Miu

by Heather McAlendin

  the items needed to make the coffee. “I just have to remind myself not to have

  unrealistic expectations.”

  Zula raised an eyebrow as she stroked Mabel's fur and then stood up. “What do you mean by unrealistic?”

  Embarrassed, Maxwell busied himself by grinding the coffee beans and pouring

  cold water into the brewer.

  “Maxwell? Talk to me. Please? I could go into your thoughts alone but I'd prefer

  not to do that.”

  “Sit down,” Maxwell motioned to the chair at the kitchen table. “Please...” his

  voice trailed off.

  Zula sat and stared directly into Maxwell's eyes. The amber colour seemed to

  flicker with the embers of some internal flame that Maxwell had yet to see. He looked

  away and the forced himself to look back at her.

  “Zula, this is hard for me to explain. I'm a solitary man and have been for many

  years. I came out to this part of the province in order too escape the crazy lifestyle of

  the city.”

  Zula reached forward and unconsciously patted his hand. “I can understand that.”

  Maxwell jerked back as if she had set his hand on fire. His pulse raced as he forced

  himself to stay calm. It was amazing to him that just a simple touch could set his soul

  aflame.

  “I am sure in a way you can,” he continued. “I love what I do but my life gets

  lonely. When you dropped into my world a few days ago I found you a refreshing

  breeze in an otherwise stagnant life. You've intrigued me and I'd love too entertain the

  possibilities but there will never be any possibilities with there?” “I see,” It was a simple statement but the sadness was very evident in her eyes and

  voice. She knew very well what Maxwell was referring too. “I have met many

  humans over the years and never have I wanted a kinship more than I'd like to have

  with you. But...”

  “But what?”

  Zula's eyes filled with tears as she tried to find the words to explain how she was

  feeling. It was the first time her emotions were so close to the surface other than in

  dealings with her own kind. “There have been some Miu who have shifted

  permanently with disastrous consequences and those that have had off and on contact

  with humans...well you see the end result with Cleopatra.”

  Maxwell had a feeling there was something more. “You don't seem to be the type

  of woman to scare easily. You have been in Tryphaenea's service for many years and I

  gather she could have been quite a strong personality.”

  “True.” Zula agreed. “Our Matriarch was a fierce warrior in her day. She has

  grown tired and Cleopatra will be unable to follow her as leader.”

  “Why?” Maxwell asked as he rose from the table to prepare their coffee.

  “Her ill health for one and she just does not have the same drive or interest to rule

  the Miu. In days gone by, the Miu would choose warrior maidens to fight for the

  leadership. We no longer adhere to that rule. The modern world has no place for it.”

  “I can understand that. I suppose you need to change with the times. So what

  happens then? And why do I have the feeling it has to do with you?” Maxwell placed their cups on the table and poured the rich, hot coffee into both, allowing Zula to add

  her own cream.

  “I do however love that you put this delicious cream in your hot drinks. It makes

  this coffee magnificent!” Zula blurted as she poured half the cream jug into her cup

  and took a long drawn from it. Maxwell could not help but grin.

  “Glad you like it,” he said. “Now, please tell me what is going on with you.”

  Zula eyed him over the rim of her cup. Her heart was pounding very fast as she

  stared at Maxwell's face. She traced his eyebrows, cheek bones and chin with her

  eyes. If only.... she thought. “I will be the matriarch's replacement.”

  “Wow,” Maxwell sat back in his chair with a thud. “Is this what you want?”

  “At this point it doesn't really matter what I want.” Zula sighed heavily and placed

  her cup back down on the table with a thud. “The matriarch believes I am the bridge

  between the old and new world. I can help the Miu exist in this world. Besides, I have

  no family and no children so my life has always been devoted to the Matriarch. I

  know the role like the back of my paw.”

  The word “paw” caught Maxwell off guard and then he shook his head. It's hard to

  remember what you are sometimes Zula. You seem so...

  “Human,” Zulas word caught off his thought. “But I'm not.”

  Maxwell shrugged his shoulders in frustration. “You still didn't really answer my

  question. Is this the life you want?”

  Zula sat back and took a deep breath. “My life is what it is. Unlike you, I can not come and go as I please or change where I live. Being a Miu makes it necessary to

  hide and expose my true nature only when necessary.”

  The truth in what she said hit Maxwell hard so he tried to distract the frustration

  with another question. “You mentioned something about the Miu suffering disastrous

  consequences when they shift permanently. What do you mean?”

  “You are a doctor so you can well imagine how hard it is to change the structure of

  your being; your genetic make up. It is difficult at best and the more often it happens

  the harder it is to change back. Some Miu leave our community to try and live

  amoung humans. In order to do that they have to stay in human form permanently.”

  “I'm sure the damage it causes is irreparable let alone the pain you must feel when

  shifting.” Maxwell tried to be sympathetic but he knew he had no clue what it would

  be like to strip the essence of yourself to become something else.

