Another guest post from the Melville Cat. Actually, I don’t think he can be considered a guest anymore. He is a regular 2Summers resident now. Read more from the Meville Cat here, here, and here.
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It’s about time.
Heather finally began to feed me this week. I was starting to think that she would never submit to my will. But I needn’t have worried. I always get my way eventually.
I am Smokey, the Melville Cat. I am the most powerful cat in the universe. OU-AH-HAHAHAHA!
I came into the Lucky 5 Star last Saturday, as I do on most afternoons. Heather went to the cupboard and poured me a bowl of food. Just like that! I looked at Heather and meowed questioningly. She explained that she ran into Ms. M on the street that day.
‘Ms. M told me you won’t let her pet you anymore, and she thinks you’re not eating enough,’ Heather said.
I blinked and looked innocent, like I didn’t know what she meant.
My most innocent kitty look.
‘So Ms. M wants me to feed you now. She wants us to be happy together. And you can come back and visit her any time you want.’
Heather put my bowl down, and I ate heartily.
Ahhh. My belly is full and now I can really relax.
I’ve been working toward this day for a year-and-a-half. First, I was just a visitor here. I spent many months befriending Heather and Joe, and they finally began to let me into their house. For a while they even fed me and let me sleep here. But when they found out I was leading a double life, they pushed me away.
When Joe went away, I came back to be with Heather. I knew she needed me. And I wanted this to be my home. I knew this was my chance.
I had to work through some issues with Heather and Ms. M. But I think we all understand each other now. The Lucky 5 Star is mine, all mine.
Heather told me that I mustn’t get too comfortable. In a few weeks, Heather says, we are ‘moving’! I don’t really understand what this means. Heather says we won’t actually leave the Lucky 5 Star. We’re moving to a different part of the commune – something called ’the Cottage’. It will be smaller than our current house, she says, but hopefully just as nice.
I don’t want to ‘move’. But Heather says she must, and I have to go with her because another cat is coming to live here. What?! I don’t like that idea one bit. I smell trouble. Heather knows I can wreak havoc when I want to – I’ve done it before and I’ll do it again.
Look deep into my eyes. I am not moving. And I’m not letting any other kitties into this house. Got it?!
Oh well. I’m not going to worry about this ‘move’ right now. I will just enjoy living with Heather in our house, with my beautiful bowl of food.
Heather said that since we are a family now, we have to take something called a ‘self-portrait’. She grabbed me off my chair yesterday and made me stand with her in front of the camera, which was sitting on something called a ’tripod’. I thought it was a dumb idea and struggled to get away. That’s why the ‘self-portrait’ is blurry. But Heather wants to show you anyway.
You can all congratulate me now.
How have I never blogged about 44 Stanley Avenue, the coolest shopping and dining complex in Joburg, which is only five minutes from my house?
I guess it’s wrong to say I’ve never blogged about 44 Stanley; I’ve mentioned it countless times over the years (see here and here) when writing about specific restaurants or shops that are there. But I’ve never written a dedicated post about 44 Stanley as a destination and it’s about time I did – especially now, with the holidays upon us.
In 2020, I published a blog post with tips for Americans living in South Africa who wanted to vote in the U.S. presidential election. I thought about simply resharing that post this year. But then I realized: 1) I want to write a U.S. election post that will be fun and informative for everyone, not just other Americans; and 2) Believe it or not, the U.S. presidential election stakes are even higher in 2024 than they were in 2020. So I’m introducing you to some really cool Americans in Joburg – one who I’ve known forever and two who I just met – and tell you a bit about who they are, why they live here, and why they vote.
A couple of years ago I started a “Hidden Joburg” series – a quest to visit all 28 places in the book Hidden Johannesburg, by Paul Duncan and Alain Proust. Then I got sidetracked. I published my last Hidden Joburg post in December 2022. But finally, almost two years later, I have a new Hidden Joburg place to add to the series: the home of the late sculptor Edoardo Villa in Kew.
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It makes me smile, when I see it.