Overslept! In a hurried dash from the bathroom to the front door, Mary quickly applied her lipstick, glanced in the mirror, and threw on her coat and boots. Just three minutes after waking up, she was already in the elevator.
Stepping outside, she realized it was a drizzly September morning, but she didn’t have time to go back for an umbrella. Her treacherous alarm had let her down today. Mary rushed headlong to the bus stop. Being late for work was not an option. With her boss, it could be as disastrous as skipping work and might even lead to getting fired.
Running through various scenarios of the day’s outcome in her mind and accepting each one, Mary had already said goodbye to her favorite clients, her bonus, and the extra day off she had left from her last holiday. People passing by were either running late or just in a hurry, each consumed by their own thoughts, noticing nothing around them. Everything felt gray, dull, and sad, and the rain added to the day’s dreariness.
There were barely two hundred meters left to the bus stop. Suddenly, Mary stopped and glanced back. By a shabby bench sat a small, wet kitten. Shifting from one paw to another, it tried to meow but only managed to silently open its mouth.
For a moment, Mary hesitated, unsure whether to keep running or help the tiny creature that seemed in trouble. Being late was inevitable, and since she would have to endure her boss’s angry tirade anyway, she decided to rescue the kitten.
As she approached, she noticed the kitten’s back leg was bent awkwardly. “Oh my goodness! What happened to you?”
Any lingering doubts vanished like morning mist. The kitten was so drenched and cold it shivered like the last September leaf clinging to a branch in the wind.
Gently wrapping the little one in a white scarf, Mary tucked it under her coat and dashed to the bus stop even faster. She decided to reach her work desk first and then take it from there. Leaving the kitten to fend for itself wasn’t something her kind heart would allow.
Her attempt to slip unnoticed to her desk failed miserably. Almost at the finish line, Mary sighed with relief—just a final turn down the long corridor and there was office 12—but fortune didn’t favor her. Right around the corner, she ran into her boss.
“Smith, an entire hour! Where have you been? Who’s going to do your work? Have you lost your mind?”
There followed a barrage of questions meant to instill guilt in the timid girl and deepen the chasm between manager and employee. She stood wet, unable to utter a word. Tears welled up, and a wave of grief choked her inside.
“This!” was all Mary could say, unbuttoning her coat. Out peeked a small, sorry face. The kitten, now warmer, managed to let out a plaintive squeak.
“His leg’s injured; I couldn’t leave him out in the rain… all alone…” Tears streamed down her face, words got tangled, and her hands shook unsteadily. Already imagining writing her resignation, she moved to gather her belongings, but a warm, strong hand stopped her.
With his other hand, her boss pulled out his phone, dialed a familiar number, then scribbled an address on paper, instructing her to go there immediately to save the little furry leg.
Baffled by her boss’s sudden change of heart, Mary took the note, slipped it into her coat pocket, and hurried to the exit.
“And don’t come back here today.”
Mary’s heart sank. Her short-lived career at her beloved job had come to an end. But her boss continued, “Today is a day off for you. And tomorrow too. Also, I’m giving you a commendation. And a bonus… for your compassion towards our furry friends.”
Her boss was named Richard Johnson. Slightly older than Mary, he always came across as a stern man. Their interactions were work-related and rare, but the office was abuzz with tales of his strictness.
At the vet clinic Richard sent her to, the vet quickly addressed the kitten’s leg. It wasn’t broken, just badly sprained. While he bandaged the leg, Mary recounted how she’d found the kitten on the street, faced a reprimand, and then received unexpected help from her boss.
The vet chuckled and said he knew Rich since childhood. Even back then, his friend often rescued stray animals, heroically saving puppies from cold waters and once retrieving a kitten from bullies. As an adult, he always donated part of his income to shelters, and his first scholarship went entirely to a fund for a tail-less dog.
However, handling relationships with people hadn’t been easy for him. Having lost his family young, Rich had become closed off, tough, and seemingly unfeeling.
Mary was so moved by the story that she couldn’t stop thinking about Richard for the rest of the day. She felt a sudden urge to offer him comfort and support.
That evening, as the kitten recovered from his adventure and dozed on her warm, soft bed, Mary set up a cozy spot for her new roommate. The little guy had already been through a lot. Who knew how long he’d been wandering as a stray? He’d twitch and squeak in his sleep. Now, both Mary’s and her new friend’s loneliness had come to an end. She would lovingly care for her pet and shower him with affection.
With these happy thoughts, Mary made a snug bed for Whiskers. The name seemed fitting for the small, vulnerable kitten. Her peaceful reflections were interrupted by an unexpected phone call. It was Richard.
“How’s our patient doing?”
Mary’s cheeks flushed as she enthusiastically shared about her new companion’s condition, thanking her boss profusely. Surprisingly, Richard invited her to dinner, and they talked the night away.
The man who already felt familiar, warm, and understandable, was right there with her. And right beside them sat the little kitten, with its bandaged leg, receiving more attention and care than he could have ever imagined from two kindred spirits.
Soon, together, they would help other struggling animals and nurture their dear Whiskers, who also seemed to be a kindred soul.
