Dr. Ibrahim's Kittens

Luna, a pretty, gray tabby, had four kittens with a ginger cat from New Hampshire (the Ibrahims had taken a trip there over the summer). A large group of maybe eight of us walked up to their white-washed house, and Dr. Ibrahim invited us onto the screened-in porch. There, on a fluffy gray bed, the four kittens were sleeping. One was curled into a little brown ball, and the other three were cuddled in a pile. Their eyes have only recently started to open, and their ears are so small they almost look more like fluffy, little monkeys than cats. They looked so peaceful, and even their mum was calm when we crowded around them, picking them up. They’re so small they can fit in one hand. They don’t have names yet, but someone suggested August for the black-and-white one, and June for the calico. As she brought out a tray of Trader Joe’s lemonade, mango-orange juice, and cookies, Dr. Ibrahim told us so many people have stopped by and made name suggestions that the kittens all have a bunch of different ones. I could have stayed there forever, with my friends, the kittens, and the snacks. Dr. Ibrahim was so lovely and welcoming that she probably would have let us, had it not been for the volleyball practice she had to go coach.

Even though I was of course excited when Surprise Holiday was announced the night before, it was kind-of annoying that we couldn’t leave campus because of COVID. The trip a little ways down Shirley Road, maybe 100 steps from my dorm room, ended up being all I needed to de-stress.