A teacher in the yard III
Mistoline meets Macavity
By: Petra
***
Now, I really made a mistake! You could say that I abused my magical facilities or you could say, I was just a kitty making nonsense. Before we, Mistoffelees and I, went to the Magical Ball with Mistoffelees I was not a kitten anymore but I wasn't grown. I was in a state that was calm and I was watching and learning. Afterwards followed a time of rebelling and nonsense and I exaggerated. Now, I am sitting here, alone. I am very thankful, you want to share my misery with me. I wished I hadn't hurt Mistoffelees that bad! I wished I hadn't hurt Munkustrap and the Jellicles that bad, and I still wish to receive the final message... but nobody has contacted me yet.
***
"Mungojerry and Rumpleteazer, we're a notorious couple of cats,..."
"Oh Mungo! Shut up. I am not notorious until I don't get what's in that box!!!" Rumpleteazer moaned.
"There are more boxes out there! If they guard it like that, than that isn't like all the other things." Mungo shook his head, "maybe they really don't want us to have it?"
"AND THAT'S WHY I WANT TO HAVE IT!" Rumpleteazer cried out.
I was asleep in my hideout which was maybe too near to the junkyard center. So I woke up when Rumple screamed. Nosy, as I was, I wanted to know what she wanted and so I stretched and stepped out into the night. It was getting cold, you could feel that summer was going to change to autumn and I thought I should spend more time on catching the last rays of the summer sun.
"What do you want to have?" I asked confused after I had finally found them.
"Um...nothing. Just for Mungo and me," she said, obviously confused by my silent appearance and stared at me.
"Rumple! I am not judging you for living your rebel life like the others do. If it makes fun to you than that's what you should be occupied with. You have never harmed anyone." I twinkled and looked up to the moon. The night was young. The moon was still rising and there was still a long way he had to pass. Mistoffelees had said, that it was only five days until the Jellicle moon would be as big as possible. I tried to figure out what he had told me about the pictures that the stars made. He had a lot of knowledge about all these things and he thought I needed to know that, too. I see no use in star pictures but I had given up explaining that to Mistoffelees. I always had enjoyed the evenings with him, looking up to the stars and talking. It where the most joyful nights in my life.
Rumpleteazer examined me. She might tell me what she wanted to have but at first, she checked out whether I looked artificial and whether she could trust me. I still hat being stared at and so I avoided the contact with her eyes. She finished her glaring and finally decided to tell me.
"Our family has brought home a box! They put the box into the wall and closed it. I tried the whole night to open it but it wouldn't work. Mungo says, they have a key for it. I want to know what's inside, but lazy old Mungojerry thinks that might lead is in trouble. As if we never had trouble!" Rumpleteazer swung her head, presenting her back coldly to her mate. Mungo gave a smile, he knew what to do, he knew her well and got up to catch her love again. Feeling him coming, Rumpleteazer just said "puh!" and stared away. Mungojerry went full force ahead, now slowly laying his arm around her. She didn't move but I could feel that it made her change her emotions.
"You know, I am as much interested as you, but I don't want to lead you into trouble, hon'. I am worried," he said with a deep and friendly voice and Rumpleteazer melted hearing it.
"You worry about me? Oh, Mungo! You are playing the not-interested, just to prevent me from trouble!" she said and turned around to hug him. I could see his smile like: "I got my honey back again!" but I knew that he really loved her and we all knew her sometimes-daftness.
"Why didn't you tell me before?" I finally interrupted, "I can open the box for you. It's a safe, isn't it? Mistoffelees once told me what they are good for."
"And what ARE they good for?" Rumpleteazer looked longingly at me, her eyes glaring nosily for the treasures inside the safe.
"If I remember correctly he said something about most expensive and special guts. They do it for keeping it away from burglars." I tried to remember his exact words but I thought I got the sense.
"And you can open it? How?" Mungojerry raised an eyebrow.
