I was a little kitten born somewhere in Rubio, Junín municipality, and I was taken by my mother's caretaker to a faraway place, a rural area where they wanted a feline specimen to "scare away" the mice of the place. So I was the chosen one. At the time I was about a month old, I was still a baby who was starting to become independent. Until then I only knew of playing with my siblings in the backyard where we lived.

That day I was separated from my mother and my siblings and was taken in a noisy and fast device across a very bumpy road. I could not see the landscape, because I was carried inside a sack so that I could not escape. I was afraid, I didn't know what intentions they had for me. I was cold, my little legs were shivering. After almost an hour's walk, I finally arrived at the place that would become my home during my short life. When I arrived, I was not welcomed. They barely looked at me and proceeded to put me in a small cage while I got used to living with the others (two dogs and six humans). I listened as they questioned my new master for bringing home a cat. I was left there, given food and water to quench my hunger and thirst. But, to tell the truth, I had no appetite.

A few hours later, everyone's attitude towards my arrival became different. From time to time they would come around the corner where I was and say nice things to me (maybe just to reassure me). I was still cold and also afraid of how they might treat me. It was cold in that place. My cage was in the corridor of the house. There I would have to spend the nights alone while I was adapting. Before nightfall I was given a woolen cloth so that I would have the warmth I needed. That calmed me down a bit, but the darkness caused me anguish and I could only meow and meow. No one seemed to hear me. So it went for a couple more nights until I learned to sleep alone. However, the master of the house asked a neighbor of his to give him a kitten, almost my age, to keep me company. Her personality was not like mine: she was not very affectionate, she hardly played and she didn't like to have contact with humans either. She was a bit boring and indifferent, like most of my species.

By then, every day in the morning hours a young woman who became my human would take me for a walk and sunbathe in a brick-lined courtyard. Just a few meters from the house. This she would do during her minutes of rest after spending hours in front of the computer. There, with my little paws up, I would relax while she massaged my full tummy. That was one of my favorite moments of the day.

A few days later they started to take me to the corral where the cows were once penned. Now there was only grass and I could hear the birds singing in the bushes nearby. But that was not all. That's where I really liked to go. My master collected organic fertilizer for his vegetable garden and from it came earthworms. He taught me how to eat them. That was my favorite dessert after breakfast. I would eat my fill. On the way home I would go with compost in my whiskers.

I soon learned the way and so every day I waited for the time to go in front of the wheelbarrow he pushed for the purpose of extracting manure. Sometimes he would only invite me with a "shshshshsh-shshsh-shshshsh" and I would go running with my little tail erect. On the way back, he would pick me up and lift me onto the load of black dirt as he drove the wheelbarrow. I rarely stood still. The movement made me nervous and I proceeded to get down as soon as I could.

I soon learned to walk with my humans, they would say "he looks like a puppy". I would accompany them to the vegetable plots, to the other house on the farm and even to visit the neighbor. Sometimes they would carry me because the weeds on the road prevented me from moving forward easily. I remember very well that the first time we went to the neighbor's house they gave us a liter of milk for me. And every day for at least two weeks I drank my dose of warm milk. What a delight!

Although it may seem contradictory, what I did like was riding motorcycles, my human's brothers sometimes gave me short rides in front of the house. It was pure adrenaline... a very pleasant ride for me. One day, she wanted to ask Luis, one of her brothers, to teach her how to ride. She was watching how he had to accelerate to start. In one of those attempts I ran out of the corridor and just as I passed in front of the rear wheel she wanted to start. From my throat came a painful scream: Miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiauuuuuuuuuuuu! And I ran to the front with one of my hind legs almost dragging me. The impact of the wheel on my little body caused a very painful sprain. My human cried when she saw me. She picked me up and rubbed me. But the pain was unbearable..... Her mom immediately fetched a little bit of edible oil and helped to rub my paw, the pain started to subside just a little bit.

The following days were difficult. My paw was sore, I had a swollen upper part that connects the leg bone to the hip. The problem might affect me for life, I might not be able to go back to the way I was before. I might not be able to run, I might not be able to go for walks to all those places they took me. I was very sad. My human watched very worriedly the almost null evolution. She stroked me and tried to rub my sore paw being careful not to hurt me.

About three days passed. That afternoon, in a moment of rest after working on the computer. She picked me up and took me to the front of the house to get some sun. She looked at me closely and at the site of the injury she could see a circular bulge sticking out. It was no longer as swollen. With his index finger and thumb he explored the position of the bone and determined that it was not in place. Fearfully and very carefully he pushed in front of it, towards my opposite side and a slight click sounded. My bone was back in place. Her eyes were filled with joy. I, her little kitten, would be the same as before. Just a couple more days and I wouldn't have the slightest discomfort. The bitter time was over. Now I could play as before, run after the ball that was thrown to me, push it and even pick it up with my front paws. There were more wonderful days.

