My Mother is a Transvestite

Little Cat

The warm afternoon sun created a long shadow on the highway as Ima and Joseph walked home from school. The sky was orange with a slight pink tinge, and the breeze fluttered the leaves of the trees lined up neatly on the side of the road.

Ima, with her long hair tied in two, tightly grasped her school bag. "Sister, you know? Today Ms. Rini taught us about animal life. Very interesting!"

Joseph, who was walking next to him, laughed lightly. "Oh, huh? What did you learn?"

Ima skips around small, feisty, "We learn how animals live, how they look for food, and how we should look after and protect them."

As the two approached the house, a soft voice caught their attention. Joseph noticed a small hairy thing in front of the fence of their house. "Hey, what is it?" he said, approaching the source of the sound.

A small gray cat with big green eyes seemed to be sitting weakly there. He let out a small moaning sound, his eyes looking at Ima and Joseph with a pitiful look.

"Oh, pity," sighs Ima, her eyes glazed over. "He looked hungry."

Joseph crouched down and stroked the cat's head gently. "It looks like he's lost. We have to feed him."

The two of them rushed into the house and returned with a small bowl of milk. The little cat quickly approached and started drinking, looking very thirsty.

"He's very funny, isn't he, brother?" ima said while sitting on the stairs, watching the cat drink.

Joseph smiled, "Yes. We can take care of him until we find the owner."

They accompanied the cat until he finished drinking, then the cat ducked in the corner of the porch, looking ready to sleep. Ima covered the cat with a small cloth, "Good sleep, little cat."

As the night begins to cover the sky, Ima and Joseph relax in the living room, talking about their day and the little cat they found. However, as the clock was showing at eight o'clock in the evening, a shadow of a person appeared outside the window. The shadow seemed to be moving restlessly, looking for something.

Ima, who first saw the shadow, whispered to Joseph, "Sir, there's someone outside."

Joseph peeked out from behind the curtains, "It looks like he's looking for something. Could he be the owner of that little cat?"

Ima frowned, "Maybe. But we better ask tomorrow morning when it's light."

The shadow disappeared after a few minutes, leaving Ima and Joseph in suspense. They both felt curious but also vigilant. However, for the time being, they were delighted to have found and cared for that adorable little cat.

In the dark of the night, the house regained its composure, only to hear the soft snoring of a cat sleeping soundly on the porch.

The morning sunlight shone on the front garden of the house of Ima and Joseph, displaying a golden tinge among the green foliage. The birds chirped merrily, creating a melodious symphony of nature. Momo, the little cat they met last night, seemed to be awake, coiling on the porch chair with her tail twitching vigorously.

Ima came out with a plate of cat food in her hand. "Good morning, Momo," she said in a soft voice. The cat gave a small snort and blinked its eyes, looking understood.

Joseph followed from behind, holding a long thread with small feathers at the ends. "Look at what I made for you, Momo," he said as he moved the thread in front of the cat. Momo quickly jumped up, trying to catch the toy, making Ima laugh amusedly.

"Sister, he really likes your toys!" said Ima while watching Momo who was playing with enthusiasm.

Yusuf smiled, "Yes, I read on the internet that cats like to play with moving objects. Yarn and fur is the perfect combination."

Rini's mother pointed at Momo, "That's my cat!" he said in a high tone, surprising the two.

Ima and Joseph exchanged glances, both of them looking confused. "Really, Miss Rini?" asked Joseph politely. "We found it in front of our house last night, looking tired and hungry."

Rini's mother let out a long sigh, "Oh, pity. He ran away from home a few days ago. I looked for him last night. Maybe that's the shadow you see."

Ima looked at Momo with teary eyes, "We really don't know, Mom. We just want to help."

Rini's mother approached and stroked Momo. "Thank you for taking care of him. Her name is Lulu, not Momo."

Joseph smiled, "Sorry, Mom. We gave her the name Momo because we thought she had no owner."

Rini's mother smiled understandingly, "That's very kind. Thank you for looking after him. I was worried when she went missing."

Ima held tightly to her hand, "We are very happy to be able to help, Mom. Lulu's... I mean, Momo, it's so sweet and funny. We like it very much."

Joseph added, "Yes, Mom. We really think he's a stray street cat."

Rini's mother sat on the steps of the house, hugging Momo gently. "She is often curious and likes to leave the house. I should be more careful later."

As the sun rose, the four of them sat together on the terrace, talking about cats, neighbors, and daily life. Momo, or Lulu, seemed comfortable in the lap of Rini's mother, but occasionally she jumped onto Yusuf or Ima, showing her gratitude with a small snort and an agile tail move.

After a while, Rini's mother stood up, "Thank you again, children. I have to take Lulu home now. If you want to play with him, you can always come to my house."

Ima and Yusuf nodded, "Sure, Miss Rini. We're glad we could help."

As Mother Rini and Lulu walk back to their home, Ima and Yusuf are still sitting on the porch, recalling the events that just happened. Joseph looked at Ima with a big smile, "You know, even though we lost Momo, I'm glad she has a home that loves her."

Ima nodded, "I agree, Brother. Maybe we can keep our own cats someday."

Joseph laughed, "Maybe. But for now, we can always visit Lulu at Rini's mother's house."

With the sun getting higher and the day bright, the two siblings plan their new adventure, while enjoying the warmth of the day together.

As the day begins to fall, the air cools with a glimmer of sunlight still trying to radiate between cloudy clouds. The wind blows slowly, carrying the scent of frangipani flowers that grow in the front garden of Bu Siti's house.

While Ima and Yusuf were playing in the courtyard, Ms. Siti, their neighbor who was about sixty years old, walked over at a slow pace. With white hair neatly bunned, Ms. Siti looked at Momo who was playing with a small ball. "Kids," he said in a trembling voice, "the cat is very similar to Mila."

Ima looked at Bu Siti with curiosity. "Mila, Mum?"

Ms. Siti sat on the swing of the courtyard, her eyes glazed over. "Mila was my cat when I was a kid. She was missing when I was about ten years old, and I was so sad back then."