by Patricia Fry
Lily started to climb down from her chair.
“Not now, sweetheart,” Gladys said. “Let’s finish our supper.”
“Are we going tomorrow?” Lily asked.
“Several tomorrows,” Savannah said. “Oops, when am I going to learn not to tell her about something this far in advance?”
Michael grinned. “So what’s wrong with Rags?” he asked. “What did Sir Lancelot…”
“Sir Roscoe,” she corrected.
“Well, what did he say? Rags certainly isn’t stupid. He’s probably the smartest cat I’ve ever known.”
Savannah tilted her head and smiled. “Michael, you just said something nice about Rags. Rags,” she called, “did you hear that? Daddy does love you.”
“Now I didn’t say that,” he teased. “I said he’s smart. He is smart, so why did he fail the circus-cat test?”
“Sir Roscoe said he has too much of a mind of his own,” Savannah explained.
“He’s stubborn,” Gladys said. “Headstrong.”
“That’s about it,” Savannah agreed. “He isn’t good at listening. He marches to his own drummer.”
“Oh yeah,” Michael said. “We knew that, right?”
“And the only way we’re going to get him to do what we want him to do on stage,” Savannah continued, “is to make it so it’s something he desperately wants to do.”
Michael grinned. “So the old boy’s in charge, is he?”
Savannah laughed. “Always was, always will be, I guess. But Sir Roscoe gave me some tips and techniques to practice with Rags. He said there’s always a chance he’ll perform the way we want him to, but he seems dubious, which makes me a little nervous.”
“Hey, you can only do so much, and that’s all you can do.” Michael laughed. “This could be quite entertaining. I hope the play is a comedy, because Rags is liable to make it a comedy of errors.”
Chapter Five
On Wednesday morning a week and a half later Savannah and Michael prepared to leave for San Francisco with Rags.
“Is he ready?” Michael asked. “I’ve seen you practicing with him almost every day.”
“At least twice every day—usually more,” Savannah said.
“He must be getting awfully tired of those treats you’re giving him,” Michael said. “And he’s probably gaining weight.”
“I hope not,” she said. “Sir Roscoe clued me in about the best treats for cats in training—low-calorie, yet tasty.”
Michael shook his head. “So who’s in charge now, you or the cat?”
Savannah smirked at him. “Who do you think?”
Michael fist-bumped Rags’s paw. “My man,” he joked.
Savannah added, “But I have to say there were a couple of times when he did exactly what I wanted him to do. I gave him a treat near the basket and one in the kitchen, but only when he came in there with the toy. It seemed like he was starting to catch on, but he still forgets sometimes, or he just prefers not to participate in my little game. I’m not sure which it is.”
Michael chuckled.
“Can I go see baby Alana?” Lily asked, pushing her stroller into the room. She pulled her doll from the stroller, saying, “This is baby Alana.”
“Hi, baby Alana,” Savannah greeted. She took Lily’s hands. “Yes, you and Grammy and Teddy and Auntie are coming to Arthur’s and Suzette’s house to see baby Alana in three days. Let’s go circle the days on your calendar.”
“I want to go with you,” Lily whined.
“I’m sorry, honeybun. Mommy and Rags have work to do when we get there. No children allowed.”
“Isn’t baby Alana a children?”
Savannah looked at Michael pleadingly and he jumped in with an explanation. “Lily, Alana’s a tiny baby and she lives there, so she has to stay at her house and can’t go to where Mommy and Rags are working. When Mommy’s finished working, in three days, you can come to baby Alana’s house with Grammy, Teddy, and Auntie, and we’ll all go to where Mommy is working and we’ll watch her on the stage.” When Lily seemed confused, he added, “Mommy and Rags are going to be in a program like when we went to see the circus cats.”
Lily looked at Savannah, then Rags. She ran down the hallway and returned with a small pink boa from her dress-up collection. “I’ll put this on Rags,” she said, wrapping it around his neck. She stood back. “Now he can be in the cat circus.”
Everyone laughed.
