It was always during the festive season that my family and I travelled to our hometown to celebrate with our grandparents and the rest of our extended family. It happens biennially, though. But now, we get to travel for other activities like weddings and the like during the year.
Those festive periods are times I can't just forget in a hurry which always included various activities and let's not forget the mouthwatering delicacies 😋.
My maternal grandpa died long before my elder brother was given birth to. However, at a very young age, I was privileged to meet my paternal grandpa whom I remember usually told my siblings (who could understand him then) moon night stories before he died not too long after.
Left with my paternal and maternal granny, we made sure to stay over at both places in such a way that, if we celebrated Christmas at paternal's, the new year celebration switches to the maternal's and vice versa, before heading back to our state of residence.
And if there's a memory I always find myself smiling (and also a little bit sad) whenever it flashes in my mind, it was a certain Christmas season at my paternal granny's.
She had this black cat she called "bussu", then bus bus for short. That was her way of pronouncing pussycat and it was always funny each time she called out to it. The bond she had with it was so sweet and obvious to the eyes of all.
Wherever she was, that was exactly where it would be seen and she doesn't hesitate to chew out anyone who hurts it in anyway. Just a whine from it was enough to make her abandon whatever she was doing to make sure it was perfectly ok.
I, on the other hand disliked the cat. I didn't like the way it seemed to love prowling under any chair I'm seated on which usually causes a part of its body to get in touch with my legs. Neither did I like hearing it meow and that very cat loves meowing, mostly in the night.
Not to mention the times I spotted its pale green eyes in the dark.
I didn't just understand why she loved that cat and I couldn't resist the urge to ask her. On a moon night, she told me all about the cat, how it came to be in her possession as well as how it had been her companion since the death of grandpa. I kept awwwwing 🥰 throughout the story.
After that, I couldn't help but fall in love with her black furry friend and it became my friend as well.
Well sadly, I didn't know that would be the last Christmas I would get celebrate with her cause she passed away months after. But I'm glad to have had such a beautiful moment on a moon night, listening to her share dear stories of her life.
🌟