“What a gorgeous kitten!” exclaimed Sophie, with delight, when she was presented with the cat. “I think he’s the most delightful cat ever!”
She bought her eyes nearer to the kitten and inspected him carefully.
“Hasn’t he got the loveliest black markings across his fur,” she piped out. “It makes him look like a kitty bandit!”
She smiled and pondered for a few seconds.
“I’m going to call him Bandit,” she exclaimed. “That will be the perfect name for him.”
If only Sophie knew of Bandit’s prolific criminal background! She’d then realise how truly appropriate his name was. What was only a fleeting comment, based on the black strip across the kitten’s eyes, hid a deeper truth and the sad thing was that none of the Goggles family ever realised this.
“We’re so lucky to get such a delightful kitten for our family,” cooed Mrs. Goggles.
“He really is such a handsome little fellow,” stated Mr. Goggles proudly.
“And I love him so much!” added Sophie, with a relish.
Bandit just ambled around the legs of the Goggles family, rubbing against each one with deep kitty affection and purring loudly.
He also knew that he had found the perfect family: they were loving and kind. Best of all, he knew that they all adored him. He just hoped, deep within his kitty heart, that no one would ever find out the truth about his deepest darkest deviant history.
Very carefully, Sophie picked Bandit up into her arms and whispered into his ear.
“I love you so very much,” she murmured. “We’ll always be the very best of friends.”
All that afternoon, Sophie and Bandit played in the garden. One moment she would toss a small ball across the lawn and Bandit would chase it excitedly. Another time, she would trail a long strand of grass across the patio and Bandit would pretend that he was a ferocious jungle hunter, ready to stalk and pounce on the quivering blade. Finally, Bandit would snooze in the fading summer sunlight, as Sophie stroked his fur and told him what a magnificent kitty he was. Bandit was sure that his life could get no better.
Mr. Goggles walked into the garden and tapped the face of his wrist watch impatiently.
“It’s Saturday,” he explained. “It’s time for tea and then it’s your homework!”
Bandit curled up by Sophie’s feet as she ate. He snuggled up very close to the warmth of her legs and he purred, dreaming of fishy delights and other feline fancies.
Then, as Sophie completed her schoolwork chores, Bandit perched himself upon her desk and strained his eyes to admire his new adoring mistress. He even managed, for just a few minutes, to rid any thoughts of kitten burglary from his head. In the short time since he arrived, he had very quickly learnt to love Sophie and the whole Goggle household.
“If only,” he thought to himself, “I can control my kleptomaniac tendencies. Then everything would be perfect in life!”
Despite being a small cat, his last thought was so true. Bandit’s major undoing was his thrill of crime and the wanton desire of things that were not his. Deep down inside, a suppressed yearning became more and more intense and Bandit’s thoughts began to drift towards thoughts of larceny and crime.
The silence was broken by a call from Mrs. Goggles.
“Time for bed, Sophie!” she cried out.
Sophie groaned and glanced up at the clock.
“But don’t fret,” continued Mrs. Goggles. “Tomorrow’s Sunday and so you can lay in, if you want. After all, everyone lays in on a Sunday.”
Sophie and Bandit trundled up the stairs together. There was no way, she told herself, that she would want to lay in now. With her new feline friend, the thought of a whole day of summer play with Bandit thrilled her mind and teased her childhood imagination.
“But it’s so hot and humid tonight, moaned Sophie. “I’ll never get to sleep.”
“Just leave the window ajar,” replied Mrs. Goggles. “You’ll soon drift off!”
Bandit’s ears shot up. He heard that last statement and suddenly his mind was full of thoughts of a temporary excursion though the window, to satisfy his lust for theft. The open window would allow him to sneak away and commit whatever devious robbery he wanted. Then he could return home to the Goggles and no one would be any the wiser.
As Sophie prepared for bed, Bandit’s mind began to race with thoughts of breaking and entering. He imagined all the goodies that he could hoard that evening, whilst the Goggles slept soundly in their beds.
Mrs. Goggles was right: within the hour Sophie was soundly asleep and, most importantly, so was everyone else in the city of Myopia. The moon shone down upon the town, giving a faint hue to the shadows in the street and the night’s air was filled with a sweet humid warmth, caused by the previous day of summer’s sunshine. Everyone in Myopia, it seemed, had left their windows ajar to take advantage of the freshness of the night.