“Yes,” Savannah said, “he looks just like one of the circus cats now, doesn’t he? Thank you.” She took out her phone and snapped a picture of him. “Stand next to him, Lily, and I’ll take a picture of you, too.” She looked at the screen. “Nice shot. Good job. Now he’s all ready for his theater debut.”
****
“She’s even more beautiful than her pictures,” Savannah gushed when she saw Alana. She giggled. “So cute.”
“We like her,” Arthur said, smiling down at his baby daughter.
“Yup,” Michael agreed. “She’s a keeper.”
Savannah looked around. “Is your nanny still with you?”
Suzette shook her head. “No, we sent her along to another family who might need her. She was wonderful.”
“As I told you,” Arthur said, “the hardest part was getting her to let us do for our own baby.”
“Well, if I were her, I’d want to get my hands on this sweetheart, too. I don’t blame her.”
“So do the two of you fight over who’s going to hold her?” Michael asked.
“Practically,” Arthur said. “But I’m often outnumbered by the faucets.”
“Faucets?” Savannah repeated. When she suddenly understood what he meant, she laughed and blushed all at the same time.” She asked Arthur, “So what time’s rehearsal? Buzz’s text said it would be either four or six this evening.”
“Yeah, there are a couple of important props we’d like to start working with, and they’re supposed to be delivered today. We were hoping by four. I just got word that they have arrived, so we are meeting at the theater at four. Buzz wants you there a little early. So we have time for a quick snack and a visit, then you and Rags and I will have to go to work.” Arthur looked at Michael. “You can go with us if you want.”
“Sure,” he said, “unless you need help here, Suzette.”
“No, I plan to nap with Alana,” Suzette said, “so go ahead, if that’s what you want to do. Or you can take a horse out for a ride or watch sports with a beer or…”
“You could go visit Peter and Rochelle,” Savannah suggested.
“Do they know we’re in town?” Michael asked.
“Yes. They know we’re here and that we’ll be busy, so I didn’t make any plans with them. They’re coming to one of the performances, though, with Simon.”
“How are their kittens?” Arthur asked. “You told me they adopted some abandoned kittens.”
“To hear Rochelle talk about them, everything’s wonderful,” Savannah said. “Simon adores them.”
“But…?” Arthur prompted.
“Well, Peter’s still learning to appreciate them.”
Arthur chuckled. “He doesn’t understand cats yet. Is that it?”
“I suppose,” Savannah said.
“I don’t think he’s ever had cats,” Michael added. “In veterinary school he leaned more toward large animals and dogs. He seemed uncomfortable around cats, guinea pigs, rabbits—the more delicate species.”
“Interesting,” Arthur said. “Does he put animals in his artwork—his paintings?”
Michael nodded. “Sometimes. Mostly wild ones.”
****
The two couples visited for a while, then Arthur suggested, “We’d better get over to the theater.” He laughed when his Siamese cat jumped on Rags and wrestled him to the floor. “Looks like Koko’s making up for lost time with her buddy.” He spoke to the cat, “Hey, girl, settled down. You just saw each other a few months ago.” He picked her up and looked into her eyes. “Anyway, Rags has to g
o to work now.”
“Yeah, after all that tearing around and wrestling, Rags is liable to nap through rehearsal,” Michael said. “Come on, boy,” he coaxed. He picked up the cat’s harness and leash. “Let’s go, Rags,” he called.
When the cat didn’t respond, Savannah pulled a small packet from her pocket and shook it. “Rags,” she said quietly.
To everyone’s surprise, Rags stopped what he was doing, trotted up to her, and carefully took a treat from her fingers.
“Want one, Koko?” she asked, shaking the bag again. When Rags batted anxiously at the packet with his paw, she said, “No, Rags. You had yours. Let’s share with Koko, okay?”
But Koko didn’t seem interested.
Suzette laughed. “Her treats come in a jar. She’s conditioned to the sound of the jar lid coming off.”
“Yeah,” Arthur agreed, “that rattle sound doesn’t mean anything to her.”
