Grumman

Grumman F6F Hellcat

The sound of the blizzard and the brightness out in the window of an old couple's house, in a room where they are, there inside only a lamp was lit.

Since the other has been resting by lying down, the other one was just sitting beside his spouse. While staring nowhere, the man sitting was having in mind about how so many events they have been through already along with his other half.

They never got the chance of building a family after they both fought for the World War II, which happened several years ago. At the moment, the conscious man then thought of how he wanted to at least experience on what it's like to have a family.

He sighs and gets up to go down the stairs, on his way to the kitchen to hydrate his self.

He noticed in the corner of his eye that something.. passed by the window. He looks up at the clock hanging at the wall noticing the time. And went closer to the window then started peeking out, on his very can to look left and right.

Then there he saw, a black furry cat. The old man was familiar of the little one, as the cat often visits him by the window, at the same certain time.

The man opens the window to pat the little one's head, the two's contact is surely not less, than 9 years.

The man comes out to leave food for the cat and placed it in the spot where they met, which was outside the fence of their backyard.

When he recently got back from the war, he was painting the fence white.

Then he found a cat who was very small, who also seem to be the one who caused the ruined paint at the other side of the fence which he had already finished.

The man instead helped the midget, instead of banishing the little one.

As the days went on and on, it was a routine. Sometimes the little one would dissapear, then would come back anytime out of nowhere.

There wasn't a certain day the little one's presence would be noticed, but the cat never left. The little one had never forgotten about the man, and so did he.

The day ended when the man gave warm water and food before he could leave the cat.

He never bothered about giving the cat a name since he knew his heart would bring itself more closer to the cat. But even though he did not, all the time they spent together, truly meant a lot to him.

One day he was taken in the hospital, the day he had been thinking about himself, had come around the corner.

Even though he was only taken there just to give him and his husband, more proper care.

There beside him, his other half taking care of him. His husband refuses to be laying around all day, and desires to do this part more, to be more active and moving.

The man fell asleep out of boredom, he wakes up to find, his husband interacting with something.. out in the window. The man called for his husband, and said;

"What are you doing?"

"Oh.. hey, sleepy head. Meet Grumman." the man's husband said then gave a smile, taking that something out in the window.. it was the black furry cat that he meets outside their fence.

The man had suddenly got filled with energy and consciousness.

"What? You named him after your plane?" The man asked.

"Indeed, I just miss that Hellcat." his husband chuckled.

"I know that cat! I always meet him outside the fence." The man said to his husband that made him turn his gaze to him with curiosity evident in his face.

"How could you not tell him about me? I found him years ago, I didn't tell you because I thought you wouldn't want him."

"I didn't tell you about him because I thought you would too!"

Both of them started laughing after realizing.

"Can you.. bring him to me?" the man said raising his arms up.

His husband who was full of joy brought Grumman to him carefully and placed Grumman beside the man.

"How long have you known him?" His husband asked while brushing his hand to Grumman's back.

"When he was still a kitten." The man said while petting Grumman, then they stared at each other.

Then he started laughing again, and the other one did too, after realizing it, again.

The man felt a feeling that he had never felt before. By looking at his husband and Grumman, he felt the joy they had, the feeling of remembering every moment that had happened.

Thinking that next day, yesterday felt so rare to the man that it feels like a dream. A moment where they can't feel like this alive everyday. A feeling that can possibly be felt again, no matter what the place is, as long as they bring the same influence. Just like from before, them, felt like his family.

Themselves who builds this feeling, that he loved sincerely.