Till the paw falls

I was however sitting in the bedroom, still awaiting my father to come out of the lounge room and approach my room. To bring with him, his response to the incident, and to face the expected physical punishment. Right now it was as if he was playing with my mind as well. Teasing me somewhat. The old, ‘cat-toying-with-the-caught-mouse’ routine.  When the cat is lying nonchalantly, watching the usually slightly crippled mouse. As if, totally un-interested in any further assault of its captive. The shock ridden mouse, struggling to understand. Torn between the need to escape and unsure if it already has. All of the mouse’s senses heightened through whatever incident led to its capture. Its small heart racing, its nerves trembling and escape may be just within reach. But then the paw falls. The cat suddenly switches back into aggressive hunter/killer mode and grabs the ‘poor wee timorous beastie’ (little bit of the ol’ Robbie Burns poetry there, since we were living in Dunedin at the time of this story taking place), and the mouse suffers yet another cardio-pulmonary infarction and relives its entire short life all over again.

Just to digress on that point for a moment. Have I already mentioned one of my favourite authors is Terry Pratchett? His wonderful sense of humour and appreciation of literature really strikes a chord with me. I mention him now for his different view to the above phrase. In his series ‘Discworld’ ( a wonderful exceptional collection for anyone wanting to be entertained and have their thoughts encouragingly stirred, probably with a large spoon and a by coven of witches, if Mr Pratchett had his way) Mr Pratchett introduces the Character ‘DEATH’ when somebody suddenly dies.  DEATH appears and when the person complains “I thought your life was meant to flash before your eyes.” DEATH replies (and when death speaks it is in capitals, as befitting the purpose) “IT DOES, IT’S CALLED LIVING”.  You have to admit that is a very clever viewpoint. His writing is full of such subtle and brilliant comments.

But back to the cat and the mouse, or, more correctly, my use of the cat and the mouse analogy, as a way of explaining the situation I was experiencing at the time, with the non-arrival of my father, to the door of my room. The mouse by now, having experienced several minor heart attacks, the odd claw, probably thrown up in the air and on landing suffering several impact injuries as well (which for myself were definitely a possibility also, once my father actually started in on me with his punishment), would believe his life would be over (you can see my reason for starting this analogy?). The cat in total control, would be drawing out the incident only as much as it wanted. Till bored or sufficiently satisfied with its display of power and in the same way for me, here the power definitely lay with my father.

(continued tomorrow)