“I guess these treats are all yours then, Rags,” Savannah said, petting him. “No need to share.” She pocketed the packet while Michael strapped Rags’s harness on him.
“Well, I’m impressed,” Arthur said.
“Don’t be,” Michael joked. “He’s still as unpredictable as any cat out there.”
Savannah tilted her head and insisted, “But he’s doing a lot better. I think you’ll be…” she chuckled. “…at least semi-surprised and pleased when you see him on the stage.” She grimaced and crossed her fingers. “I hope, I hope.”
“Here we are,” Arthur said, pulling into a large parking lot several minutes later. “This is our little theater.”
“I love it,” Savannah gushed. “It’s adorable and quaint.” She asked, “You say it seats three hundred?”
“Yes,” he said, “and a few years ago they had the seats upgraded, so it’s rather plush inside.”
“It reminds me of a small theater in my old neighborhood in Connecticut,” Michael said. “Very backwoodsy.”
“Yes, like the theater in the dale or something,” Savannah quipped. She lifted Rags out of the car and placed him on the pavement.
“Well, is this the famous cat actor?” a man asked, walking swiftly toward them. He took Savannah by the shoulders, looked into her face, and said, “Savannah, I’d know you anywhere.”
He hugged her, then pulled back and looked her up and down. “Yes, you’re perfect for the part.” He hugged her again, then reached a hand behind her toward Michael. “You must be the lucky man who married this amazing woman.”
“I sure am,” Michael said, shaking hands with him. “Buzz, I presume. I’m Michael Ivey.”
“Good to meet you,” Buzz said. He stepped back, stared down at Rags, and began laughing. “And here’s the star of the show.”
“Oh no, don’t put that much pressure on us,” Savannah complained.
“Yeah, he still doesn’t know all of his lines,” Michael quipped.
“Hey, it doesn’t matter what he does, he’ll be a hit. I just know it,” Buzz exclaimed.
“Well, that takes a load of pressure off me,” Savannah said. “I thought everything hinged on him doing what he’s scripted to do.”
Buzz squatted next to Rags and ruffled his fur. “Not really,” he admitted. “Just having cats on the stage is a thrill for most of our theater patrons—at least for this production. And that’s why I said you might, at some point, do some ad-libbing. He motioned toward Rags, who was about to crawl under a parked car. “We don’t know what the cats are liable to do, so we may have to play it by ear now and then during each performance.”
“No Rags,” Savannah said, tugging on the leash. “I don’t need you getting covered in grease. You had a bath just a few weeks ago.”
“You bathe him?” Buzz asked.
“Occasionally we do,” Savannah admitted.
Michael chuckled. “Yeah, he dove into a sink full of soapy water and Savannah had to put him in a tub and rinse the soapsuds off him.”
Buzz stared down at Rags and finally asked, “Isn’t that a little out of the ordinary?”
Arthur slapped the director on the back. “Hey, I told you he’s not your typical cat.”
Buzz stood up, still staring at Rags, then said, “Well, let’s go in and meet the rest of the players, shall we?”
“Players?” Savannah questioned.
“You know, the cast, stagehands, and…Carol!” he said, greeting a woman who had just pulled in and exited her car. “Carol, come meet our long-distance actors. This is Savannah and Rags.”
“Hi,” Savannah said, offering her hand. When Carol reached for it Rags let out a low growl. “Rags,” Savannah scolded, taking a firmer grip on the leash.
Carol stepped back and glared at the cat, asking, “Is he rabid or does he just have a bad disposition?”
“Neither,” Savannah said. “I’m sorry. He can be impulsive.”
“He’s a cat,” Arthur said, running his hand over Rags’s fur.
Buzz put his hands on Carol’s shoulders and turned her toward the theater door. “Well, no one doesn’t like Carol,” he said, walking with one arm around her. He pulled her to him as they walked.
Savannah shot Michael a knowing look.
“What does that mean?” he asked quietly, walking with Savannah and the cat toward the theater.
“Rags doesn’t like her,” Savannah whispered.
Michael rolled his eyes.
