Last night, Pete and I sat on the porch with refreshing adult beverages. The night was peaceful as wind rustled through the leaves overhead. Our porch is close to the sidewalk, but our chairs are somewhat hidden from the street. At one point, I could hear voices but didn’t see people. Pete and I were talking quietly to one another.

Tata: Whose dog is that?
Pete: I don’t know.
Woman: Who asked whose dog was that?

The voice sounded familiar. I stood up.

Tata: I couldn’t see –
Woman: That’s our dog, and that’s our cat. We walk them together every night.
Tata: Cool! Wait – your cat?
Girl: Sometimes our other cat comes along, too. Come on, Jules.

Suddenly, I could see the dog wasn’t on a leash and the cat was Jules. For his part, Jules walked across our front yard, looked at us out of the corner of his eye and kept going. Pete and I were speechless. The mother and daughter walked on without another word. They turned the corner and disappeared before we caught our breath. Jules is the cat I thought was a stray, took to the vet for shots and gave to my co-worker, then had to give back to people who left him out during the last blizzard. It was a horrible experience all around, and it pains me to see Jules on my back porch some nights and early mornings. This did not stop me from laughing.

Tata: Did you see Jules pretend not to know us?
Pete: He practically told us, “Sshhh! Mum’s the word.”
Tata: I thought she was going to recognize my voice after all those times she called my office and I was going to have to throw a container of Bibb lettuce at her.
Pete: She might’ve taken flying salad as a peace offering.
Tata: She’s a terrible person, and I’d feel peaceful aiming at her head.