Sophia was not ready for the day. She was lazing around in her apartment with her phone, in hand. She had switched off her work cellphone, and was texting her friend across the room from her, giggling as they “chatted” about the latest news at the office water cooler. They both worked at the same office but in different departments. Sophia was in Advertising and Sancha worked in Sales.
Sophia was so busy texting that she did not realize that it was 20 minutes to 8 in the morning. She starts work at 8 am. Sancha was in outside sales and had no set schedule unless she was meeting a client in the office. Sancha was no help in reminding her friend that she was almost late for work.
Cookie the cat was the first sign that Sophia received that she was off schedule. Cookie likes to be fed at precisely 7:06 am. It was way past that appointed time. Cookie was meowing and laying inside her empty purple food bowl, glaring at Sophia. Every few minutes she would leap out of the bowl and roll around it. There was no mistaking Cookie’s point. But, for good measure Cookie performed the cat version of a cartwheel on the floor by her empty food dish.
It was the noise of Cookie’s body flailing on the floor which finally got Sophia’s attention. Sophia jumped up from her chair and in that moment, finally glanced at the time on her cell phone. “Oh my gosh she yelled, I’m going to be late again.”
It was the third time this week, it being Wednesday, that Sophia would be late for work. She lived 29 minutes from work by car. There was no way out of being late today. So, Sophia dressed hurriedly. And, in even more haste prepared and dispensed Cookie’s meal– to Cookie’s utter displeasure. Both at the blatant tardiness of her meal, and, its presentation, in Cookie’s opinion, was a fail! Cookie liked her meal nice and tidy, smooshed down flat with no lumps in her food dish. This hurriedly prepared version did not come up to snuff, in Cookie’s mind.
Cookie made no effort to hide her displeasure to Sophia– snubbing Sophia’s attempts to pet her as she strolled slowly to her untidy-hastily-prepared-lumpy meal. But, by this time, Cookie was very hungry so she begrudgingly ate her meal pretending that Sophia did not exist, as Sophia said goodbye to her.
As Sophia departed her apartment, she new she would need to work to get back into Cookie’s good graces–perhaps with extra treats or a new toy. Tardiness was getting expensive.
©Short tales for Suzette B’s blog
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