  “The pain can be excruciating,” Zula agreed with a shake of her auburn coloured

  hair. “Hence why we only shift when it is absolutely necessary. Like humans, we Miu

  have hearts and souls and can fall in love and desire companionship just as humans

  do. And if we can not find satisfaction amoung our own kind, some feel we should

  have the option to look outside the species. When a Miu shifts permanently we lose

  our ability to conceive and eventually our genetic structure breaks down at a

  molecular level. Our lives as humans are short and death is assured.” Tears filled

  Zula's eyes as she remembered hearing about those who had left to find lives in the

  modern world only to die a few years afterward. “When a shifted Miu dies, they revert back to their original condition,” her eyes dropped. “Truth be told, not exactly

  normal. The body is horribly mutated. It is not a pleasant sight.”

  Maxwell reached over the table and took Zula's hand in his. Her skin was cool to

  the touch and she was shaking. “I'm sorry.”

  “It's not your fault Maxwell. It's hard too face these memories sometimes but the

  reality is what it is.”

  Maxwell stroked the soft skin on the back of Zula's hand and then released her.

  “How is it I've never heard of these deaths? Someone must be there when they die?

  Human nature is drawn to the grotesque unfortunately.”

  “The Miu know when they are dying. They go back to their origins and die alone.

  They come home and they bury them when they do.” Zula looked down at her hand

  and ran her thumb over the spot where Maxwell had touched her. She looked back up

  at him and gave him a small smile.
“We all return to whatever we feel is home when

  we die.”

  “Ashes to ashes,” Maxwell commented.

  “What does that mean?” Zula was perplexed at his reference.

  “Some humans believe we were created out of the ashes by the hand of God. So

  when we die we return to that state until the end of time comes.”

  “And then what?” Zula asked.

  “And then....well it all depends on whether you believe in God or not I guess.”

  Maxwell said as he lifted his cup to his lips and took a deep swallow. He grimaced because his coffee had gotten cold.

  Zula's face remained serious. “Do you believe in a god?”

  “At times I have,” Maxwell answered. “And at times I haven't.”

  “The Miu can trace their lineage back to the great Goddess Gaiea and the God Bast

  from ancient times. We still worship them with the rituals in our every day lives and

  on special feast days. Does your god get the same praise?”

  “Yes,” Maxwell nodded. “Most people that believe in God celebrate and worship

  him at certain times of the week and year.”

  “So we are more alike in some ways that I thought.” Zula whispered under her

  breath.

  “Perhaps so,” he smiled. “Zula you keep avoiding my question. Not that I don't

  appreciate the distraction. It has given me more time to get to know a bit more about

  you.”

  Zula breathed out a heavy sigh of frustration. “Ideally I'd love to have kittens and a

  mate but it does not seem that is in the Goddesses plan for me. And, the Matriarch has

  asked this favour of me. I dare not refuse her.”

  “But, Tryphaenea has children,” Maxwell said.

  “Yes but no mate.” Zula said. “She only conceived through the spring ritual of

  fertility. It was not because she specifically wanted a family.”

  “And you?” Maxwell asked again.

  Zula crossed her arms and looked across the table at him. “Like I said, I'd love a family but becoming a Matriarch is a very serious matter. My life will have very little

  time for romance or finding a proper mate.”

  “My life is like that now,” Maxwell sighed as he cleared the table of their coffee

  cups.

  “What do you mean? You have a wonderful life and you have Mabel.” Zula said.

  “I do have a great life. It is a life I have worked very hard for,” Maxwell said. “I'm

  successful in my chosen career but...”

  “But what?” Zula asked as she raised her eyebrow to emphasis the question.

  “But, I am alone. Yes, I have Mabel but it's not the same as female companionship.

  I'm getting older and I've been a bachelor for too long.”

  Zula sat in quiet contemplation. She too was alone in the world and she knew how

  her heart ached to find a mate that would love and support her. “I understand,” she

  said quietly.

  “I don't know that you do, not really.” Maxwell turned from the kitchen counter

  and focused his attention directly on Zula. At first she glance away and then she stared

  straight back at him. “We talked about death earlier.”

  “Yes,” Zula nodded.

  “I don't want to die alone. What is all of this work for if there will be no one to

  remember me?” Maxwell asked.

  “But, you will be remembered. We will remember you and how you have helped

  all the Miu. I'm sure the human owners of all animals you have helped will remember you as well!” Zula smiled.

  “Yes, I'm sure for a short time, I will be remembered for being a Doctor, a

  Veterinarian. But who will remember me for being a man?”

  Zula looked up at Maxwell and a sudden and intense emotion surged through her

  heart. The emotions were very sharp and real and Zula could not help but feel caught

  off guard.

  “Are you alright?” Maxwell asked as he rushed to where Zula sat clutching her

  chest.

  “Yes,” she gasped. “I'm fine. It's been a long day and my shift was too soon after

  the first. Is it possible for me to lay down somewhere for a little while?”