I stayed exactly three months at her side, until she decided to return to her place of residence. I think we were both saddened by the separation. But we held out hope that we would soon see each other again. By then, I had become the spoiled brat for most of the humans in this house.

But, one dark night, a cold wind blew through the air and I was afraid again. Days before, my feline companion, the kitten brought by the neighbor, had disappeared without a trace. This time everything seemed to be similar to that night. The darkness warned of the presence of an evil being approaching. I don't remember anything. Only an immense fear that overwhelmed me, a wrenching pain after a sudden attack and helplessness to continue breathing.

For days my humans searched for me around the house in the hope of finding me safe.... The search proved fruitless. Unfortunately, they found my small body lying near a nearby alley with deep scratches and traces of blood at chest level.

Finally, I could understand that I was her comfort in difficult times for her, for my young human. My disappearance caused her deep pain that was very difficult to bear. Seeing the photos she kept with so much love caused her sadness for not being able to see me again, or caress me, or spoil me, or allow me to be her company in moments of deep loneliness.

Yo era una pequeña gatita que nació en algún lugar de Rubio, municipio Junín, y fui llevada por el cuidador de mi madre a un lugar lejano, una zona rural donde querían un ejemplar felino para que "auyentara" a los ratones del lugar. Así que yo fui la elegida. Para el momento tenía aproximadamente un mes de edad, aún era una bebé que empezaba a independizarme. Hasta entonces solo conocía de jugarretas con mis hermanos en el patio donde vivíamos.

Aquel día me separaron de mi madre y mis hermanos y fui llevada en un aparato ruidoso y veloz a través de una carretera bastante accidentada. No podía ver el paisaje, porque me trasladaron en el interior de un saco para que no escapara. Iba temerosa, no sabía que intenciones tenían conmigo. Tenía frío, mis patitas temblaban. Tras casi una hora de camino por fin llegaba al lugar que se convertiría en mi hogar durante mi cortita vida. Al llegar, no me dieron la bienvenida. Apenas me miraron y procedieron a meterme en una pequeña jaula mientras me acostumbraba a convivir con los demás (dos perros y seis humanos). Escuché como cuestionaban a mi nuevo amo por llevar a casa a una gata. Allí me dejaron, me dieron comida y agua para que saciara el hambre y la sed. Pero, a decir verdad, no tenía apetito.

Unas horas después la actitud que todos mostraron ante mi llegada se tornaba diferente. De vez en cuando se acercaban a la esquina donde estaba y me decían cosas bonitas (tal vez solo para que me tranquilizara). Aún tenía frío y también miedo por el trato que pudieran darme. En aquel lugar si que hacía frío. Mi jaula estaba en el corredor de la vivienda. Allí tendria que pasar las noches sola mientras me adaptaba. Antes de anochecer me acomodaron una tela de lana para que tuviera el abrigo que necesitaba. Eso me tranquilizó un poco, pero la oscuridad me causaba angustia y solo podía maullar y maullar. Parecía que nadie me escuchaba. Así fue por un par de noches más hasta que aprendí a dormir sola. Sin embargo, el señor de la casa pidió a un vecino suyo que le diera una gatita, casi de mi edad, para que me hiciera compañía. Su personalidad no era como la mia: ella era poco cariñosa, casi no jugaba y tampoco le gustaba tener contacto con los humanos. Era un poco aburrida e indiferente, como la mayoría de mi especie.

Para entonces, cada día en horas de la mañana una mujer joven que se convirtió en mi humana me llevaba a pasear y tomar sol en un patio revestido de ladrillos. A pocos metros de la casa. Esto lo hacía durante sus minutos de descanso tras pasar horas frente al computador. Allí, con las patitas arriba me relajaba mientras ella masajeaba mi barriguita llena. Ese era uno de los momentos favoritos del día.

Pocos días después empezaron a llevarme al corral donde alguna vez encerraron las vacas. Ahora solo había pasto y podía escuchar los pájaros cantando en los arbustos cercanos. Pero eso no era todo. Allí sí que me gustó ir. Mi amo recogía abono orgánico para su sembradíos de hortalizas y de allí salían lombrices. Me enseñó a comerlas. Ese era mi postre favorito después de mi desayuno. Comía hasta saciarme. De regreso iba a casa con abono en los bigotes.

