The Extraordinary Cats of Riverstone: Chapter Five

“Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” ~Confucius

As if the Universe was fully supporting us on this grand adventure, I saw the most beautiful sunrise that I had ever fixed my eyes on. The sun’s rays made their way through breaks in the clouds. The colors were absolutely incredible and vibrant. It looked as if I were peering through a giant kaleidoscope. It is during beautiful moments like this when I wished I was a painter.

What a beautiful masterpiece nature has shared with us!

Munchkin and I were loading up the boat with our supplies; the Professor was making last minute adjustments to his navigation device; and Chai was loading the boat with the necessary food provisions. I glanced at Munchkin and could see the giant smile in his eyes. This was a very important day for Munchie. He had been dreaming about this day since he was a small kitten. Today, he was making his dream a living reality. He was doing something that has never been done before. I was very excited to be a part of his dream. Actually we were all excited to be a part of this grand adventure.

“Professor, is the device ready?” asked Munchkin.

The professor turned his head to face Munchkin and put his paw on his shoulder. “I’m all set on my end,” replied the Professor. “How ‘bout you guys?”

“Sedonia and I have packed all the gear,” said Munchkin.

“I packed all the food,” said Chai.

“Splendid,” replied the Professor. “Then let’s set sail, shall we? Ready, Munchkin?”

Munchkin nodded his head and untied the rope. He then made his way to the rudder. Munchkin maneuvered the boat towards the middle of the river. The professor pushed in a few buttons on his navigational device; analyzed each gauge with a careful eye; and then nodded his head in agreement.

“The wind velocity is perfect,” stated the Professor. “We should make great time today.”

“That’s great to hear, Professor,” replied Munchkin. Chai and I both smiled. We were so happy for Munchkin. Thank you, Munchie, for allowing us to join your adventure.

“Good luck on your voyage,” shouted a group of cats that were located to the left of us along the shoreline. They were smiling and cheering. We waved back at them.

“These cats were the ones at the Town Hall meeting that were excited about this river adventure,” stated the Professor. “It is great to know that we have cats that are open to new ideas.” We all nodded our heads in agreement.

I then wondered what life would be like if we never tried anything new. It would be mighty boring. Imagine doing the same thing day in and day out. I couldn’t live like that. That is no way to live. But sad to say, many cats in Riverstone do just that. They are afraid to step outside their circle of comfort. They are afraid to embrace life. As I said this, Munchkin pointed to the right side of the shore.

“Take a look at those cats playing chess,” Munchkin announced!

We then begin to wave and shout, trying to get the attention of the two chess players. After a couple of seconds, one of the cats looked up from the chessboard and tipped over backwards out of his chair, spilling his drink all over himself. The other cat pointed at him and began to laugh hysterically; however, this laughter was short lived, because the cat eventually saw our boat. The look on his face was priceless. His eyes were bugged out. They looked as if they were going to pop out of the sockets. His jaw was wide open. This cat didn’t know what to make of us. Maybe he thought we were a bunch of ghosts. Cats aren’t supposed to be sailing on the water, right?

“Professor, what’s with those guys,” I asked, nodding my head in their direction.

“My dear,” replied the Professor, “they are not used to the likes of us.” Munchkin smiled. “What we are doing is unheard of. This is something that you read in a fantasy novel, not see in real life. They cannot imagine doing something different and extraordinary. Therefore, seeing us sailing on this beautiful river was a shock to their systems. Society has it fixed that life is to be lived a certain way. It’s very sad that most do not question this. They let others tell them how they are supposed to live their lives, instead of thinking for themselves. These people don’t know what they are missing.”

We all nodded our heads. A small bluebird flew next to Chai. The bird must have noticed Chai’s piece of bread that she was eating. She broke off a small piece and gave it to the small bird. The bird looked at Chai, cocking its head. Chai motioned at the bread. The bird eagerly took the gift and flew a way. I smiled and began to imagine what it would be like to be a bird. I could envision myself soaring through the blue sky, letting the wind take me to faraway lands. Oh, what beautiful sites I would see! And when I was tired of traveling, I would then make a nice comfortable home in one the old oak trees. That would be awesome! I would learn all about life’s wonders from this wise being of nature. I was brought out of daydream when I felt water being splashed on me. I looked up and saw Munchkin smiling. I then pointed at Munchie’s feet. As he looked down, I gave him a nice splash of water. Munchie put both paws up in gesture that said, “I surrender.” I winked at Munchie. He smiled back.

“Hey, Professor,” announced Munchkin. “Should we make camp? The sun is going to set in a little while.”

“That’s an excellent idea, my boy. Take us ashore, Captain.”

Munchkin smiled. He liked being called Captain. “To the shore we go,” replied Munchkin.

It didn’t take us very long to set up camp. We found a perfect place underneath some beautiful trees. These weren’t oak trees, but they were just as beautiful. I wondered what stories they had to share. I then wondered if they were interested in hearing my stories. As I thought this, a small wind blew, freeing a few leaves from the trees; and without even trying one fell into my paw. I looked up at the giant tree and smiled. It is settled, then, we will each share our stories with one another.

“Dinner is ready,” shouted Munchkin.

“I’ll be right there,” I replied. I winked at the tree and made my way to the lovely dinner that was waiting for me.