  “Of course you can. I have a spare room up stairs,” Maxwell answered. He held his

  hand out and helped Zula stand. He noticed she was shaking but decided it was best

  not to press her. He walked with her up the stairs to a small, sparsely furnished guest

  room. The day bed was decorated with colourful pillows and a pale blue coverlet.

  Zula sat on the edge of it and looked around the room. “Thank you Maxwell. Don't

  worry, I just need a rest and then we can go over the medication needed to help Cleo.”

  Maxwell nodded and watched as Zula lay her head down on the pillows, she curled

  up on her side and in moments fell fast asleep.

  “So human looking, so fragile and yet so strong. It's amazing!” Maxwell

  commented quietly. He watched his guest sleep for a few moments and then left the

  room to walk back down the stairs. Late afternoon shadows were collecting in the corners of the room as Maxwell

  walked into the living room and switched on a lamp. “What the hell is happening

  here?” He said to the emptiness.

  Mabel walked into the room, looked up at her owner and meowed loudly. Maxwell

  bent low and scratched her ears. “Do I just leeave her alone Mabel? Her life is all

  planned out and I'm just a human after all.”

  The cat rubbed head against his leg and the sat and stared at him with wide eyes.

  Mabel tilted her head as if in question.

  Maxwell laughed and grabbed the newspaper from the coffee table as he lowered

  himself down to sit on the leather sofa nearest the bay window. “I keep forgetting you

  are not a Miu, although I'm sure there would have been a place for you amoung them

  years ago Mabel. You are a wise old girl.” He shook the newspaper open and placed

  it on his lap. Much to Maxwell's surprise, Mable leaped from the floor and landed

  square in the middle of the paper.

  “Now what is this all about?” he asked.

  Mabel butted her head against his chest and then glanced backward and up the

  stairs.

  “Zula is resting Mabel. Let's leave her be,” he said.

  Mabel head butted him again and meowed as Maxwell grabbed her around her

  middle and placed her gently on the floor. “Enough Mabel. She will come down when

  she is ready.” Mabel made a whining noise and turned toward the staircase. Within seconds she

  bounded up the stairs and toward the room where Zula was sleeping.

  “Leave her be Mabel!” Maxwell shouted as he shook out his paper and stared

  down at it. He tried to distract his thoughts by reading a few articles about world

  politics and then the entertainment section but an image of Zula kept appearing in his

  mind. Maxwell could still see her delicate face and the curves of her body as she

  relaxed into a peaceful slumber. “Maybe it is best I leave her be....forever if

  necessary.” A long sigh escaped Maxwell's lips as he refolded the paper and then

  stared out into the impending gloom of the late afternoon. He had never come this close to losing his heart to anyone and she wasn't even human.

  Nine

  Zula woke with a start. She focused into the inky blackness, her feline eyesight

  helped her make out where she was. “I'm still here,” she purred happily and stretched

  out her limbs. She knew it was late and the nap had refreshed both her body ad mind.

  I need to focus on wh
y I'm still here and why I can't get any closer to Maxwell. Zula

  thought sadly. Reality sucks!

  Very carefully and quietly, Zula sat up to find Mabel laying on the end of the

  daybed with her tail twitching. “Blessings Mabel. What's wrong?” she asked. Zula

  could sense that the cat was in some kind of distress or worry. “Is Maxwell alright?”

  Mabel sat up and made her way into Zula's lap. Zula bent low and allowed the

  domestic cat to touch her forehead. A series of pictures and emotions flashed into

  Zula's mind. Most of what she could understand had to do with Maxwell and the

  overwhelming feeling of desire and attraction. A tear trickled down her cheek as she

  raised her head and patted Mable on the head.

  “I think I understand but I just don't think it's possible. We are just too different. I

  don't want to hurt Maxwell by giving him false hope. There is too much at stake. The

  Miu need him more than I do.”

  Zula thought back to her own mother. She had been a warrior maiden as well but

  she broke the rules of the Miu at that time and mated with an outsider; a Miu that was

  not considered “ideal” for her station as a warrior. Zula's younger brothers and sisters

  were of that line. Zula herself had been born out of an “acceptable” arranged mating and had to work doubly hard to keep her place at the Matriarch's side once the scandal

  had been revealed. Even though she had been born first, it was hard too shake the

  damage her mother's dalliance had caused. But, Zula thought. That was so many years

  ago. Do we have to adhere to the same rules now?

  Zula ran her hand rhythmically over Mabel's fur. Why should a chance meeting

  with this human affect me so much? she thought. Gathering her courage, Zula kissed

  the cat on the nose and placed her on the floor. She stood up, smoothed the wrinkled

  sweatshirt she was wearing and headed to the top of the staircase. For a brief second

  she looked down to see Maxwell laying on a couch with his eyes closed. “So

  handsome and so human,” she whispered. After taking a deep breath, she walked

  down the stairs and took a seat in an overstuffed chair just across from where

  Maxwell was sleeping. “Why you? Why now?” she asked.

  Maxwell opened one eye and saw Zula staring at him from across the room. “Hey