Cats

As lovely, benign, and sweet as they look in pictures and videos, especially those ones we often see on social media, I am still very scared of them, and I only admire the ones I see in those posts.

You can’t fault me; I grew up in a community where they’re mostly associated with horrific things, and you hardly see them coming out of people’s homes. Their homes are either in the bush or uncompleted buildings and anytime you see them in people’s homes it’s mostly from herbs doctors that are mostly known for using black magic and grandmas that are living alone or with one grandson that is mum or dad have dumped in her place since he was a baby and didn’t really have her time so she’s forced to get a cat to be around her all of the time. Those grandmas are also sometimes rumoured to be crooked in some ways, so most of us are brought up with a preconceived suspicion of cats, and it’s hard to shake it off.

It’s really rare to see a young person with a cat if you see them they’re either those who have lived abroad which are children of the aristocrat or those that just got some sort of exposure or want to really relive them, we all find interest in something at a time.

Our minds have been abused about what cats are, and for the past couple of months, I have lived in a community where cats are seen as not just pets but as a family. I can say I have seen more cats here in the past few months than I have all my life, growing up. A family can own like 5–7 cats and they’re strolling in and out of the person like a normal human being, when they see you approaching they run to you for you to pet them as their owner do, it’s so interesting but weird to me.

Some days back I was out with a friend, and this cat approached our table after being called by some people at another table. It was still coming towards our table, and the Nigerian in me, knowing that his mother is always casting and binding, was immediately worried.

In my mind, I was like, “What does this cat want?”

Who sent you to me?

I told my friend I was out in a less worried manner, and she replied, “Isn’t it cute?”

Cute ke?

Is that what we’re telling you?

The cat sat on the floor and took the position of an aeroplane taking off from the ground, and I immediately knew it was trying to jump to the table to join us to eat.

I also took the position of someone awaiting danger; my heart was in my mouth, and I was no longer comfortable with the conversations I was having with my friend.

My heart was beating faster; I knew it would jump, but I couldn’t chase the cat away because I was in the midst of cat-loving people and I didn’t want to be the odd one out there.

Like I was a clairvoyant, it did take the jump and I immediately jump out of my skin creating a big scene there and spilling my drinks over. The waiters started apologizing, and someone around called the cat over to her place and started soothing it, giving it food from her plate.

In my mind, I was just saying, “What have I done to myself?”

And my friend forever used that incident to taunt me.

Deep down in my heart, I want to be at ease with them, but my head is telling me otherwise. I know it’s fear of the unknown, but I can’t just help to take it out.