dark." The outrageous words of Karl, an old tabby colored brown, black, and gold with some of the most brilliant blue eyes any human or cat had ever seen. "Karl, you couldn't catch your tail if it was behind you..." The rousing and constant cat calling would never end. Every night, these cats ate, drank, and purred together. One humble, gentle group of lovers. Everything changed on a night that Balenta and Karl would never forget. It was a night of human celebration. Animals were terrorized by the loud explosions, except Karl and Balenta. They took off from the group of cats, now referred to in Carmel as The Salmon Boys, and walked down to the beach where the trees stop. Huddled under the trees, watching the explosions in the sky above them, the two cats mew'd in approval, of the colors and each other.
This could be the beginning of a romance or a terrible tragedy but in reality it is simply a tale of two cats that loved each other with such selfless emotion, that good came from their love. Unfortunately, Karl did pass, but not after granting Balenta with the seed of our hero in this story, little Chalres.
Charles was introduced to The Salmon Boys at a very young age, and from the very start they took to him like the had with Balenta. She would sit in with the group now and again, but the liter had taken a toll and she found herself with her paws full of hungry kittens. Charles reminded everyone of his late father, not because of his markings, but of his intelligence and humility. The Salmon Boys would always say that Charles was just a reincarnation of Karl. Charles knew that deep down, they actually believed it.
As he grew up with these Salmon Boys he was introduced to many cats older than he. This prompted him to ignore his younger cats, he found them less developed and slow to understand, whereas the old cats were quick in mind and wit. Of course, if Charles was interested in a chase or a run, the younger cats would do for his physicality. This went on for years, and again he was ridiculed because of his interest in the older crowd and conversation rather than going down to Point Lobos to check tide pools for crabs and mollusks with his siblings. He was an intellectual, just as his father had been before him. He didn't hang out with many other cats but there was no doubt that he was capable of being social. This led to a kittenhood with very few friends, but ones that were very much attune with their own existence and being.
As Charles grew, his mother continued to spend time with the Salmon Boys and eventually started to spend a great deal of time with an older grey tabby named Merrick. He was a renegade, had been on many sailboats with his person, and faced dogs and seals with the courage to stop a hawk with one paw. He was unlike many of the other cats. He had quit catnip years before they met and had never once looked back. Charles thought very highly of this Merrick cat, but was always on guard, for his mother had raised him to be the cat he had been, when this situation took place.
Years passed without much change in routine. Everyone seemed content and well. There were no fights between the ranks of the Salmon Boys. Everyone got along well, and were staying healthy with their daily walk to the beach to check for fish that had washed up on shore along Carmel Beach. These cats, what a sight to behold.
From the human perspective, to see a group of seven or eight cats walking along the beach in the morning, mewing and bumping into each other was the oddest yet most soul warming thing to see on any foggy morning. Who would have ever thought cats create groups of friends like humans? Rhetorical, of course, but still a mystery. I personally had my thoughts that they were all reincarnations of a group of men and women, that were once humans and very close throughout their lives. The odds of ending up in the same area, as the same genus of animal, was astronomical, but anything is possible.
