Friday Observation. A Woman with a Cat

It has been a week since Ilze parted ways with Žanis. Making her way from a suburban dwelling to the office in the city centre, Ilze lingered in thoughts over the plan for a meeting due to take place in an hour. Latvian Radio played in the background.

Ilze studied banking, and now runs the risk department at an auditing firm. She met Žanis by chance, at some party. Together, they had lived in Ilze's spacious apartment for less than a year. The dwelling was so spacious that the two of them rarely crossed paths. They parted just as simply. The only possession left over from their life together - the cat, Rūdis. Black, with a white front, white paws and a white tip to his tail.

Žanis was a soulful person, but Ilze's constant "putting him in his place" became increasingly unbearable over time, until the spark in both their relationship, never having properly ignited, went out altogether. Ilze decided to keep the cat. Rūdis was not let outside, so the only prospect in the cat's life was to eat and sleep. The slightest mischief ended with reproaches for the whole of the evening, pushing and shoving. Ilze was satisfied with this way of life, because unlike Žanis, Rūdis never objected, and the truth was never on his side either.

Traffic became smoother and the thread of thought about the meeting broke. On the radio a programme called Kultūras Rondo was playing, in which the presenter spoke about Gundega Repše's latest book "The Man Tapir and Other Creatures". About animals and people. Gundega, asked about the reasons why people choose to keep pets, was as honest and blunt as in the book: "Some want to care for someone, while others want to feel superior and to dominate someone, if they have such a need and cannot achieve it in real life." Ilze switched off the radio, glanced at the clock on her smartphone and continued on her way in silence...

Have a lovely Friday this 8th of March!

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