"Don't forget: I am magical. I maybe will need a while to figure out how because Misoffelees would never teach me how to open a safe, but I might help you." I said while Rumple's eyes got wider and wider. I never thought a cat could have that big eyes, but obviously Rumple proved me that it was possible. Mungojerry jumped up, now as crazy about the idea as Rumple and said:
"So let's do it! I can feel that feeling in my whiskers again...!" and pushed us away.
***
Opening the safe wasn't a problem. I had learned so much for myself without Mistoffelees' knowledge, so I had a kind of routine in do-it-yourself-magic, or teach-it-yourself-magic. Rumpleteazer cheered for the magical trick: opening a safe, but her cheer longed for at last a second before she crept into the safe. Mungojerry looked around frightened but the family was asleep. A bit disappointed, Rumple crawled out of the safe, her mouth full of banknotes. She spit them onto the floor.
"Only the lousy paper! But wait! That's from the mistress and from her daughter!" She proudly presented us some pearls, a ring and earrings.
"I found the woolworth pearls again! And I thought, I had lost them!" she giggled and Mungojerry cried "Shh!", so she closed her mouth with her paw. She took her gleaming treasure and jumped into the banknotes. I could see that this weren't woolworth pearls. It was more. Anyway, I do not know much about human treasures so I did not care. I "closed" the safe but forgot to take the banknotes in again.
***
Munkustrap looked happy at the kittens playing at his feet. He, the protector of the kittens, had had no problems with them and the parents were happy if they could send them to Munkustrap for a short time every day to do something for their own. The kittens all liked him and never wanted to cause him any trouble. So it were very calm hours every day.
"Munkustrap!" Mistoffelees called out of breath, "did you see Mistoline anywhere?"
Munkustrap shook his head. She wasn't a kitten anymore but Mistoffelees felt responsible for her. Through all the lessons the two magicians seemed to have a good relation to each other. In addition, it was the easiest way for Mistoline to be guarded by Mistoffelees because she spend in anycase much time with him because of the magical lessons. The black kitten was taught a lot by Mistoffelees and sometimes had to study half of the day. Munkustrap knew, that Mistoffelees did right. There was much to learn for young magicians, he guessed.
"I haven't seen her since last night. I would feel half dead if anything happened to her! She is such a rebel, fooling around with her magic. How often have I told her..." Mistoffelees rolled his eyes when he felt me. Munkustrap didn't feel me , this was between magical cats.
"I think you exaggerate. It once lead you into trouble when you gave her too less private time, look at these kittens, they all survived and they are sometimes not much cared about."
"They are no rebels. But don't hnor her too much, she's here!" Mistoffelees groaned and I made myself appear.
"How often did I tell you not to run out of my magical reach? You must have been outside this part of the city. You weren't at Victoria Grove, were you? Or even at Macavity's?" he began. I did not care. I should have been bothered but I knew he just worried and he knew that I had the right to go wherever I wanted and finally sighed knowing that his words wouldn't change anything.
"You're not her father, Mistofelees. You should relax a bit more." Munkustrap pat him on the shoulder. He had no experience in magic but it could not be that bad. And in fact, I had nearly Mistoffelees' size, which isn't much, but it would look strange if he cared about a cat as if it was a kitten that's nearly his size. Mungojerry dashed into the kitten-group and scared them so that Munkustrap had to rebuke them to stay.
"What's the matter, Mungojerry?" asked the gray cat the hard breathing calico.
"Rum-ple-tea-zer!" he said through his breathing, " I lost her! The family has thrown her out of the house because she wore their expensive pearls. They found the banknotes in front of the safe. She has lost her home and we love that home. I have to find her before she does something she regrets! Did you see her?" and because we didn't answer he dashed away again. Mistoffelees turned around to me and looked at me with angry eyes. Don't ask me how he could know that I had helped the couple to steal the pearls, but he knew it!
"I-I-I didn't...I mean, I,"I stuttered and finally said more angry: "don't look at me like this!"
Munkustrap looked confused at us two and tipped on Mr. Misto's shoulder, "What's going on?"
