The Cats that Surfed the Web (7 page)

“Where are we staying?” Colleen asked in reference to their overnight accommodations.

“Akron.”

“Akron?” she asked. “Where’s that?”

“It’s in Ohio. We’re so lucky it hasn’t snowed.”

Colleen put up her hand as if to ward off an enemy attacker. “Don’t say that. You’ve just jinxed the trip. Now it’s sure to snow.”

“I watched the Weather Channel. Snow isn’t in the forecast.”

A few minutes later, flurries filled the air.

“Well, then, what are those things? See?” Colleen said pointing. “It’s snowing.”

“That’s just a little dusting from off Lake Erie.”

The snowfall began to increase in intensity. It was accumulating quickly on the highway. Semi-trucks and cars began traveling at a snail’s pace. The windshield wipers had difficulty keeping the heavy wet snowflakes off the glass. Outside the car, the landscape appeared surreal as the snow lent a soft and pendulous shape to every limb, tree, boulder and guardrail.

“Now what are we going to do?” Colleen said nervously. “We’ll never make it to Acorn doing forty miles per hour.”

“Akron,” Katherine corrected. “I think you’re right. If this keeps up, I think we should find a room and order room service.”

“What if the motel doesn’t allow pets?”

“We’ll look for the Vacationer’s Paradise chain. I checked. They allow cats and small dogs. Be on the lookout for a sign.”

“That will be difficult, considering the fact it’s snowing to beat the band, and I’m as blind as a bat.”

Gusts of wind buffeted the little car. The cats woke up and began to cry. Lilac, who had been silent for most of the trip, began to me-yowl loudly.

“Colleen, reach back there and pick her up. You’re going to have to hold her.”

“Look, Miss Katz, I said I’d help you move to Indiana, but I don’t remember saying anything about holding cats.”

Lilac continued howling until Colleen couldn’t stand it any longer. She flung herself over the seat and pulled Lilac out. She sat the startled cat on her lap. Lilac immediately quieted and began to purr noisily.

“I bet they’re tired,” Katherine said, slowing the car to thirty miles per hour.

The snow was flying straight at the windshield, so Katherine could barely see through it.

Colleen spotted a motel advertisement on a lighted billboard, and they pulled off at the next exit. After driving several miles, they found the motel. Unfortunately, other weary travelers shared the same notion, and had quickly filled the motel’s vacancies. The manager was very apologetic and said, “Our Internet service is down, probably because of the storm. Let me call ahead to the next motel, which is forty miles away.” He lifted the receiver and punched in the number. He spoke for a few seconds, then gazed at the fatigued travelers. “One room is available.”

“But I wanted my own room,” Colleen protested, not wanting to sleep in the same room with the rowdy cats.

“I’m sorry, ma’am,” the manager said. “This is the last room up the road, but it’s got double beds, so you’ll at least have your own bed.”

“Book it,” Katherine said, almost shouting. She quickly wrote her name and number on a slip of paper and handed it to him.

“Consider it done,” the manager replied.

“And thanks so much,” the women said, rushing out the door. They got back into the car and brushed the snow off their coats. Scout had returned to the back window ledge and was watching the snowflakes. She was trying to bat them with her paw. Iris and Lilac joined her in the back.

Katherine drove back to the interstate.

“You know, you could have saved ninety bucks and not bought that dog carrier,” Colleen noted.

“Yes, but it will help when we have to take them inside the motel.”

They drove the distance to the motel in silence. Once there, Colleen jumped out, slammed the door, and ran through the snow to the front office, while Katherine found a parking spot nearby. She leaned over the seat and tried to capture each one of the reluctant Siamese to put them back into the carrier. They moved further back on the back window ledge.

“Come on, Scout,” she coaxed. “I can’t carry you outside. You’ll get wet in the snow.”

“Waugh,” Scout wailed, scooting farther from Katherine’s reach.

Iris and Lilac jumped back inside the carrier. “Good girls,” Katherine praised.

Colleen returned and tapped on the glass. “Is it safe to come in?” she asked.

