When Life Gives You an Opportunity
Milo’s nose bleeds onto the pavement as the kitten mews from between their legs. The rain pelts against their neck as they lean down to run their hand along the orange kitten’s spine. They don’t know why they’re here—They stumbled upon it—but why them? Normally, they ignore the world as they walk to class. It’s easier, after the waterfall of doom that social media feeds them, to pretend everything is ok.
~~
They try to believe that the world is holding itself up, despite the evidence to the contrary, and doesn’t need their help. Their not confident enough to stand up for things they care for, which makes them complacent and kind of a terrible person, but they’ve always wanted to. They pretend to not be hurt by not helping and continue with their routine. They know it’s not brave but sometimes it’s hard to focus on anything else—the news displays horror while barely covering the hundreds of thousands of deaths/disappearances of people of colour—except themselves, it’s all they have energy for.
Milo thought the same things as they pulled on their welly boots and zipped their raincoat. The apartment behind them is quaint—small but filled with plants, string lights, blankets strewn about any surface, a deep and soft couch large enough to nap comfortably, throw pillows to hold when Milo feels particularly touched-starved—with rain hitting the windows. Milo debates staying home, it’s not often it rains and the ambience matches, but they grab their keys on their way out.
The morning rain meant that the bus would be late, even though no one else dared to drive today, and Milo would need to wait. They unravel their headphones, fully prepared to shut out the world, when they hear the smallest sound. Milo’s head looks right and left from their seat at the bus stop, nothing is coming down either side. They peak at their apartment across the street but still nothing, no pedestrians walking. They crane their head behind them.
An alleyway with a pickup truck at the end, near a dumpster. Milo watches as the person throws black garbage bags into the large bin. They watch as the person hesitates near the opened backseat door, the sound travels and Milo thinks it’s an animal. The person leans their head into the truck, pulls something small out, and goes to throw it out.
Milo is moving before they realise it.
“Hey, what are you doing!” they shout.
The person’s head snaps up and they put the kitten back into the truck. “I’m throwing out my shit, what’s it to you?”
Milo is half-way down the alley, the person flinches at the sound of the welly boots slapping against the random paddles. Milo pauses near the dumpster, peering into the bin to see if it’s all trash, it doesn’t move. “Were you gonna throw the kitten out?”
The person frowns and then start shaking. “It’s none of your fucking business what I’m throwing out.” The person chose anger instead of shame, it’ll still come but much later when they are home alone and remembered the face of this tiny creature, and push Milo. “Fuck off.”
Milo debates walking away when the kitten meows again an their heart hurts at the consequence of leaving right now. They remember the saying “all we can do in life is try” and take a step forward. “Leave the cat and drive away.” Milo lowered their voice to seem more threatening, this will be their first fight.
The person squares up, this is not their first fight, and throws their right hand. It cracks against Milo’s nose and clips their left eye as well. Milo snaps back at the force. Milo won’t understand that the person is holding back, it will still feel horrible, but Milo comes back to face them. “Leave the cat.”
The person sighs forcefully and pushes Milo again. “Just leave.”
“No, the cat doesn’t deserve that, if you can’t care for it, I’ll take it.” Milo begs. If this is what starts their fight against the world, Milo thought it appropriate to fight for a cat; it was the one thing their apartment was missing, a little creature.
The person didn’t look unreasonable just lost, and afraid of what they could’ve done without this random raincoat confronting them. The person deflates, glad for the pushing, and gives in. “Take her then.”
~~
The kitten uses her little claws to scale Milo’s pant leg and settles in their lap, purring. Milo’s adrenaline is just dipping back to normal, it is part of the reason why they don’t like to confront people, after too much interaction. Milo was convinced the person would beat them and leave them in the alley while dumping the kitten, they were thankful it didn’t end that way. The person honestly seemed sad to let the kitten go, but they did and Milo was happy for it.
The rain splatters harder on the pavement, Milo gently holds the kitten against their stomach and brings them inside. “All you gotta do it is try, huh? Maybe so,” Milo says to the kitten as she blinks slowly at them. “I think I’ll call you Opportunity, how do you like that huh?”
The kitten meows.
