In Mommy's Shoes

*When do you get back home?* growls the angry hubby over the phone
I raise a rather overgrown, misshapen brow quizzically. Strange are the ways of the underlings!!!
I have been travelling on work and, much to my dismay, was slated to spend this whole week away from home. My absence presented the three moggieteers - Dsk, Ging & Don C- the opportunity to run riot and break all the sacred commandments of the moggie household. But I have barely been away for 2 days and much to my surprise, Dsk is bristling.
*Err, Saturday...*
" Saturday???...That's 2 days away...." His grumpy voice trails away into forlorn silence...And then, suddenly perks up with hope...
"What about your friend Rupa? Isn't she here only till the weekend? How will you meet her if you are back only on Saturday"
" Oh, I spoke to her last night.She's in town till the 29th, so I can catch up with her and baby Tia next week"
" Oh"
Now, that is an Oh which spoke volumes. Obviously Dsk had something on his mind and was silently pleading with me to wheedle it out of him. Bursting with curiosity, I assume the role of the solicitous wife.
" What's wrong?"
" Nothing much..Just that things are a little crazy at work..I had to come into work early as a Korean auditor was coming in for an audit...He just left..."
Now that's no big deal for hubby dearest. I mean Koreans, irate customers, difficult conference calls, audits, material shortages, truculent workers, work pressure are all a part of Dsk's daily life and are handled by him with aplomb. I had a sneaky feeling that the cause of his ire rested at home. And I was right.
"How is Ging?"
" Ging has gone mad!!!...Yesterday night, She slept till about 11 and after that, refused to let me sleep...She prowled all over the bed like a little tigress, mewing in my ears at regular intervals and when I tried sleping through the din, she scratched and bit me...Do you know, I haven't slept a wink last night and am so tired"
Aha, so now we come to crux of the matter....It would seem that Ging was indeed making the most of my absence. But instead of using this heaven sent opportunity to install Don C as a permanent fixture about the moggie household, her focus was on walking in my Alpha shoes.
And the only victim over whom kitty could exercise her new found power was poor Dsk ,who until now had prided himself on being Ging's favourite parent. Quite naturally, the doting dad was aggrieved by the daughter's betrayal and was, much to my amusement, looking for an ally albeit a long distance one. I am quite sure that if Ging got her paws on a phone, I would be subject to a most vociferous litany of complaints against Daddy now-not-so dearest. And I confess, the situation in the moggie household brought a smile to my lips and a spring to my step.
* Evil Toothy Grin*
For a change, Dsk and Ging were ranged on opposite sides while I was the good moggie.
And just as I was making a mental note to travel more often, the outraged Gamma continued with his outburst " At about 4:30, I put her outside the bedroom but then Don C joined her and both of them were warbling and yowling at me for what was left of the night...I am so so tired...I had to leave home at 7:25..And you know what, when I was leaving home this morning, Ging was sprawled on the sofa in deep sleep...I don't think she even realised that I had left for work"
Now, that's what I call insult over injury....No wonder, DSK is so hyper this morning.
" She must have wanted your attention...I mean she is not used to being alone the whole day..Perhaps if you had played with her earlier in the evening, she might have calmed down at night"
" Didn't you hear what I said? Last night, I sat around staring at this girl snoring away from 8-11 p.m..What do I do if she prefers sleeping to playing? I cannot give her attention on demand...I tell you she has gone mad...And don't tell me that she was sitting at home moping all day long..you know as well as I do that all Ging does during the day is snooze"
Well, he does have a point there.
" Today, I have decided that I will put her out of the bedroom, lock the door and sleep"
" Err, I think that will make her worse....She and Don C will probably yodel all night long outside the bedroom and you will have an irate bunch of neighbours banging at our door the next morning"
" well, something has to be done...I need to sleep..."
" Why don't you try playing with her as soon as you come in, before she gets a chance to snooze...Maybe then, she will be calmer by the time you hit the sack. And if she still tries to sleep, then I suggest that you shake her awake"
" And what if she still scratches me at night???"
" Then smack her hard on her rump so that she knows you mean business..she will probably quieten down or sulk under the bed..Ging is just pushing you around because she knows she can...You need to be firm with her when she is difficult"
" hmmm"
" And the next time you feel like telling me to let her be, I'll remind you about this conversation of ours"
Silence reigns supreme!!! OK, That is a hit below the belt but I just couldn't resist it. Dsk had it coming for sometime now.
* Another Evil Toothy Grin*
The voices in my head tell me that I will be coming home to a rousing moggie reception this Saturday...