The Extraordinary Cats of Riverstone: Chapter Two

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” --Henry David Thoreau

It was a beautiful evening. The stars were shining bright and magnificent in the night sky. I could see the Big Dipper. It was a perfect night to see a play. There was so much magic in the air. Munchkin, the Professor, and I sat in the third row from the stage. We had a gorgeous view of the stage. I wondered what part Chai was performing tonight. I knew that it had been her lifelong dream to star in a play. That would be wonderful if she did. The three of us only wanted the best for her. I know that performing in front of an audience was not easy for Chai. She was extremely shy and sensitive. When I first met her, it took Chai a little while to open up to me. But once she did, I discovered her passion for the theater and opera. She would go on for hours. I was all ears. I understood, because I am a writer and could relate to her passion. I was inspired by the simplest of things. I could watch the leaves sail in the sky and write a story about them. I know. Call me crazy. There was so much magic and wonder in the world. It was hard not to smile when you thought about these things. Then, the crowd grew silent as the lights dimmed in the theater.

I glanced to my left and saw the Professor and Munchkin staring at the stage in great anticipation. Our friend Chai was going to be in a play tonight. Yeah! I smiled. I felt only happiness for my friend. From the left side of the stage appeared two characters. One was female and the other was male. The female cat was wearing a long dress that reached the floor. She also had a golden crown on top of her head. She must be the queen, I thought. The male cat wore silver armor around his chest, along with a sword that hung from his right side. He looked like a soldier of some sort. He bowed to the female cat.

“Your Majesty,” said Knight Samuel. “I have come to let you know that we have defeated the enemy.”

“I am glad to hear this, my brave knight,” replied Queen Sirah. “You have saved this castle from being taken over by the Divknots. We are forever grateful for your brave efforts. Is there anything that we can do for you to repay your bravery?” As the queen began her last sentence, a young servant girl, played by our very own Chai, walked into the room. She bowed at the queen. I looked at the Professor and Munchkin. They were both smiling.

“Your Majesty,” asked the servant girl. “Is there anything that I can get for you, before I return to the garden?”

“No. You may return to your chores.” Chai bowed and exited the stage.

“Your Majesty,” asked Knight Samuel, “I would like to marry the servant girl.” The Queen was shocked by that remark.

“Knight Samuel,” replied the Queen. “Knights are not to marry servants. It is not allowed.” Samuel looked down as she said that. The Queen was stuck. The Kingdom was forever in debt to this Knight for saving the castle from the Divknots, but laws were laws. “I will get back to you my Knight. I shall discuss this with the King.” Knight Samuel bowed.

“Thank you your Majesty. I will honor your decision.” The Knight bowed again and exited the stage.

The next scene involved the King and Queen in deep discussion.

“I can’t allow Knight Samuel to marry that servant girl,” stated the King.

“He saved our Kingdom!” cried the Queen.

“I know. But it is law that knights cannot marry servants. What can I do?”

“You can rewrite the laws. You are the King after all.”

“I know, but I do not want to lose the respect of the people.” Not liking the King’s answer, the Queen walked out of the room upset. The king followed suit. He did not like to see his wife upset.

The next scene took place in the garden. The young servant girl was gathering vegetables for tonight’s dinner. Knight Samuel walked up to the servant girl and hugged her.

“What did the Queen say?” asked Tika.

“She said that she would have to talk to the King,” replied Samuel.

“The King will probably say no. What are we going to do? I love you, Samuel.”

“I love you, Tika. Don’t worry. I will marry you.” Both characters walked off the stage. The curtain went down and the house lights came on. Munchkin, the Professor, and I looked at each other and smiled. We decided to head to the lobby to discuss the play. I was really excited. It was special to see a play, but it was another thing to see it when one of your friends was in it. I was so happy for Chai. She was making her dreams a reality.

“Are you guys enjoying the play?” asked the Professor.

“It’s a great play,” replied Munchkin. I nodded my head.

“I’m so proud of our little Chai,” I stated, wiping a tear from my eye. The Professor put his paw on my shoulder and kissed me on top of my head.

“We are all proud of Chai,” the Professor added, smiling.

The curtain rose for the second half of the show. Knight Samuel walked up to the King and Queen and bowed.

“Your Majesty,” said Knight Samuel, looking at the King. “I have decided to turn in my sword. My love for Tika is more important than being a Knight.” Samuel handed his sword to the King. But the King handed it back to him.

“My son,” replied the King. “That will not be necessary. I have decided to allow you to marry Tika. You have both our blessings.” The King, for the first time in history, bowed to a Knight.

The next scene was the great marriage ceremony of Knight Samuel and his beautiful bride Tika. It was a grand spectacle. The room was filled with beautiful flowers of every color imaginable. A beautiful red carpet ran down the center of the room to the big double doors. Hundreds of candles brought in luminous light. And we mustn’t forget the music. That would be a mistake. The sound was absolutely incredible. A harp, flute, as well as violins and cellos were the marvelous instruments that filled the room with melodic rich music.

“Do you take this woman to be your wife?” asked the priest.

“I do,” said Knight Samuel.

“Do you take this man to be your husband?” asked the priest.

“I do,” said Tika.

“You may kiss the bride.”

The two cats kissed each other. The scene ended. It was the last act in the play. The crowd stood up and applauded. I smiled at the Professor and Munchkin. They both smiled at me. A half hour later we met up with Chai in the lobby. Many of the cats applauded when she walked in the room. However, Chai seemed sad.

“What’s wrong, dear?” asked the Professor. Chai had tears in her eyes. The Professor put both paws on Chai’s shoulder.

“I’m sad,” replied Chai, “because I didn’t get the lead part in this play.”

“You will get your chance, my dear. You have to keep trying. Everyone has to start somewhere. On a positive note, you were absolutely amazing! The crowd thinks so, too.” Both Munchkin and I nodded our heads.

“You were incredible, Chai,” I added. “You have a special gift.”

“You did something that a lot of cats have a hard time doing,” said Munchkin. “You faced your fears of performing in public. Some would rather die than speak in front of an audience.”

“But still—"

“My dear, you have to be patient,” stated the Professor. “You will accomplish your dreams. It takes time. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day. On a different note, Munchkin has something he wants to share with you.” The Professor winked at Munchkin. Munchkin smiled.

“Chai,” said Munchkin, “the Professor, Sedonia, and I are going to sail to the Orion Sea. I know it sounds crazy. No cat has ever sailed our river before. Let alone sail to the sea. With that said, would you be willing to join our adventure? I think it will help you with your dream.” The professor and I nodded our heads.

“Okay, I’m in,” replied Chai. “I believe I’m crazy enough for the job.” Chai winked at the Professor. He winked back. “I think an adventure will be wonderful.”