Le Chat by Christamar Varicella

Le Chat
by Christamar Varicella

Once upon a time, I washed my dishes with a cat who spoke French. With no other sponge on hand, I rubbed his fur against cheese-encrusted plates and a Tupperware container permanently stained by leftover marinara. In between soakings, the resourceful feline attempted to mesmerize me with fanciful tales about trees that were struck by lightning but didn’t die, a glowing orb found in a cave where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, and a particularly detailed yarn about a battle fought between an army of ill-tempered orangutans and a horde of flying squirrels. When at last he concluded, I held the sopping fuzz ball in the air above my sink and watched him gasp for breath. Looking into his shimmering eyes, I could tell how delighted he had become by his own narrative. Alas, my arm grew tired. “I don’t speak French,” I said, and I plunged him back into the water.

Author bio:

So far in 2009, Christamar Varicella has placed stories in Minnetonka Review, 580 Split, and JMWW. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Spalding University.