The Voice From Under the Monitor

  

            Four of them live here. Lions, tigers, no bears. Now, who could be lurking behind the monitor? I knew it couldn’t be Mr. Baby Sir. He wouldn’t fit.
            Someone had slipped in behind there when I was out in the kitchen getting coffee or something.
            “What are you doing back there?” I said.
            “Nothing,” said the voice. OK, it wasn’t Suzie either. She mainly walks on the keyboard anyhow.
            “That’s impossible,” I said to the voice. “Are you breathing? Awake? Purring?”
            “Yes, but those things are automatic. I don’t do them myself on purpose,” argued the little debater.
            “You must have a purpose of some kind,” I advanced.
            “Purrr-pose? Porpoise? You’re funny, New Ma,” said the same voice. “I’m lurking and doing research. It’s what we do.”
            “A strange place to do research and lurking. What can you learn back there?” I said.
            “Well, of course I don’t know, until I do it. That’s logical, is it not?” the same debater said.
            “I’ll give you that point,” said I.
            “I love you,” said the hidden voice. A strong gambit!
            I could see paws and a tail, but it’s hard to tell them apart by their paws and tails.
            “I love you too. But, I can’t tell who you are!” I said.
            “I’m me!” mewed the voice, with absolute confidence.
            “Are you the same me who jumped into the fridge and wouldn’t come out this morning?” I inquired.
            A lot of muffled giggling issued forth.
            “He did it! Not me!” said the voice.
            “He would say the same, you know?” said I. “Both of you got into the fridge!”
            I could hear satisfied purring.
            Just then Booker strolled by, elegant, reserved, long bodied and slender, with his tail held straight up. He was heading out to the porch where the One Fast Cat wheel waited for him.
            “It’s you, Sweetie, isn’t it? I should have known,” I said.
            “Mew!” said the now identified voice.
            “Learn anything back there, Sweetie?” I asked him.
            “You have a lot of different stuff in baskets back here,” he said.
            “That stuff is my stuff, dude,” I said quickly.
            “I know,” he said complacently.
            I couldn’t see his paws anymore, but I could hear sinister stealthy little rattling noises.....

😻🧡😸