“Yes, but be quick about it,” Katherine said loudly.

“Our room is in the back on the first floor—number 23,” Colleen said, climbing in.

Once inside the car, Katherine turned to Colleen and said, “Got a problem here. I can’t get Scout inside the carrier, so I’ll let you open the door to our room and then I’ll carry her inside.”

“If you think so,” Colleen said worriedly.

Katherine parked and Colleen flew out the car to open the motel room door. Katherine climbed over the seat and snatched Scout, who shrieked in resistance. After she skinned her knee getting out of the car, Katherine hurried into the room—with the struggling cat in her arms—and locked Scout in the bathroom.

“Scout, I’ll have to wipe you off later,” she called through the door. She turned to Colleen. “Let’s bring the others in now.”

Katherine and Colleen struggled with the carrier, but managed to maneuver it from the back seat. The snowflakes seemed wetter and clumped on top of the cage. Iris and Lilac shifted to the back of the carrier. Inside the room, Katherine let the two cats out, then went into the bathroom to dry Scout. Scout surprised Katherine by licking her on the nose. “Ingrate,” Katherine scolded. “Waugh,” Scout answered, licking her again.

Colleen called from the next room. “There’s a card on the desk with the names of nearby restaurants. Believe it or not, there’s an Irish pub close by.”

“Woo hoo,” Katherine said, joining her. “Let’s get the cats situated, and then we’ll check out the restaurant. I’m hungry for fish and chips.”

“Fish and chips and a
pint
,” Colleen added.

They returned to the car and found the bag with the cat food and drinking bowl. Katherine tucked it under her arm while she reached for the GPS.

“That thing is so annoying. Why don’t you just leave it in the car. Maybe someone will steal it,” Colleen quipped.

“Very funny. Could you get the litter box?”

“I guess.”

Back in the room, they discovered the cats busily sniffing every inch of the space. Katherine placed the litter box in the bathroom. She poured spring water into their cat bowl, opened a can of tuna, and dished out three portions. The cats were more interested in getting drinks of water than the food.

“I think they’re okay now,” she said. “I really hate to go back out in this weather, but I am famished.”

“I’m absolutely starving,” Colleen added.

The two left the room and drove to Irish pub. They sat at the bar and shared a large order of fish and chips. After they finished eating, Katherine texted Mark and keyed in a brief message:  Staying in Clarion, PA. Snowstorm. Call or text me.”

“Okay, let’s just settle up and go back to the room,” Colleen suggested.

“Excellent idea. I’m exhausted.”

They paid their tabs and returned to the motel. As soon as they stepped through the door, Katherine’s
cell phone rang. One of the cats growled from under the bed.

Katherine quickly put the phone to her ear. “Hello.”

“Hey, it’s Mark. Snowstorm, huh?”

“We came upon a nasty storm in Pennsylvania and decided to check into a motel earlier than intended. I’m not sure how far Akron is from Clarion. I’d look it up, but we don’t have Wi-Fi here.”

“Hang on. I’ll look it up on my map app.” In a few seconds, he said, “You’re about two hours from Akron. What’s the weather doing now?”

“Just a sec,” Katherine said, moving the curtains aside. “It’s still snowing, but not quite as hard.”

“Do you think you’ll be able to travel tomorrow?”

“I’m optimistic. We’re certainly going to try. I’m not sure what time we’ll get to Erie. We plan on driving straight through.”

“When you get close to Erie, call me so I can make sure I’m at the house.”

“What if it’s really late?”

“Not a big deal,” he said. “Drive safely. I’ll talk to you later. Bye.”

Katherine set the phone down on the nightstand, then crawled onto the bed. “Well, I’m going to call it a day.”

“Make sure those furry creatures of yours stay off of my bed.” Colleen pulled the sheet over her head and feigned snoring. Lilac observed the lump and sneaked up onto the bed. She flattened into a stalking pose, raised her rump slightly, and wiggled it. Before Katherine could react, Lilac pounced on the unsuspecting Colleen. Colleen shot up out of the bed and screamed. Lilac scampered into the bathroom.

