It had been a restless night, a night filled with nightmares. When he was finally shaken awake and told it was time to go, he met the morning with both apprehension and anticipation. It was the first Saturday in the month, meaning only one thing to Travis. It was adoption day once again.
As long as he could remember, it had been the same. Soon he’d be asked to be on his best behavior for the entire day as perspective families paraded past him and the others that were up for adoption. But could this be the day that finally brought this lonely chapter to a close, starting a new one with a loving family? The thought sent a wave of warmth through his body.
His time at the center for the unloved and unwanted (at least that’s what he called it) had been longer than most. He’d been through many adoption days, but no one had wanted him. Perhaps he’d been passed over so many times because he was a little older than the rest. Most folks want a newborn — something during his time at the center he’d never really understood. Newborns were a lot more work, a lot more trouble. Besides, he was old enough to take care of himself. Mostly.
It could be that no one wanted him because he didn’t have any brothers or sisters. People like to adopt brothers and sisters. That whole instant family and all. Or was it his color? He wasn’t the right color to fit into their family. The way he acted around others in order to fit in was something he could change; he could even work on being a little more loving. But his color? His color was what he was born with, and he was proud of it. Besides, it was the one thing he couldn’t change about himself. Surely people have gotten over the whole color thing by now.
Travis and the others hoping for adoption lined up each time a perspective parent walked by, but nothing changed. During the five-hour adoption period, he watched as one after another were adopted. But not him. Only one family had showed any interest at all. Surprisingly they even asked about his medical records, but not surprisingly, at the end of the day, he once again had to take the long, lonely ride back to the center for the unloved and unwanted.
He’d done nothing wrong in his life, yet no one wanted him. All he ever wanted in life was a family to love and one that wanted him just as he was. Why was that so hard to find? It was moments like these that made him start to think, Perhaps it would be better if I‘d never been born. After all, what is a life without love in it?
With that thought, Travis spent his last night at the center for the unloved and unwanted. In the morning, his vacant space would be filled by another.
To adopt, lengthy paperwork must be completed, starting a rigorous background check to gauge the suitability of the perspective new parents. The family who had taken an interest in Travis the day before had done just that. Sunday morning, they received the phone call that the adoption had been approved — an hour later they were at the center.
Still asleep, Travis had to be awakened to meet his new family. He’d imagine how special this day would be for such a long time, and when it finally came, it was better than his wildest dreams.
Arriving at his new home, they fed him a wonderful meal, showed him each room in the house, told him all the rules and, that night, argued amongst themselves about which bedroom he would share. Not being able to decide, they turned to him and said the decision where to sleep would be his. Not wanting to disappoint any of the four children in his new family, he chose all the bedrooms.
That night, Travis, the black and gray tabby cat, after spending time in each of the other three bedrooms, hopped up on the bed of the oldest daughter, curled up and purred himself to sleep at her feet — finally in a house for the loved and wanted.
[Rick Ryckeley has been writing stories since 2001.]
