Unique
By Jemima
Part 2
Slowly black shadows began to emerge from the nooks and crannies of the junkyard, some quizzical, some critical, some mystical, some hysterical, and still others skeptical, but all of them on their guard. A gray tabby brushed quietly against a protruding pipe, unnoticed by all except the Rum Tum Tugger. Instinctively Rum Tum followed.
"What’s going on Tugger?" asked the melodious voice of the tabby.
"Munkustrap, there was an intruder and when she little ol’ me she went our cold. Ha ha. Sorry, the look in her eyes was soooo funny."
"And you left her to just lie there?"
"We were waiting for you, plus she’s not one of us. What is she’s one of Macavity’s clan? A spy? Hey were are you goin’??/ I was talking to you! Hey! Munku!!!"
Not surprisingly the gray tabby had walked off leaving Tugger to his worries. Munkustrap knew what it felt like to not be accepted. He still remembered how he had come as an orphan to the Jellicles and had Old Deuteronomy stood up for him, he would have been ignored and maybe starved to death. Now, he found the Jellicles gathered in a large ring around the unconscious cat. He addressed them with this question:
"Do any of you have hearts?"
A "yes" was uttered in unison.
"Then why do you not comfort one of your kind?"
"‘Cause we don’t know who she is!" was Rumpel’s hyper reply. Bored, some of the cats began to walk off, the trusted Munkustrap to do the right thing: kick the new cat out.
"Then why don’t you find out?" was Munku’s reply to Rumpel’s question. No one had expected this answer and all eyes present turned to him in surprise. Why did he care who she was? She didn’t belong with them…
One daring jellicle piped up, "But she’s so filthy and muddy, and what if she wants to hurt us?"
With a sigh, Munkustrap answered, "And what if you were her?" this statement left Rumpel and the young kittens deep in thought. All the other cats walked of leaving the business at hand to Munku. It was pointless to argue with him because he knew better. He always knew better… That’s why he was the protector of the Jellicles. The cats trusted him and so far he had not failed their expectations.
Rumpel was deep in thought until she noticed Tugger’s absence and scampered off into the darkness to find him. The drowsy kittens remained, watching Munkustrap and promising themselves that when they grew up then would be perfect like him.
As they thought this Munkustrap approached the seemingly dead cat. He listened for breathing. She was still alive. He licked her cheek and she trembled in fear. Then suddenly awaking, she hissed and her claws dug deep into the unsuspecting tabby’s side. Munkustrap yelped in pain and jumped away. The kittens screamed and scrambled in all directions.
Struggling, Uniqua heaved herself onto her paws, but her full day’s walk caught up with her and her legs collapsed beneath her. She cowered into a corner as she watched Munku approach. She hissed in fear showing her bright white teeth, which gleamed in the darkness, but the bleeding gray tabby came even closer. Slowly advancing Munkustrap tried to understand this cat in front of him… Why did she fight?
When Munku came again within the reach of her paws she swatted at him, but this time he was ready. Her claws only slashed the cold air. She shivered and hissed.
"Whoa there! Hold on," began Munkustrap as he winced in pain from the scratches in his side. "Don’t worry... I’m not going to hurt you."
A hiss was the only reply.
"Don’t be afraid. You’re safe here."
"Stop trying to trick me," she uttered.
"The other cats didn’t know who you were; they were scared too. Jellicles aren’t too fond of strangers."
"Yeah... I noticed."
Again Munkustrap approached and again a hiss and clawed paw were flung at him.
"Why don’t you trust me?" asked Munku with an obviously confused air.
"Because I’ve misplaced my trust before and I’m not going to do it again."
Munkustrap only looked at her, feeling her pain. He had once had the same feelings. Uniqua found his expressions uncontrollably funny and began to roll on the ground in a fit of laughter.
Munkustrap stared. Either she wasn’t sane or she’d have to learn how to live with other cats. Fighting just wasn’t a game. He was tired, and she was depriving him of his sleep. He decided to handle the problem in the morning after he had time to think.
"So you going to sleep here tonight?" he asked finally.
"I dunno," was barely audible from the mass of giggles escaping from the ball of mud in the corner. Then suddenly the giggles stopped and strictly Uniqua asked, "What business is it of yours?"
"I was going to help you, but..."
"I don’t need your help!"
"Alright, then I’ll bid you goodnight, but I’ll warn you that the other Jellicles won’t welcome you with that kind of behavior.
Munku walked off proudly although limping from the gnawing pain in his side.
"Jellicles?" Uniqua questioned, but too late the gray tabby was already out of hearing range.
***
The dawn found Munkustrap curled up in a little ball inside a padded wooden box. With a greatly inflamed and painful side he was barely able to get up, not to mention walk. Fortunately as he struggled out of his box, Mistoffelees, the original conjuring cat, was playing away happily with the end of his black tail only a few feet away. Misto, as he was commonly called, was all black except for his white face and tail. The magic cat had been waiting for Munku, but he wasn’t expecting a ball of injured fluff, so upon seeing Munkustrap Misto was not only surprised. The young cat sprinted over to the tabby, supporting the other just before he fell to the ground. The look he gave Munku made asking a question obsolete.
