Everything looked white.
That was my first sentence when I saw snow. I was born when it snowed and grew up watching snow.
Because I am a cat, six months for a cat in its infancy until it can run and eat by itself only takes a few months. A year for a cat is a teenager if it needs to be explained from a human age perspective.
And that's why I said I grew up in the snow until I could think and remember things.
At that time, I always waited for that old woman to come home while looking out the large window of her bedroom because it was close to the front fence of the house.
When she returned, she would hug me, caress my fluffy hair and feed me even though I had just finished eating.
There this one time, she didn't come home for almost a week. I became worried and panicked, just walking around her room and sleeping in front of the door.
When the servant fed me, I could only eat a little because I couldn't enjoy eating while worrying about the old woman. I thought that maybe she was lost somewhere unknown.
Therefore, I still remember how I felt when she opened the door. I felt relieved, happy and sad all mixed together so that every time she wanted to step out the door, I would shout to call her because I had never behaved like that before, and it made her face look scared and surprised.
That was from my point of view at that time.
However, even when I ack a little off, she would still run towards me to get me, and sometimes, she wouldn't go out because of it.
Well, that tactic only worked until I was a teenage cat, and she wouldn't stop and just said, 'See you later,' then shut the door and walked away.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
The sound of a door being knocked
I forced my eyelids open wide. My eyes slowly glanced around the room.
A room made of wood, and what caught my attention most was the window in front of me. It was large with clear glass, and I could see the snow starting to fall little by little.
"It's snowing," I said.
No wonder the sky looks dusk earlier, even though it is only 3.30. pm.
My head then turned to look at the chair I was sitting on.
I was sitting in a rocking chair like that old woman always seated on; well, it seemed similar, not the same chair.
Thus, it felt comfy with the soft mattress, and it was handmade sewing.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
The door was knocked again.
"Mr White?" the voice came from behind the door.
Then I came to my senses.
Forty minutes ago, the tall man, Mr Roderick, invited us to his house because he had the equipment to clean the wound.
While waiting for them in the living room, I walked around his house and found this room; it was open and began to catch my attention.
However, I didn't realise that I had entered and closed the door to this room.
"Yes," I replied, then stood up from the chair I was sitting on.
Creak!
The door handle chimed, and at that moment, the door was opened wide.
"Sorry to interrupt," he said, the tall human man, Mr Roderick while scratching the back of his head and bowing slightly towards me.
"Oh! Why, this is your house. I should be apologising for wandering around and sitting in this room as I please," I replied, feeling guilty.
"I am okay with it; anyway, they're ready," he informed me.
"I-I see," I then stepped out of the room.
His house was small, made of timber, but it had three rooms, a kitchen and a living room that were all connected. I thought he lived with his family because the house had three other rooms, but the two rooms were empty, including the one with the large window.
Apparently, he lived alone.
Besides, his house was also far from the cafè where he worked.
I continued walking until I reached his living room and saw they were both already changing clothes.
The clothes were too big because they looked like they were drowning in them. But, thanks to him, they don't have to wear those dirty clothes any more.
I actually felt grateful he chose to stay until the chef boy and my handmaiden arrived.
"Mr White, if we leave now, we'll arrive at 8 pm," the handmaiden explained.
"If we leave now, we won't be buried in snow," the boy chef added.
I try to be considerate of them due to what had just happened to them earlier, but from their complexion, it seems they are desperate to go back home.
"Well, if you guys say so. The head maid must be worried by now." I said while remembering back to what she said this morning.
"Are you ready to go?" the tall man asked from behind me, which startled me.
Fortunately, I didn't jump like I did the night the head chef tried to approach me. I thought.
"Yes, I'm afraid if we're late, the snow will block the road later," I explained.
"I understand, be careful," he said softly.
His behaviour didn't match his face, I thought again.
"Thank you, Mr Roderick. We'll see you in two weeks," I said, intending to remind him of our verbal agreement as I smiled at him.
"Yes," he replied curtly.
Before we went to his house, the boy chef had taken the carriage we had brought here to make it easier for us to travel later so that we wouldn't have to go back and forth to the town centre to get a carriage.
"Bye, Mr Roderick. See you later, and thank you," said the chef boy with a big smile, even though an hour ago, his face had been gloomy with swollen eyes because of the woman in the village.
Ms Maid and I just waved at him before getting into the carriage.
Not long after, the tall man entered the house after our journey had taken us thirty-seven metres away from his home.
It was a tiring day at someone else's place, but it was worth it because I got what I wanted, which was a book. I looked at the books that filled the carriage.
"Mr White," called the handmaiden.
"Yes, Ms maid." as I look at her.
"Please, after this, do not walk away like that; what if we can't find you or something might have happened to you? What if Mr White was raped instead of Agastya?" she said infuriated.
I deadlock.
It was my first time seeing her like this. Perhaps I never went off without a guard.
"Indeed, I learned my lesson today," I reply.
I don't want to make it a long discussion. The actual reason was I didn't want to hear someone nagging me.
When I was a cat, I could tell if someone was nagging at me, but I could act like I didn't listen to it because I didn't understand what they were talking about. But to be nagging while I could appreciate felt like I would jump out of the carriage immediately.
Ending it soon would make me feel less remorseful.
As the snow fell, the sun had sunk, and it felt more frosty than before.
But foremost, thinking it might be more snow than this, I might have prepared some plans for the mansion's future during winter and money flow to still feed these people.
Well, I'm not saying this family will be broke, no money. I wondered if I needed them to leave that mansion; I could still give them money before I did so.
Just in case.