Finding Salinger

Finding Salinger

Ithadbeenrainingagaintoday,soSoniahaddecidedtoforegoheroriginalplantowalk
homeafterschool.Onanicerday,itwouldnthavebeentoobad.Herhousewasjustalittle
overamileawayfromtheschoolwhereshehadjuststartedherseventhyear,andifshe
walkedfast,shecouldcoverthedistanceinlessthantwentyminutes.Whenshehadher
headphonesinandlistenedtomusic,itfeltlikethetimeanddistancewentbyevenfaster.
Lately,shehadbeentryingtolistentoherolderbrotherTomsmusiccollection.Itwasmostly
justoldguyswithguitars:BobDylan,EricClapton,andBruceSpringsteen.Soniathoughtitwas
alright;nothingspecial.Butitwasbetterthannothing.
Itwasbetterthannothing,whichwasexactlywhatshehadtoday.HerMP3playerhadrun
outofbattery,sosheleftitathometocharge.Andshewasntallowedtohaveacellphoneuntil
highschool,soshecouldntkeepherselfoccupiedbyplayinggamesorsendingtextmessagesto
herfriends,likeeveryoneelseonthebuswasdoing.Itwasprettyunfair,shethought.Everyone
elsegottohaveaphonetoentertainthemselves,andshejusthadtositthere,bored,wasting
hertime.Shestaredoutthewindowatthegreyskiesandgreytown,andthoughtabouthow
uglyitallwas.Thensheshiftedherattentiontothespotsandsmudgesonthewindow,
inspectingthemtoseeiftheylookedlikeanything.Shefoundagroupofwaterspotsthat
formedalopsidedface.Therestlookedlikenothingatall.Everythingwasjustsodreary.Bored
withhergame,shesatandstaredblanklyintospacefortheremainderoftheshortbustrip.
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Finding Salinger

Thebusdroppedheroffjusthalfablockfromthehouseshelivedinwithhermom,
brotherandcat,Salinger.Theyhadrescuedthecatfromashelterlessthanayearago.Itwasa
greytabbycatwithblackstripes,andTomhadinsistedonnamingitaftersomewriterheliked.
TheyhadadoptedthecatatSoniasinsistence,becauseshewantedsomeonetokeepher
companyintheafternoonswhenhermomwasstillattheaccountingfirm,andTomwasathis
parttimejobatthemallfoodcourt.Salingerwasalreadyafewyearsoldwhentheybrought
himhome,andatfirstSoniahadbeendisappointednottogetakitten,butlatershedecidedit
wasprobablybetterthisway.Hehadagoodtemperamentandwasntconstantlyscratching
andbitingatthings.Mostafternoons,hewascontenttojustcurlupinSoniaslapandlether
strokehisearswhileshedidherhomeworkorwatchedtelevision.
Assheunlockedthefrontdoor,Soniadecidedthattodayshewouldallowherselftojust
liearoundforanafternoonanddonothingbutwatchcartoons.Shedidnthavemuch
homeworkanyway,andtherewasntmuchelsetodoaroundtheplace.Whenherparentsgot
divorced,hermomhadinsistedonmovingouttoanicehouseinthesuburbssothatSoniaand
herbrotherwouldnthavetogrowupamidthechaosandnoiseofSeattle.Butonafternoons
likethis,thoughtSonia,whatshewouldntgivetobeinthecity.Shecouldgotothemoviesor
thearcadeorthemall,inamatterofminutes,andshewouldnthavetoconstantlybegher
motherandTomtodriveheraround.
Soniakickedoffhersneakers,whichwereslightlydampfromthedaysrain,andhung
herjacketnexttothedoor.Itwasalittlebitchillyinsidethehouse,becausehermomlikedto
turntheheatoffduringthedaywhennoonewashome,tosaveongasbills.Soniaflipped
openthethermostatcoverandsetthetemperatureto80degrees.Shefeltlikemakingthe
housereallywarmsothatshecouldsitinfrontofthetelevisionwearingjustaTshirtand
jeanstowatchcartoons,andthenshecouldpretenditwassummeragain,ratherthanthe
seeminglyneverendingdrearinessthatwentonformonthsandmonthseverywinter.
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Finding Salinger