"Nothing, nothing serious," was Munku’s reply.
"Who did it... I’ll make sure they pay."
"Don’t bother Misto, I’ll be fine."
"Oh, c’mon tell me! Was it one of the Jellicles? All of us’ll want revenge… you know that…"
"Yes Misto, I know, but I don’t want it. Plus you’ll never find him… It was just some tomcat that came foraging here last night. I had to chase him away…."
Here Munkustrap stumbled and would have gone rolling down the steep side of the junk pile had not Mistoffelees stopped his momentum and gone tumbling down himself. Had Munku not been in pain from his side he would have laughed practically until he choked, but in his condition he emitted only a few ‘huh’s.
Misto, however, was not in a laughing mood after landing in a very undignified manner on his rear end and was very surprised to hear laughter from behind him. It was a girl’s laughter and Misto turned bright red under his fur. Flipping around he stared into the shadows, trying to make out the outline of his witness.
Then, slowly, a brown tabby face with large emerald eyes emerged. She was slim, elegant, and everything Misto could call beautiful. Misto’s mind was filled with her image and he realized that she was more beautiful that Victoria. The tabby before him was much more sophisticated and he had always liked tabbies. Their stripes fit in so perfectly with his black and they had sweet tempers and smooth dispositions. Yet, in that assumption Misto was wrong… She was anything but sweet. Attractive yes, but sweet… no.
She continued to laugh and Munku smiled as he watched Misto’s reaction. Misto’s jaw had dropped and he started to drool a little. Suddenly Munku found himself doing the same and thoughts began to race through his head. He knew the cat before him was the cat from last night, but today she looked too different. She was clean, even gentle (or so he thought), but nonetheless he realized she was a bit conceited. What was it about her that prevented him from kicking her out? He had felt it last night, and now again today. Maybe it was his want of adventure, maybe his need for something new, or did he… no it couldn’t be true… but none the less it was possible… did he just like her?
Munkustrap lay down on top of the junk pile and losing interest in Misto’s new adventures, closed his eyes, but Uniqua’s image remained no matter how hard he tried to get rid of it. Where was his rationality going, he thought. There was something about that girl that he couldn’t explain to himself in any matter-of-fact way. It was as if her presence had cast a spell on his body and soul. Uniqua’s sudden laughter derailed Munku’s thoughts.
"Oh come on Misto, you can do better than that!" she exclaimed. Munku sighed; Mistoffelees was showing of again.
"Hey watch this," said Misto as he blew sparkles from his paws onto Uniqua, who suddenly realized she was flying.
"Hey! Hey! Hey! Put me down this moment, you little rascal. Hey! C’mon!"
"Oh, yes the female version of the Rum Tum Tugger… Perfect," thought Munkustrap sarcastically.
Yet, unknown to him at the time, Uniqua was in fact the female version of Tugger: she loved mischief, was never where she wanted to be, and loved to have male attention.
***
The sun had moved much higher in the sky before Munkustrap found enough energy to move. He had been watching the others jump and play in the sun and wished that he could join them. The protector of the Jellicles began to feel very unhappy with his role in Jellicle life. Why was he supposed to act completely grown up and serious when other cats of his age, such as Tugger, could have fun and enjoy themselves? There and then Munkustrap decided to enjoy life to the fullest… Standing up slowly, he began to descend the junk pile.
Uniqua noticed his shadow and spun around in fear when she recognized his voice.
"Hey Misto, who’s your friend?"
"Thank you for letting me stay," thought Uni to herself... She looked at the limping cat as he approached, and tried to understand him. Whatever reasons she came up with for his being so kind to a cat that was so mean and cruel to him, none seemed to fit him. Even when injured, she saw him as a tower of strength and wisdom. Eventually she gave up trying to understand him and wished she could go up to him just like Misto and hug him. Yet she was afraid and didn't know how far she could go before he lost his self-control. She believed that certainly he must hate her. Here, just like Munkustrap had made mistakes about her, she made a mistake about him, but luckily for her, her mistake would soon be resolved. When Misto replied to the question, Munku smiled.
"Hmm. Uniqua... that's very beautiful..."
"Thank you," said Uni bashfully. She wanted Munku to forgive her and she felt now that he had. His voice had suggested everything sincere in his compliment. All suspicions of his being mad were wiped away when he walked over to her and rubbed his cheek on her nick. Eagerly she returned his kind gesture by licking his cheek. Munku was no less than struck blind and dumb.
Misto looked at Munku’s expression and laughed. Uniqua was proud of her achievement; in fact she found these cats too easy to attract.
