Gaya.

I came back from Japan on Monday night. Tired, longing for my bed and nursing very dry skin, I was greeted by mum, dad and Lester. Hugs and kisses all around, there was another thing that I couldn’t wait to put my arms around: My cat, Gaya.

When I arrived home, I anticipated a furry white face to greet me with the incessant meowing which translates to, “Where have you been?”. My parents paused when I asked them where Gaya was. They told me my cat was missing since Monday last week, the day I left. My parents got back from Manila on Thursday after a five-day trip so they too weren’t sure about the details of Gaya’s disappearance.

It was my turn to pause. I’m sure I heard wrong. I think they meant Gaya was missing since dinner time. Which is typical of my sweetie cuz he’s ever the adventurous one, especially at night. I went outside and called for him. Over and over. I went through the bushes. I explored the shed behind the house. Under the car. Inside the drain. I left no stone unturned, despite my dad’s insistence that he’s been doing the same since Thursday.

It was true. My cat was gone.

My cat is gone.

So after an exhilarating and tiring 7 and a-half days in Japan, I came home, curled up in bed and cried myself to sleep, guilty I had left Gaya unattended for so long and hoping he was okay wherever he was. Yesterday was my day off and I felt a bit better in the morning. But I kept expecting to see Gaya appear from nowhere. I kept hoping that I’d turn around and see my borderline-fat cat sleeping on the sofa or messing with the curtains in the living room. And last night after dinner, I swear I heard a cat meowing in the distance. I saw a cat saunter in the shadows but my heart fell when I saw the silhouette of its long tail: In place of a tail, Gaya has a tiny gray stub at the end of its body.

I love my cat. When I’m feeling lonely or unwanted, I know I can depend on Gaya to make me feel like a million dollars. I love the way he settles on my tummy when I’m watching TV and, more often than not, his purring puts me to sleep on the sofa. I talk to him all the time and he looks back at me with non-judgmental eyes, rubbing against my legs as if to say, “Ok whatever. Just pick me up and cuddle me.”

I’ll update you guys on my Japan trip real soon but for now, I’m dedicating this space to my sweetie.