Mistoffelees explained the situation. He had felt me aura after Mungojerry had said this and he knew, I had something to do with it. Munkustrap went to my front and glared at me - I hated it as usual - and finally forced me to tell the whole story. I can tell you, when he stood in front of me, I thought he was bigger than a tiger! Munkustrap has always been a sort of special cat to me, I did not feel myself to have the right to be fresh ore unprompted to him. So I told him the true story.
"Can you see what you have done?" he snarled at me. I never have been spoken to like this from another adult cat, he was really mighty and I felt so horrible. "Rumpleteazer and Mungojerry lived there for ages and you, with one silly act, disturb their life!" I nodded because I did not know what to do else. I was sorry for Mistoffelees. He felt really responsible for me and felt somehow blamed, I guess. Of course, he should not have felt blamed but he always did. It wasn't his fault but his state while Munkustrap spoke punished me hard. He was just looking on the floor and shaking slowly his head sometimes.
"Mistoffelees!" Munkustrap called and Mistoffelees winced, "I guess you might help the little magician to clear out her fault!"
"Yes, Munkustrap," the magician agreed in reverence of Munkus' strong character and took me away.
"Misto! I am sorry, I did not want to..., I just thought it was fun and Rumple, too. I could not know all this." I tried to address him but he did not react. He felt ashamed for me. He felt ashamed to have been spoken to by Munkustrap this hard. I deeply pondered how to clear out the mistake I had done as well as Mistoffelees pondered. He lead me directly to Rumpleteazer and Mungojerry's house.
"And what shall we do now?" I asked, winning my brave back.
"I dunno!" he snarled angry. "I suppose we replace the pearls or get them back from Rumpleteazer. Go now and search for the pearls. Rumpleteazer must hide them somewhere.
***
We split and I searched around the house and finally sensed them. They were near Rumple's sleeping point under a pillow. Mistoffelees had kept guard at the door and now came in carrying some woolworth pearls.
"Now stay here with the pearls and wait." he said, placing the woolworth pearls under the pillow. I still carried the original pearls. Mistoffelees meowed very loud so the mistress ran down the stairs. I wanted to make myself disappear but Mistoffelees held my wrists.
"No! You stay here to be blamed for the nonsense you did!" and with that he disappeared but I knew he was there, just invisible.
The mistress came in and saw me with her pearls. I wished I could disappear but I was in front of a human so - I could forget this. She grabbed for a broom and came closer. I dropped the pearls and searched for a way out. Just an inch away from me the broom hit the floor.
"And I blamed my Ladycat for your nonsense, black devil!" she screeched and the broom hit the floor behind me. I ran around the screeching woman for the door and I actually reached it but not without being beaten on my tail. I left the house as fast as possible and Mistoffelees became visible outside. He was pleased with my punishment.
***
Did you ever wanted to drive away from everything? Or just drive around in the world and watching at it? It was a few days later when I exactly thought about driving around. I do not know how this foolish idea came up in my mind but maybe I thought everybody would like this and drive with me. I have seen these monsters on the street. It's unbelievable how fast they role forward with the might of hitting and killing you or not. It must be quite a thrill to drive a round in deadly pace.
There on the junkyard were a few old cars where several cats made their hideouts. Just one car was empty, it had been a hideout for Bombalurina but since she moved to a nicer place it was empty. I was bored, so I just sat on a box in that car pretending I was driving it and imagined the fields and houses I saw on my car-tour.
Now, I haven't always control of my magic and it happened whatever had to happen: I was deep in my imagination and held the steering wheel tight when my paws became that sparkling feeling. Before I understood what I was doing, the whole steering wheel started sparkling. I pulled my paws back from the wheel but it was too late. The car slid forward and backward on the junk-mountain and than slowly tilt forwards until it lost its safe place and drove down the junk-mountain becoming faster and faster making a horrible noise which made me even more upset. I screamed in fear. I saw a wall out of trash and junk in front of me and I couldn't stop that car! There was no way out and I felt already entering the Heavyside Layer. With a crash I saw thousands of pieces flying around me and lost my consciousness.
