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please, Miss Ku? I asked.  Time? Eh? Oh! I don't know,
I'm all mixed up with the time. Anyhow, the blue light is off
and the full lights are on. Soon be chow time for Them. I
became aware of the clattering of dishes, and the small
sounds that people make when they are waking up. I had
become almost used to blindness, but it WAS frustrating not
to know what was going on, not to be able to see what was
happening. The Guv's hand came down to caress me.  Silly
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Old Woman Cat, he said,  What are you worrying about
now? Wake up, it is breakfast time, and we shall very soon be
landing .
A voice in the ceiling burst into crackling life.  Fasten
your seat belts, please, we are landing at New York Inter-
national Airport. I heard the clink of metal, then the Guv
took firm hold of my basket. The nose of the plane dropped
and the engine note changed. There was a sensation of drift-
ing, floating, then the engines came on at full power. A
bump and a screech of tires. Another small bump, and the
plane rumbled along the runway.  Keep your seats, please,
said the Stewardess,  Wait until the aircraft comes to a
standstill. We rumbled along, with the occasional squeal of
brakes as the Pilot steered and checked our speed. A final
drag and we slid to a standstill. The engines slowed and
stopped. For a moment there was only the sound of people
breathing, then a loud BUMP came from outside, followed
by the scraping of metal upon metal. A door clanged open
and a rush of freezing air came in.  Goodbye, said the
Purser,  fly with us again!  Goodbye, said the Stewardess,
 we hope to have you with us again!
We went down the landing ramp with the Guv carrying
me, Ma carrying Miss Ku and Buttercup bringing up the
rear. It was bitterly cold and I could not understand it.
 Brrr! said Miss Ku disgustedly,  A ***** hangover and
now * * * * snow! The Family hurried along so that we
should not be out in the cold a moment longer than necessary.
Soon we entered a huge hall. Miss Ku, who knew every-
thing, said that it was the Immigration and Customs Hall
and was the largest building of its type in the world. The
Guv produced all our papers and we all passed through
Immigration and went on to Customs.  Wafyergot? asked
a man's voice.  Nothing to declare, said the Guv,  we are
in transit to Canada.  What's them, cats? asked the
Customs man.  Ahhh! said a Customs woman, with a
drooly sigh,  I've seen 'em before. BE-U-TIFUL!! We
passed on, by the difference in smell I knew that a colored
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man was carrying our cases, but the Guv and Ma still held on
to me and Miss Ku. In the Main Entrance Hall the Guv sat
down, because he was so ill, and Ma went off to see the
American airline people who were going to fly us to Detroit.
She was gone a very long time. When she came back she was
seething with annoyance.  They have broken their con-
tract! she said,  They won't have the cats in the passenger
compartment, they say they must be put in the luggage hold,
it is something to do with their rules and regulations. They
said that a mistake was made by the Shannon people. I
suddenly felt my age, felt very old. I did not feel ABLE to
survive in the luggage compartment; I had had too much of
that, and I was shocked that ANYONE would expect Miss
Ku to endure it. The Guv said,  If the cats can't go  we
won't either! Go back and tell them we will make the biggest
fuss ever, and shall claim our money back as they agreed to
take the cats with us if we paid in advance. Ma went off
again, and again we all settled down to wait. Eventually Ma
returned and said,  I have told them you are ill, they are
having us sent to La Guardia by special car. They suggest we
stay at the big Motel there and then see if the Airline will
change their mind.
Soon we were in a huge car, an immense Cadillac which
even had air conditioning.  My! said Buttercup, as we
threaded our way through the intense New York Freeway
traffic,  I should not like to drive here!  Its all right if you
keep in your own lane, Ma'am, said the Driver. Twenty
minutes later we drew up at what Miss Ku told me was the
biggest Motel she had ever seen. We all went in.  Do you
object to having Siamese Cats here? asked the Guv.  Sure
they are welcome! said the man at the Reception Desk tak-
ing a good look at us.  Sure they are VERY welcome, he re-
peated, allotting us rooms. We seemed to be carried MILES
along corridors before we reached our rooms.  Ladies
Room QUICK! yelled Miss Ku. I was grateful for her
remark! The necessary facilities were speedily produced, and
I did much to contribute to our comfort and peace of mind.
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  Food, said Ma.  See to the cats first, replied the Guv.
Our routine had been very upset, but we felt that we could
take it. We wandered around, looking in the three rooms we
had taken, and very cautiously investigating the corridor. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]