The two tabbies spent the rest of the afternoon watching Misto perform his magic tricks, commonly dragging one or two of the kittens (after finding them) out onto his makeshift stage.
***
As darkness began to fall upon the cats, Munku, who was feeling much better, shivered. The sound of screeching wheels and sirens flew through the junkyard. Then all sound faded and all present cats turned their eyes towards Munkustrap.
"We must wait for the other Jellicles," he announced in his deep and inscrutable voice. Uniqua finally piped up and asked in a trembling voice – she was afraid they expected her to know – what was a Jellicle?
"She doesn’t even know what a jellicle is!" laughed the young kitten Tumblebrutus as he tumbled into the scene.
"Tumble, be polite," reprimanded Misto, the little fatherly kitty. Munku laughed.
"A jellicle," began Munku, "is... well, how shall I explain it...
‘Jellicle cats are black and white
Jellicle cats are not too big
Jellicle cats are merry and bright
We know how to dance a gavotte and a jig.
Jellicle cats have cheerful faces
Jellicle cats have bright black eyes
We like to practice our airs and graces
And wait for the Jellicle Moon to rise.’ "
Uniqua stood mesmerized by the song of the Jellicles. She looked around and saw that many more cats had appeared. Uttering nothing, she listened to Munkustrap call the cats.
"Jellicle cats come out tonight
Jellicle cats come one, come all,
The Jellicle moon is shining bright,
Jellicles come - Jellicles all!" 1
Slowly, but surely, black shadows began to emerge from the darkest and deepest corners of the junkyard and beyond. As hey hoped into the moonlight, Uniqua saw cats of all sizes and shapes, but all had cheerful faces. She was no longer afraid.
A vivid young laugh broke the general silence. Yet tonight, for the first time, it wasn’t accompanied by Mungojerrie’s "shush" or cheerful laughter... Instead Rum Tum Tugger’s effervescent and untamed one joined Rumpelteazer’s. Mungo shivered.
Uniqua looked around. She saw many cats, some tabby, some with tiger stripes, others with leopard spots, but of all the cats present one cat stood our. He was large, perfectly shaped, with a lion-like bushy mane. To Uniqua, as to all the female Jellicles, he was the perfect tom.
"That’s the Rum Tum Tugger," whispered Munku in her ear when he caught he looking at him with interest. "I guess it’s time to introduce you to the Jellicles," he said as he smiled. Then raising his ineffably beautiful voice so that every Jellicle would hear he announced "Jellicles, I have asked you all to come here tonight to introduce to you a new friend: Uniqua..."
At Munku’s pointing to Uni, most of the toms’ jaws dropped. She was more beautiful than anyone they had ever seen. The girl cats grew extremely jealous. Rum Tum, bored until he saw her, smiled at her broadly. Uni noticed that smile, but kept her thoughts to herself as she watched Rumpel try unsuccessfully to make Tugger pay attention to herself. She liked the Rum Tum Tugger. He seemed to have a character so similar to her own and somehow this fact was obvious to her. She didn’t doubt it. Uni also, as if by magic, knew that he felt the same way. Munku interrupted her thoughts.
"You ready to meet some of the Jellicles?" he asked.
"Yeah... I guess."
"First of all, since you seem to be taking great interest in him..."began Munku in a voice, which was a bit irritated because of his jealousy.
"’The Rum Tum Tugger is a curious cat,
The rum Tum Tugger doesn’t care for a cuddle
For there’s nothing he enjoys like a horrible muddle
And there’s no doing anything about it’ "
"Oh... and who’s the cat with him?"
"Rumpelteazer: she and Mungojerrie, over there," he pointed towards the cat who sat watching them, "they used to be the best of buddies, until Rum Tum decided to get Rumpel. As you see... now we’ve got a one cat who absolutely refuses to be himself and the other... well, I guess she’s in perfect bliss." Then looking at Rumpel jumping all around Tugger, purring and not getting a bit of attention, he added, "Or maybe not..."
Uniqua laughed. Although she knew it was rather rude, Rumpel was so funny that she couldn’t contain herself.
Munku continues hi introductions, letting her meet the sisters Bombalurina and Demeter, Skimbleshanks the railway cat, Jemima the littlest kitten, the other findable kittens, and the rest of the Jellicles. Munku took some time to explain the Jellicle tradition of the Jellicle Ball, the meeting of all the cats once a year, when a cat is chosen to go the Heaviside Layer. Uniqua listened with interest, always wanting to know more. She found the se was beginning to love the Jellicles, her newfound friends.
After a while Munku’s wounds started to bother him and apologizing greatly he was forced to retire for the night.
Uniqua sat surrounded by the cats, at times playing with the kittens and at others flirting right and left. All she anticipated was talking with Tugger, but her worries were proved pointless for he left soon after the introduction without saying a word to her or others. Rumpel followed him. Uniqua didn’t understand and decided not to think about it, because it would make her even more upset. Therefore, the evening passed smoothly and quietly.