Page 13 - Contrast1977Mayv20n3

WilJ~E put t.be Toa i.r, his c li.p , Lit: a mate and

sot: i.t: on Fire. Blowing he Fl.eme cnt, he sni.f.,'ed:he smoke

1]) his rios t.r i.Ls , He ii L: -d his ;'_U77qS 3gain and 1.0 :ed at -:he

vacant lot beiii rui the sl. »pp.iriq center. em the sel md hi t

i.'ilLie not.iced a yel1o.., cat emerging from under a iLump of

vines in the field. He watched as the cat 5101 ..1y m ldeits
~,'ay towards him.

God J+'as watching the c et: too. He I d ju.st waked up and
..ras hungry. He had glanced down at Earth to see if He

could rustle up SOIDS' kind of breakfast. His glance ]:&ad

.fa.~.len on the shopping cent.e r and its uq li nes s had hus:t:

His eyes, whi.cl: were especiaLly sens.iti::e in the morning.

He quickly looked at the vaca!::: Lot: and soothed Hi.s eyes

on the: ~beauty of the bea:e SCTU]:. trees and ramb1.inq ever-

gTeer! vi iies , EVer; the dead grass that stood a.Dove t.iie

I ro z en sn:;w was a br.i11iaIlt go.Zei in the illoITLi.ng sunLight ..

f','iJon the cat emerged from her den in a cLuuip of vines J. God

ex emi.ned her in det.sci l, Her fur was a Love I u shade of

yeLlo,,', a1most matchi.ng thE gold of the deed 9Iass " brown
st.ripe s .·le.re be reLi; visible Fr otn head to tai.2. By some

freak chance she had r et.e.i ned the hl ue eyes of her youth"

r] de e]: dark blue. She was ;;regn,=._ntJ God noticed, wtii cn

prohal)l:; e xp l a.i.ned why she had braved the bi tter ..r.i.nd t::;,

come out in search o.f food. She was instincti\re.ly pro-

viding for her uribo rn k.i t.t.erie , The cat ..'as heading for t.b«

trash conta_ine:r behind the supermarket. There I>'as o.fton

I;;,dible yarbage in iT:., ;::dthcugh in this cold, food that

staye6. outside long ';.;'Owlaf'reeze before she could eat it.

God ",'atched as t:h·r:: cat ",'alked atop the crusted snOl.,' towards

the shopping ccmter. When s;'1e came :leaT the fence separ-

ating t.he field from the shopping centeI', He notic2d WLl1ie
and h_::.str.J.sh tTuck for the first time.

""hen God flrst saw i>'illie I he was in the Irl1:dst of un-

capping hi.s ~Todka to take another pull, still watching the

cat. God pitied Willie. He knel-l7 it ..'as cold down there,

JJutit .,'asn't so cold a person to dull the senses to rile

point ;.;rhere he couldn't appreciate his en vi rO."l1TI't2.:J.God

looked away f.rDm Wi.ll.ie and turned His attention back to

the cat. In one graceful IrDVement she jumped to the top of

the ff311ce ru'Jd do ..m or. the other side, There she scampered

0:E;lC.rOSS the asphalt dri";e and )eapt to the edqE· Lhe dump-.