He unexpectedly entered my life on that early morning of 19 November 2021. The previous night, I had returned late from Howrah Station after travelling from Hazaribagh. My sleep was interrupted by some of our HIV men (who were residing in our Shanti Bhavan in Kolkata) talking underneath my window. As I opened the door, Prem Singh exclaimed, “Brotherji, dekhiye, chota billi hai.” And there he was, a tiny kitten trembling with fear. A large falcon was perched atop a nearby tree ready to launch its attack. The little kitten couldn’t have been more than three weeks old.
I knelt close to him, and he just huddled against the corner, perhaps mistaking me for another falcon! There was no way of escape. As I gently lifted him by the nape, Prem Singh was already running to the kitchen, “dudh dijiye, dudh dijiye billi ke liye,” and he was back in a jiffy with some milk in a saucer. I carefully placed the kitten down. He looked around and put his paw in the milk. Soon he realized he could lap it up. And there we stood Prem, Bagheera, Gopal, Ravi, Asharam, Raju, Parimal, Saiful, Vincent and I engrossed in the cuteness and sweetness of such a tiny creature.
Dante quickly became a regular presence in my room. Training a young kitten was quite a task, requiring daily attention to his food, milk, and a clean litter box. Luckily, as winter approached, Gopal and Saiful provided bags of dried leaves for Dante’s litter box in my bathroom. He adored the leaves, turning my room into an autumn garden with his leafy antics. I’d often lose track of time watching him play. However, I had to be vigilant to prevent him from getting stuck in small spaces or under furniture. Over time, one of these spaces became Dante’s go-to hideaway whenever he sensed my displeasure.
Br Carmel Duca MC
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