[3/2/16] I’m way behind, and everything is a bit of a blur. I’ve got some more catching up to do, and I’ll get to it when I can. The following is a post I wrote on a flight between Guam and Honolulu. I made it in time, and spent a couple days in the hospital with Mom. She passed away around 8 pm on 2/29. I miss her, but I’m glad she’s no longer suffering. Now my focus is taking care of my dad. I’m planning to return to Pohnpei, but need to make sure he’s back on his feet first.
Last weekend, when I talked to my parents, my dad mentioned that he thought my mom might have to go back into the hospital. Then on Tuesday, I got a Facebook message from my brother, saying she was back in the hospital, and not doing well. Wednesday evening, the message was that her CO2 levels had improved, and it seemed like things might be okay again. That brings us to Thursday morning, and a bit of an interlude.
It was still early Thursday, maybe first or second period (which, on Thursday, is eighth or seventh period), when I looked up from my desk. There were students scattered around the room, both working and hanging out, which is usual enough. What was not usual was the small kitten I saw dashing through the room.
No one seemed to know where he came from, but one of the students caught him for me. The kitten was scared, and hissed mightily at me, and waved its claws toward my face. It was so small, though, that it wasn’t much of a threat. His eyes were still blue, but his ears were pointy (when kittens are very young, they tend to be more rounded), and it had some needle-sharp teeth. So I’m guessing he’s about 6 weeks old. A little young to be away from mom, but old enough to survive without her, if he’s got other help.
Work crews have been clearing the brush behind the school building lately, chopping down fairly dense growth with machetes. My best guess is that his mom had a nest back there, which got disturbed by the landscaping work. He fled, and somehow found his way around the building and into my room.
I calmed him down a bit, and it quickly became apparent that he was quite hungry. I sent a student to the cafeteria, to see if they could get some food for him, but the student didn’t have any luck. The little guy would just have to wait. In the meantime, I had students asking me to look at their papers, so I was doing that around tending the kitten. I asked the students to keep an eye out for him, and told them that anyone harming the kitten would automatically fail my class. I think they were pretty surprised by this statement, but most of them laughed. They did, indeed, keep an eye on him for me.
When class was over, I took the kitten to the cafeteria myself. The cook outside was cleaning some fish, and I told him I was looking for a little food for this kitten that suddenly appeared in my room. He asked if I was going to keep it, and I told him I couldn’t. Chelsea’s allergic to cats, and wouldn’t let me have him at the house. I needed to find him a home, but the more pressing issue was finding him some food.
He suggested I let the kitten become a kitchen cat, who would keep the rats down. The problem was, at the moment, the kitten wasn’t much bigger than the rats. There are also dogs that hang out around the kitchen, and I was concerned the dogs would eat him. Maybe he could become a kitchen cat when he got a little older, but for now, he needed some protection if he was going to survive.
The cook inside gave me some chicken to feed the kitten. I took the tray and the kitten back to my room, and let him try the chicken. It was probably a bit much for his young digestive system, but he was really hungry, so he ate it. He completely cleaned he tray. I went back for more for him a little later, and he ate a little more, but seemed to have gotten his fill.
One of my students said he would come get the kitten after school, and the student would take the kitten home. In the meantime, the kitten would stay in my classroom.
During a later break, I went back to the cafeteria, in hopes of finding something more for him to eat, and came up with a few fish scraps. The kitten quickly devoured most of those, too.
Having been fed and petted, the kitten seemed content to make my classroom home. He got attention from students. He played in the windows. He even curled up on my extra shirt and went to sleep. I was enjoying having him around. Someone suggested keeping him as a classroom cat, and I was tempted. But he needed a better place to go for overnight.
When the end of the day came, the student who had said he would take the kitten didn’t come back for him. I didn’t really know what to do. I figured leaving him locked in the classroom wasn’t an option. I didn’t want to just abandon him outside, either. So I set him back on my shoulder (he’d sat there several times during the day), and started walking home. He settled into the spot between my back and my backpack, and contentedly rode there, all the way home.
I did take him into the house long enough to leave my heavy backpack behind. Then I took him down to the Kepirohi store. I was hoping they might have some suggestion as to what I could do with him, but they didn’t. So I bought a small can of mackerel and a can of evaporated milk, as the best options resembling cat food, and headed back home.
Once again, I ducked inside, this time to get my backpack again. I sat on the porch couch, working on my computer, with the kitten for company. I still didn’t know what I was going to do with him. But I was appreciating the company.