Once they were all in the greenroom there was a quick round of introductions, and Rags soon became the center of attention. Just about everyone greeted him, and there was an eruption of questions.
“Does he know his lines?”
“What breed cat is he?”
“How old is he?”
“Why was he chosen to play this part?”
“Has he ever performed before?”
In the process of responding to the questions, Savannah revealed some of Rags’s more outstanding characteristics and feats. She talked about his documentary and his work with local law enforcement. Naturally, this piqued more interest and everyone began asking for details.
“Hey,” Buzz called out, “he’s an interesting cat, but he’s here to work just like the rest of us. Let’s get this show on the road, shall we? I have a couple of notes.”
Before everyone had settled down to listen, Savannah glanced around the room and asked Arthur. “Where’s Carol?”
“Oh, she’s not in the play,” he said. “She’s in charge of finances—you know, fundraising, donations…”
“Really?” Savannah said, as startled by her tone as Arthur seemed to be.
****
For the next ninety minutes the actors rehearsed, and everyone was surprised at how well Savannah’s and Rags’s parts fit into the scenes.
“Like a glove,” Buzz said. “No one would guess that this is your first rehearsal in person.”
“Well, you all made it so easy for me.” Savannah pointed to a man named Jeff. “You sort of threw me off when you started that chanting thing. I was really lost, but Buzz caught me up to speed between scenes.”
“Yes, we’ve made some changes along the way,” interjected a woman who’d been introduced as Crystal. “Those drove me crazy at first.” She focused on Rags. “So how’d you get him to do all that stuff he does?”
Savannah admitted, “Treats.”
“Yeah,” said a heavyset man in the back of the room, “I’d do all that stuff for donuts.”
Everyone laughed, and someone else asked, “So you’ve actually trained him to do what he did here today? I mean, the other cats just sort of wander around on and off stage without purpose, but your cat seemed to be following directions.”
Savannah looked sheepish. “Actually, most of that was ad-libbing on his part. It wasn’t exactly according to the script.”
“Well, it worked,” Buzz said. “I liked what I saw.” He frowned. “He won’t freak out when we have an audience, will he?”
“Who knows?” Savannah said. “He’s a cat. He might a
ctually get more creative with his ad-libbing when he hears the applause. He loves praise.”
“Well,” Buzz said, “let’s call it a night. We’ll be back here for dress rehearsal tomorrow at noon.”
“Dress rehearsal?” Savannah repeated. “Am I supposed to have a costume?”
Buzz nodded, then asked, “Crystal, will you show Savannah her costume, please?” He said to Savannah, “You’re a peasant girl. A peasant in the city.”
“Oh?” Savannah said, surprised. “That isn’t what I’d envisioned.”
“I think we changed that,” he explained.
“No problem. Doesn’t matter to me what I wear,” she said. Once she’d examined her costume and held it up to herself, she thanked Crystal, took a look at the other costumes, and turned to leave with Michael and Arthur.
“You did a good job,” Michael said. “It’s rather remarkable how you were able to just slip right into the slot as if you’ve rehearsed with the others all along. I’m impressed.”
Savannah grinned. “It’s always nice when you can still impress your husband.”
Arthur petted Rags. “I’m stunned at how well he did.”
“Did you not have faith in us?” Savannah teased.
“Hey, we’re talking about Rags here,” Arthur joked. “I know his reputation. I read his book, remember? Yeah, he did amazingly well.”
“That was just a rehearsal,” Michael reminded him. “The first rehearsal. There’s still time for him to mess things up royally before we’re run out of the city.”
Savannah slapped at him. “Bite your tongue. No. I’m working real hard at keeping a positive image in my mind. I’m using mind pictures with him, you know.”
“So that’s how you did it, is it?” Buzz asked, catching up with the trio as they strolled out to their car.
Savannah held a finger across her lips. “Shhh.”
“So it’s a secret?” Buzz asked.
“Not really,” she said, “but I am a little surprised that it went so well today.”
“Oh no,” Arthur said. “So you didn’t expect it? Do you think there will be problems once we open?”
