Neighbors - bah, humbug

Behind our house was a family with 3 boys and a girl. One boy was 17, the girl was 3 years older than me, the other two boys, Me and Mi, were about 5 and 3. The two little boys came over one day to play with us.

We had a new kitten, courtesy of the neighbors. It was a little tiger with a white bib. The day was rather warm so we all sat under the big pine tree by the side porch to stay cool. Cee had the kitten in her lap. Me asked if he could hold it. Cee, being nice to neighbor, said yes.

Me proceeded to pick the kitten up by the neck, very tightly! The kitten struggled to free itself by kicking and scratching at the hand that was choking it. Kitten landed a couple of good ones. Me screeched, threw the kitten down on the ground and then stomped on it! We could hear it's bones breaking.

It all happened so fast. There was nothing anyone could do. Cee and Arr started to cry, but Vee and I were angry. There were words exchanged and it ended with Me and Mi running for home and never playing with us ever again.

I went inside and told Mom what happened then asked her for a box. She said we could get another kitten and found me a shoe box. The sisters and I had a funeral for the poor little thing and buried it there under the tree.

The neighbor with the kittens let us have a second one, this one a yellow tiger we named "Baby Lion". He grew up to be dressed in silly outfits, toted around in wagons and strollers, rocked in cradles and generally loved by all of us. He was a very male cat but he let us do anything with him.

When I was older I used to babysit Me and Mi to make some money but we still never played with them at school or home forever.