*** "Jelcey!" Mistoffelees called quietly with a touch of sorrow in his voice and cleared the wound on my head with a towel. Coricopat bent over me and opened one of my eyes. Tantomile fetched another towel.
"Will she be alright?" Mistoffelees asked worried and grabbed my paw. I couldn't open my eyes, I was just glad someone was there. My head hurt and I could not think clearly.
"If you can keep Munkustrap away from her, she will soon be alright." Tantomile groaned and put the wet towel on my head. "Give that to her," she said and Mistoffelees dropped my hand. Than he opened my mouth, I could not assemble enough power to repulse Mistoffelees and got something dropped inside my mouth. I felt a bitter taste and sat up to retch the pill out but Coricopat knew how to act with cats taking a pill. He grabbed the pill and pushed it inside my pharynx and stroke me down from my chin to my chest so I he moved the pill down my throat. I coughed but felt too weak to say anything, still my head felt so bad...
***
When I awoke again, I felt much better. Tantomile sat on my bed and read a book. When she saw my eyes flap open she took it away and gave a wink to Coricopat who went outside and came back with Mistoffelees. I looked at them with small blue eyes and my eyes asked them, what had happened. Tantomile sighed and I began remembering about the car. Mistoffelees caught my thoughts.
"I know it wasn't you fault, Jelcey, but you nearly hit Jennyanydots and Demeter. You can imagine how upset Munkustrap is, after he saw Demter in shock. I tried to explain to him that a young magician has not that much control over the power inside but its worthless. He feels responsible for the tribe and after what you did to Rumpleteazer he is even more upset about you. I guess you'll need to speak to him. I wished, you had taken care about your magic. I told you, before you go playing, make three flashes to make sure, you can control your magic. Why don't you listen to my advises?" he spoke soft but I could feel his exasperation. He felt let down by me, I had become to rebelling for his taste. And he certainly had gotten his blame from Munkustrap.
"Jelcey Mistoline!" Munkustrap growled and that would have been the right moment to disappear but Mistoffelees would prevent that I escaped, magical or not magical.
"You already caused the trouble for Runmpleteazer, now you disturbed parts of the yard and nearly hit two Jellicles with a car. We never have had such a marplot here before and I have to ponder for consequences, if you go on in your rebelling behavior. You endanger the tribe. Mistoffelees has agreed to keep guard of you as much as possible." Mistoffelees looked down to the soil. I felt so guilty. But Munkustrap exaggarated. I would never endanger the tribe! Now I would steel Mistoffelees' time. Just because of my silly actions.
"I hope not to hear any bad messages about you in the future!" Munkustrap snarled.
"Yes, Munkustrap," I answered and bowed. Than went after Mistoffelees. He shook his head and sighed:
"What shall I do with you, Mistoline? Can't you understand in what sort of trouble you take us?"
***
It was not very nice to be guarded. Mistoffelees had his meetings and I always had to accompany him. I wasn't alone for much longer then a few minutes every day. At night, he put me to his hideout and slept in front of the door, so I could not leave. His hideout was warm and sticky sometimes and I needed fresh air. Mistoffelees was worried. He could not dare to let me go away alone. He felt responsible for me and everybody knew it, so everybody would refer my nonsense, for a part at least, back to Mistoffelees.
One night, I really had to leave the sticky hideout and tapped over to Mistoffelees who was sleeping deeply. I wondered if he would notice if I used my magic to get out, well it was worth a try. I zapped myself to the other side of his body and he still kept sleeping. I disappeared in the darkness thankful for the new discovered freeness. I just wanted to have a short walk and so I left the junkyard.
Seeing the world outside made the rebel come up in me and I wanted to discover new land. Without noticing it I went further and further away from the yard. Suddenly a brown and white cat jumped out from the shadow and for I moment I thought it was Tumble but it wasn't!
"Hello, Lady! What are you doing outside this late?"
I was deadly frightened but outside the junkyard I couldn't dare to show it, so I tried to keep controlled.
"I am discovering the world. What are you doing here?" I said in a normal tone.
