Cali was teaching self defense to Dora and therefore was making moves towards Dora with a long stick wrapped in a sponge.

“Listen to your instincts. You need to feel which way I am swinging the stick. Try to run away from it before the stick moves.”

But every time the stick would hit Dora’s arm or leg,

“No, no, no, no, it’s not working!” Cali would say. Dora was feeling lower and lower after each blow. The feeling of failing took over her. Cali was torn between being in love with her and being her teacher. He wanted to be the one making her feel good. Her smile, which always lit up the world like the sun, began to fade.

“The problem is that you always look at the stick in my hand and try to understand the direction it will go by looking at the movement of my wrist, that’s why you’re late to react.”

Realizing he was going too hard on her, Cali stopped. He took a dark handkerchief out of his pocket.

“Maybe this will help. Close your eyes, Dora, we’re going to try something different.”

Dora closed her eyes, she was a little hesitant but at the same time was trying to hide it.

“Don’t be afraid,” he said and covered her eyes with the handkerchief and tied two knots behind her back.

Now we will do the same thing. This time try to listen to the voice inside you.

Cali swung his stick and hit Dora’s arm again. Dora moaned in pain. But she recovered quickly.

“Don’t think about the stick. Think of it as a feather blowing in the wind. An object that won’t hurt you. A natural part of the sounds of the birds you hear around you, the howling of the wind, the rustling of the leaves”

“Okay, bring it on,” said Dora, this time with a very confident voice.

The second time Cali swung the bat, Dora skillfully dodged the blow. Cali started to speed up the moves, each time Dora became more agile and flexible and managed to dodge the stick. It felt like a game to her now.

“That’s all you got, Cali, come on…” she laughed and challenged him. By now the stick was almost invisible from the speed and Dora successfully dodged every move.

When Cali stopped, Dora took the handkerchief out of her eye and screamed “I did it, I did it, I did it!” and hugged Cali with joy. Then she got embarrassed for having let her feelings show and stepped back. Dora and Cali looked at each other for a while. Cali was the first to break the awkward silence.

“I’m sorry if I hurt you at the start of our lesson. You were very good, but we are only at the beginning. But it’s a good start.”

Matilda and Pat had turned the house upside down.

“Where is he? Are you sure you didn’t leave the window open?”

“Yes, Pat, I’m sure.”

“So where did the cat go?

Cali had passed through the portal and was running fast towards his home on Earth. He dodged being hit by cars, avoided dogs by skillfully climbing trees. He jumped from branch to branch and then back down to the street. He had to catch up before Pat and Matilda were convinced he was was gone. He didn’t want to risk being replaced by another cat.

When he arrived just outside the house, he looked inside through the windows and realized that Pat and Matilda were looking for him because they were panicking, going from room to room, lifting things and looking under them. The kitchen was still empty. After entering through the oven pipe, carefully navigating the strategically tight space in it, jumping through the range hood, saving himself from the food cooking on the stove, he went into the cupboard filled with plates and started meowing.

Matilda, who had been looking under the beds, suddenly stopped and asked, “What is that noise, do you hear it?”

“It’s coming from the kitchen” said Pat. They both went into the kitchen and opened the cupboard where Cali was.

“How did he get in there?” asked Pat.

“I guess we left it open and it got in without us noticing, and then we closed the hatch” Matilda replied.

“Owwwwww my pretty kitty, you got scared in there?” said Matilda and took him in her arms.

Cali began purring…