ShepulledhersweateroffoverherheadandsetofftofindSalingersothatshecould
watchcartoonswithhim.Intheafternoons,hecouldusuallybefoundsunbathinginfrontof
oneoftheupstairsbedroomwindows,buthewasntinoneofhisregularspotstoday.Where
couldthatcathavegoneto?Shecheckedtheclosetsandthebathrooms,anddidathorough
inspectionoftheroomsdownstairsaswell,evenlookingunderallthefurniturejusttobesure.
Wasitpossiblehehadgottenout?
SALINGER!sheyelledatthetopofherlungs.SALINGER,COMEHERE!
Afterafewminutes,shestopped,feelingabitsilly.Logically,shehadknownthat
wouldntwork.Itsnotliketheyhadevertrainedhimtoanswertohisname,anddidcatseven
dothat,anyway?Notsure.SoniamadeamentalnotethatwhenshefoundSalingershewould
trytotrainhimtoanswertohisname.
Thensomethingcaughtherattentioninthekitchen.Sonianoticedthatoneofthe
windowsabovethesinkhadbeenleftslightlyajarTomhadopeneditinthemorningafter
settingoffthesmokealarmwhilemakingtoast.Itmightjustbepossibleforacattojumponto
thecounterandslipthroughthatopening.Salingerwasntanoutdoorcat,though,andhehad
nevergoneoutofthehousesincetheydbroughthimhome.Worried,Soniaquicklybundled
upagain,jammedherfeetintoherstilldampsneakers,andwentouttothebackyardtolook
forthecat.
Shecouldntrememberthelasttimeshehadactuallycomeouthere.Nooneinher
familywasparticularlyinclinedtowardgardeningorhomeimprovement,sotheyhadleftthe
backyardthewayitwaswhentheymovedin.Itwasovergrownanduntamed,coveredinwild
grassandshapelessbushes,andtherewasneverquiteenoughsunlight,duetothemassive
treesthatcasttheirshadowsovertheyardallyearround.Itfeltlikebeinginaforest.
Everythingwasstillcoveredinwaterdropletsfromthedaysrain,andthegroundsmelled
dampandsweetinthatspecialwaythatonlywetearthandvegetationcansmell.
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Finding Salinger

ThiswasonethingSoniaenjoyedaboutlivingoutinthemiddleofnowhere.Whenit
rainedinthecity,itjustsmelledlikewetpavement,mixedwiththesamecitysmellsthatare
alwaysthere:cigarettesmoke,gasoline,exhaust,urine.
Shespottedamovementoutofthecornerofhereye,nearanopeninginathicket.
Salinger?Sheimmediatelyfollowedthesourceofthemovement,pushingherwaythroughthe
thickettoseeifthecathadgonethroughtotheotherside.Shehadtohunchovertoget
throughtheopening,andsheemergedontheothersidewithherclothesdampandall
coveredwithleaves.Hopefullytherewerentanycreepybugsinthatthicket.Shestarted
checkingherclothestoseeifshehadanythingcrawlingonher,butthenshesawsomething
thatmadeherforgetherconcernsaboutspidersandants.
Rightinfrontofher,therewasasmallpondthatshecouldhaveswornhadneverbeen
therebefore.Shehadntbeenoutinthebackyardinaverylongtime,butthesummerher
familyhadmovedin,Soniahaddonesomeexploring,andshecertainlywouldhave
rememberediftherehadbeenapond.Lookingclosely,shecouldseesmallshapesswimming
aroundinthewatertadpoles!Thepondmusthavebeendryinthesummer,butthe
torrentialrainsofthepastfewweekshadrestoredit!
Andoverontheothersideofthepond,alsostaringintentlyatthetadpoles,was
Salingerthecat!
Salinger!Soniahissedathim.Thecatlookedup.Sohedoesknowwhathisnameis,
shethought.Shewentoverandscoopedhimup,carefullycarryinghimbackthroughthe
thicketandtowardthehouse.
Beforegoingbackinsidethewarmhouse,sheturnedbacktolookattheyardandtooka
deepbreath,inhalingtheearthysmell.Ishouldreallycomeoutheremore,shethought.There
wasawholeworldouthereshehadbeenmissing.MaybetomorrowshewouldtakeSalinger
outtotryandcatchsomeofthetadpolesinthepond.
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