"I am searching for some accompany," the brown answered "maybe you want to get to know my master? He's a kind person," he seemed very friendly and somehow I liked him. He was thin and beautiful and his voice had an familiar sound. He walked forward and I followed him without thinking and we came to a garage.
"I'll tell my master, you're here. Besides, I am Tallfall, and what's your name?"
"Mistoline." Tallfall went inside the garage and came back soon telling me his master was very happy to meet me.
***
He lead me inside and the door closed.
"Nice creature you brought here, Tallfall," a VERY familiar voice said and than he came out from a shadow: Macavity! I looked at Tallfall but he had turned away. When he looked back and I caught his eyes I had a vision for a moment. Tallfall had not wanted to lead me here. It was his duty. I saw him regretting what he had done when he turned away.
"Macavity!" I growled.
"Mistoline,... I thought I heard that name before. Say, aren't you Mistoffelees little student?" came the question.
"I am nothing! You can't keep me here!" I said and tried to zap myself away but Macavity was quicker. I was trapped in a cage.
"Don't even try..." he grinned, "magic won't help you in this cage." He came over to me and grabbed for my face through the lattice: "You look beautiful, black kitten, you certainly want to know, what I am going to do with you. Well, nothing, in fact. I did not expect you for a visit. I need to say that I never had a student. So I am interested to have one. Why should only Mistoffelees have the right to teach you? There are a lot of things, Mistoffelees did not tell you."
I twirled my ear in his direction and paid attention. That sounded interesting. Macavity noticed my attention and took the cage away. Certain that I wouldn't flee now.
"Did you ever learn writing? I know you could learn it, you're smart."
I looked up to him and denied. He said he could teach me writing, he could write himself. I just would have to do him a favor. He said he usually did not write and needed someone to note his ideas. If I agreed I just needed to come every night and learn and after I finished learning, write for him. Mistoffelees wouldn't even notice I was gone. If I didn't I would be trapped in the cage and Macavity would wait for Mistoffelees to trap him.
I hesitated. All that speaking and the commination didn't mean anything to me. I did not believe Macavity to be this strong. But I wanted to learn writing. I searched for Tallfall who stood in a corner. He looked at me and I tried to understand what he said but he just mouthed the words so Macavity would not hear. I figured out that he said "I am here for you." and so I made me choice and than left for Mistoffelees hideout.
***
The next morning, Mistoffelees woke me up and brought some tea. He hadn't noticed my absence.
***
The following night, Tallfall whistled and so I followed him to Macavity's hideout for the first lesson. We talked a lot and he told me that he was one of Macavity's henchcats. He did not like him but he had had no home and when Macavity met him, he made him his henchcat. He now has food which he had not had before and except of doing some work for Macavity and for trying to find more cats to join Macavity's group and bring them to him, he had nothing to do. He usually wanted me to be a group member, but after Macavity had heard my name, he said there was something special about me. Tallfall was afraid he would kill me when he realized that I was a Jellicle. He usually did not care about the cats he brought to Macavity but he had really been afraid. Now, Macavity seemed to like me and so he was happy I would come almost every night now.
Macavity was not that bad at all. I do not know whether he had plans in his head but it did not seem so. To learn writing was not very easy. Macavity was telling the stuff in a very fast way and he was not prepared to repeat it. He was a lousy teacher and it was very hard to get everything he said. He was easy to upset but that happened not very often because I was not unintelligent.
I did not mind to be guarded by Mistoffelees anymore. I had my free time in the nights at Macavity's garage and so I did not mind to spend the day with him or in his hideout. I just was always very tired so I begged Mistoffelees he may lock me in his house for the morning so I could sleep and I would not escape. Mistoffelees was stunned but he did it because he just thought I was a young person who needed a lot of sleep.
The rest of the day I stayed calm. I secretly exercised writing. Everybody was happy I did not make any trouble so time flew away. I still was guarded mby Mistoffelees and I still did not like to but under Munkustrap's eyes I did not say anything. After some month I knew all the letters I had to know and just had to exercise to write correctly. Someday Macavity said he would teach my four more times now and than I had to write for him. I liked writing so I did not mind. And I wanted to see Tallfall again with whom I had a very good friendship. He collected me every night and brought me back home.