After it got dark, the mosquitoes came out. I went in to grab dinner and a long sleeved shirt, this time leaving the kitten on the porch, confident that he would stay tucked away for a few minutes. I didn’t trust leaving him out there for too long, though, because he’d be a quick snack for one of the compound dogs, if they took a notion.
I had just come back out, and was settling in to eat my dinner, when one of the family came up to ask me if the kitten was going to be staying. I told her that I didn’t really know what to do with him, and what I really needed was to find him a home. She suggested I talk to the neighbors, saying they loved cats. So I tucked my stuff back inside, and took the kitten over to the neighbors.
Lanny was home, and when I asked her if she wanted a kitten, she said yes. I handed him over, and was glad that it was dark, because I immediately started to cry. I had very quickly grown attached to this little life, who had brought me much joy this day. But he needed a home, and I couldn’t offer him one. At least he would be nearby, and I could visit.
I head to school pretty early, and things were quiet at that house as I passed by, so I didn’t stop to ask about the kitten. He was definitely on my mind, though. As was my mother, of course, but the last word I had gotten was that she was doing better.
I was just finishing up my last class when I noticed the message. It was my brother, saying that I needed to go home, if I wanted to see my mom again. I went to the office, to let them know, and then I headed home, to see if I could get more information.
My first thought was that, if I went home, I wouldn’t be able to go back to Pohnpei. After talking to my brother and my dad, though, I decided I could go home for a couple weeks. If I left early and didn’t come back, then I would be out the $2,000 deposit that gets returned upon completion of a teaching assignment. If I went and came back, the plane ticket would be around $2,000. It was about a wash, but the latter option would let me come back.
I didn’t want my students to have to adjust to yet another teacher this year. I had just gotten to the point where I felt like I was being reasonably successful in teaching my class. I had plans for a career exploration unit. I really want to come back.
Having to go home wasn’t entirely certain yet. It would depend on how my mom did overnight. The plan was that I would call my brother’s cell first thing Saturday morning. That would be noon Friday for them. He’d be at the hospital with my dad, and in my mom’s room, if possible. We’d make a plan of action then.
When I got off the phone, I went next door, to visit the kitten. I needed cheering up. Happily, he was there, and doing well. The kids were all looking out for him, and he seemed entirely at home. I hung out with them and him for a while, playing with him. I was glad he came along when he did, and was happy he had found a home.
After a bit, I went home and started working on my grading. I was behind, and also in the process of trying to migrate scores to another section of my grade book, because the current section was full. I knew I couldn’t get through that much of it, but I’d do what I could. It would be useful, and it would pass the time.
Saturday morning, I made the call. My mom was not doing well. The decision was made to put me on the next available flight, and my mom promised to try to hold on until I got there.
My brother managed to get me on Saturday’s flight. Albert gave me a ride to the airport. The flight wouldn’t leave until 3:30, but Albert said check-in was at 10. It turned out that check-in wasn’t until 12. AJ and Kathryn came and got me, and took me to breakfast. This situation was all too familiar to them. AJ had to make an emergency trip home in December, for his mother. It was nice to have some company, and definitely good to have some food before a long trip.
The flight out of Pohnpei was delayed a bit, but I had a very long layover in Guam ahead of me, so that wasn’t a big deal. I was on an inside seat, so I didn’t see much on the flight. We stopped briefly in Chuuk on the way, but continuing passengers weren’t allowed to leave the plane.
In Guam, I wasn’t able to find information about a hotel. I had the name of one, but didn’t know where it was. I was travelling light, though, so I picked a direction and started walking. I hadn’t gone all that far when a guy pulled over and asked me if I needed a ride. He said he was just heading to the mall, to see a movie, but would be happy to take me that far.
In most places, that situation would have set off warning bells, and there’s no way I would have gotten into his car. But this time, I took the chance. At the mall, I was able to get on wi-fi, but didn’t have any further news. But the guy who had given me a ride was also an Airbnb host, and he offered to put me up for the night. Again, I knew I was taking a bit of a chance, but I accepted his offer.
He was a more-than gracious host. The bed was strangely soft (it was a foam pad), especially after my very firm bed in Pohnpei, but comfortable. I slept well. On top of that, he took me back to the airport at 5 am. This stay was complementary, but if I find myself passing through again, I know who to book with.
The most recent information I have from my brother is that my mom is having more difficulty breathing, but the nurse thinks she can hold on until I get there. I hope so. I’ve still got a long way to go, but I’m getting there as fast as I can.
Randomness & Life 