“Bad cat,” Katherine scolded, mildly.

“I knew I needed my own room,” Colleen protested. She collapsed on her pillow.

“She’ll settle down in a while,” Katherine said, then added facetiously, “But wait until the others come out.”

“What?” Colleen said startled, sitting back up.

“Just kidding.”

*  *  *  *

A shaft of sunlight fell through the opening between the curtains. Scout and Iris vied for a position on the narrow ledge. Scout fell from the window and scraped the wallpaper with her back claws. Katherine woke up.

“What time is it?” she shouted, nearly falling out of bed.

The covered lump in the next bed moved slightly and said sleepily, “I don’t know.”

Katherine grabbed her watch off the nightstand. “It’s nine o’clock!”

“Why didn’t the alarm go off?”

“Because the clock has gone missing.”

“What?” Colleen asked, sitting up and wiping her eyes.

“I bet I know which one carried it away.” Katherine looked suspiciously at Lilac, who was now taking her turn to jump onto the windowsill.

“The sun’s shining. That must mean it stopped snowing.”

“That’s a good sign. We better get dressed. I vote we skip breakfast and eat a big lunch somewhere down the highway.”

“Good idea.”

The two hurriedly got ready. While Colleen showered, Katherine fed the cats, who ate heartily. “Good girls,” she complimented.

When the time came to check out and put the cats into the dog carrier, Katherine said to Colleen. “You pick up L-i-l-a-c.”

“Why are you spelling?”

“Because she associates “pick up” and her name to mean a trip to the V-e-t. Trust me, she’ll be the first one to bolt, and then we’ll never catch her. Hold her tight while I get I-r-i-s.”

Total pandemonium broke out. The three Siamese streaked throughout the room, catapulting off of walls and jumping over beds until Katherine tackled Iris and Colleen caught Scout. Lilac rocketed under one bed, and lodged herself in the far recesses of the box spring’s lining.

“Great,” Katherine said in exasperation, putting Iris gently in the carrier and partially closing the door. Colleen handed Scout to her. “Waugh,” Scout complained, trying to squirm away. Katherine put the struggling cat next to Iris and closed the metal door.

“How are we going to get Lilac out of there without ripping off the lining?” Colleen moaned.

“Where’s Lilac’s toy? Do you see her bear?”

Katherine and Colleen looked around the room. “There it is,” Colleen said, picking the toy off the foot of her bed.

“I’ve got a plan. We’ll crawl under the bed and you’ll hold the bear up to the opening in the lining. I’ll be poised, ready to catch Lilac.”

“Listen to this one,” Colleen said incredulously. “Have you gone crazy? There’s creepy crawlies under there.”

“Here, take the bear.”

“For the love of Mary,” Colleen protested, snatching the bear and getting down on her knees. She partially slid under the bed. “Ah-choo,” she sneezed. “I found the clock.”

“That’s a relief,” Katherine said joining her. “Now put the bear up where Lilac can see it and say, Qweek! Qweek!”

“Squeak, squeak,” Colleen said in a monotone voice.

“No, not ‘squeak.’ Qweek! Qweek!” Katherine corrected. “It’s a game we play.”

Both women began saying “Qweek! Qweek!” Lilac hesitated for a moment, then lunged out the hole and grabbed the bear. Katherine seized Lilac and placed both cat and bear into the carrier.

*  *  *  *

The rain pelted the small car as it headed south on Indiana State Highway 28. Katherine struggled to see the road through the dense fog and pounding rain. The squeaking and scraping of the cracked, aged windshield wipers had so frightened the cats, they had given up crying and now lay huddled in the far corner of the carrier.

“‘Tis a nightmare to behold,” Colleen said. “Do you realize it started raining on the Indiana-Ohio border, and it hasn’t stopped since?”

“This is the worse drive I’ve ever done,” Katherine said wearily.

“It snowed to beat the band in Pennsylvania,” Colleen declared. “And now this wretched rain in Indiana. I hope this isn’t an omen,” Colleen finished.