***
It was the last writing exercise and Macavity wanted to let me pass an exam than I should become his writing cat. I waited impatiently for Tallfall to whistle because I had exercised the whole evening and wanted to do the test. When he whistled I jumped up and sauntered to the entry. I accidentally kicked Mistoffelees who moaned and rolled to his side but he still slept and so I left the hideout.
Macavity's exam was ver hard. At first I had to write all the Jellicle names on a paper, the hardest was to remembers them all. Than he dictated me a text and I had to note it. He spoke very fast and afterwards my hand burned. But I was happy and gave the paper to Macavity who promised me to give me the result of my test tomorrow. I thought, he was quiet friendly. Tallfall accompanied me outside to lead me back to the junkyard. Outside I told him how I felt during the test because he could not imagine it and was so nosy how you feel when you write. When we left Macavity's area, I suddenly noticed that we were not alone.
"Mistoffelees! Munkustrap!" I gasped stunned. Tallfall understood who it was because I had told him a lot about the tribe. He nuzzled me.
"I guess, I should leave now. Have luck, Mistoline." Tallfall left.
"Why did you do that to me?" Mistoffelees asked with a faint voice. Munkustrap patted him on his shoulder.
"Come, Mistoline. The others are waiting," Munkustrap went to the junkyard, I had to walk between him and Mistoffelees. We did not speak. Mistoffelees had a very sad look on his face.
"In this case, I have to decide. You need to go. You have to go until the tribe forgives you and accepts you again. You are still young and can prove us that you are still a Jellicle with your heart but now leave. I'll send you a cat if you are accepted again, we will let the Jellicles decide. We will tell your story in a song Mistoffelees will have to sing on every Ball." At this moment, Mistoffelees gasped somehow sadly but Munkustrap went on: "He'll ask the Jellicles this way whether they accept you. So you'll be part of our history. Not a very good part, though, but we will not forget about you. There has never been a cat in this tribe with a relationship to Macavity and we cannot accept this. I admire you brave but you spend it on the wrong site. If you go on with Macavity, I was told, you will be banished by the real magicians, so I want you to think about all that! I hope it will not happen. We will miss you but we have no choice. Leave now."
I looked at Munkustrap who stared down at me. I turned around to the Jellicles but as soon as I turned they hissed at me in unison. All my friends hissed at me. My last look was to Mistoffelees. He sat on the car, his had hung down and tears dropped from his eyes. He looked up to me and his lips formed a single word:
"Why?"
I felt guilty. I had not only abused my magical facilities in writing, I was a betrayer. Mistoffelees who had taken care of me had failed in my education and only because I was so silly.I had taken something from him, he would never find again. I could not believe it. I could not believe that they sent me away. Demeter rose her voice:
"There once was a cat, But Mistoline, she ..."
While all the Jellicles where developing my song, I looked at Mistoffelees again. Through the singing I couldn't hear him but I saw him in his state, he had buried his face in his arms, his chest winced up and down - uncontrolled. Mistoffelees cried! He sobbed hard but nobody could hear him through all the singing. This was the song he would sing. I was so sorry I had caused him this much trouble.
I dashed out through the eastside of the yard, I could not hear that song! It was too much for me! I had never done anything with Macavity concerning the tribe. It had just been writing lessons. Tallfall saw me dash away but I would not go back to Macavity although I had to leave Tallfall. I had lost the Jellicles and Mistoffelees, I could not betray them with Tallfall. He was too near to Macavity!
***
Now, I am sitting here. I am still waiting to be accepted. Mistoffelees once taught me how to count the days. If I counted correctly, the Jellicle Ball takes place in three days. Please friend, pray for me! I want to be a Jellicle again! And please pray that Mistoffelees won't have any problems to sing the song!
her fur was white and black,
she was taught by
the magical Mr. Mistoffelees!
was with Macavity!
and he's mourning,
the magical Mr. Mistoffelees!
the magical Mr. Mistoffelees...