Pronto me aprendí el camino y así cada día esperaba el momento para ir delante de la carretilla que el empujaba con el propósito de ir a extraer abono. Algunas veces solo me convidaba con un "shshshsh-shshshsh" y yo iba corriendo con mi colita ergida. De regreso, el me levantaba y me subía sobre la carga de tierra negra mientras conducia la carretilla. Pocas veces me quedaba quieta. El movimiento me causaban nervios y procedía a bajarme apenas podía.

Pronto aprendí a caminar junto a mis humanos, ellos decían "parece un perrito". Los acompañaba a las parcelas de hortalizas, a la otra casa de la finca e incluso a visitar al vecino. Algunas veces me cargaban porque la maleza en el camino me impedía avanzar con facilidad. Recuerdo muy bien que la primera vez que fuimos a casa del vecino nos regalaron un litro de leche para mí. Y todos los días durante al menos unas dos semanas tomé mi dosis de leche tibia. ¡Que delicia!

Aunque parezca contradictorio, lo que si me gustaba era andar en moto, los hermanos de mi humana a veces me daban cortos paseos frente a la casa. Era adrenalina pura... un paseo muy grato para mí. Un día, ella quiso pedirle a Luis, uno de sus hermanos, que la enseñara a manejar. Ella estaba observando como debía acelerar para arrancar. En uno de esos intentos yo salí corriendo desde el corredor y justo en el momento en que pasaba frente a la rueda trasera ella quiso arrancar. De mi garganta salió un grito doloroso: ¡Miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiauuuuuuuuuu! Y corrí hacia el frente con una de mis patitas traseras casi a rastras. El impacto de la rueda en mi pequeño cuerpo causó un esguince muy doloroso. Mi humana lloraba al verme. Me levantó y me sobaba. Pero el dolor era insoportable... Su mamá buscó de inmediato un poquito de aceite comestible y ayudó a sobar mi patita, el dolor empezó a disminuir solo un poco.

Los días siguientes fueron difíciles. Mi pata dolía, tenía inflamada la parte superior que conecta el hueso de la pierna con la cadera. El problema quizá me afectaría de por vida, quizá no podría volver a ser como antes. Quizá no podría correr, ni tampoco ir de paseo a todos esos lugares que me llevaban. Estaba muy triste. Mi humana observaba muy preocupada la casi nula evolución. Me acariciaba y trataba de sobar mi dolorida patita teniendo cuidado de no lastimarme.

Pasaron como tres días. Aquella tarde, en un momento de descanso tras el trabajo en el computador. Ella me cogió y me llevó al frente de la casa para tomar un poco de sol. Me observó con detenimiento y en el lugar de la lesión pudo ver un abultamiento circular que sobresalía. Ya no estaba tan inflamada. Con sus dedos índice y pulgar exploró la posición del hueso y determinó que no se hallaba en el sitio. Con miedo y muy cuidadosamente empujó había el frente de ella, hacia mi costado opuesto y un ligero chasquido sonó. Mi huesito estaba nuevamente en el sitio. Sus mirada se inundó de alegría. Yo, su pequeña gatita, volveria a ser la misma de antes. Solo un par de dias más y ya no tendría ni la más ligera molestia. El rato amargo había pasado. Ahora podía jugar como antes, corres tras la pelota que me lanzaban, empujarla y hasta levantarla con mis patitas delanteras. Fueron más los días maravillosos.

Estuve exactamente tres meses a su lado, hasta que ella decidió volver a su lugar de residencia. Creo que a ambas nos entristeció la separación. Pero guardábamos las esperanzas de pronto volvernos a ver. Para entonces, yo me había convertido en la consentida para la mayoría de los humanos de esta casa.

Pero, una noche oscura, un viento frío recorrió el ambiente y volví a sentir miedo. Días antes había desaparecido sin rastro alguno mi compañera felina, la gatita traída por el vecino. Esta vez todo parecía ser similar a aquella noche. La oscuridad advertía la presencia de un ser maligno que se acercaba. No recuerdo nada. Solo un miedo inmenso que me embargaba, un dolor desgarrador tras un ataque repentino e impotencia para seguir respirando.

Durante días mis humanos me buscaron en los alrededores de la casa con la esperanza de hallarme salva... La búsqueda resultó infructuosa. Lamentablemente, encontraron mi pequeño cuerpo tirado cerca a un callejón cercano con rasguños profundos y rastros de sangre a nivel del pecho.

Finalmente, pude entender que fui su consuelo en momentos difíciles para ella, para mi humana joven. Mi desaparición le causó un dolor profundo muy difícil de sobrellevar. Ver las fotos que guardaba con tanto amor le causaba tristeza por no poder volver a verme, ni acariciarme, ni consentirme, ni permitirme ser su compañía en momentos de profunda soledad.