The Big Rocks (Epilogue)

- Of course he knew it. We were screaming his name all along the beach line!

- But he called him Mephos.

- I’ve made a little research about it. It is Greek and means something like 'absence of light'. It is in the explanation of the origin of the name Mephistopheles, in the Faust allegory. It makes sense when we refer to the cat’s colour.

- He was a very strange man. It's a good thing that our little friend was not taken from us.

- It was not his intention. He wanted us to be scared.

- I was… I am!

- I know you are, but it makes no sense looking scary and not saying what he wanted, after all. I have the impression that we will see each other again.

- Then I hope Mephisto is around. He makes me feel safer.

- He was very restless... aggressive... and he is such a docile animal.

- That's why I want him around.

***

- I’ve found a few things about our four-legged little friend. He belonged to a very old woman and he's been in her life for a few decades now.

- Oh, really? You know they do not live that long...

- Apparently there has been several generations of the same breed of black cat. What they told me, and I do not confirm, was that when the cat got old, she would choose one of the kittens that look more like their father, from the litters of seven kittens, and give him the same name. It was like the reincarnation of the cat-father and thus keeping his job as the woman’s protector. They say that an envoy of the devil is nowadays after the puss, for some reason.

- Does that make any sense?

- I think there's a lot of myth in this story, because it was told by the fishermen and their wives. I think we should go back to Ribeirao da Ilha and find out some more about this mystery.

- Seriously? Shall we really?

- We need to investigate a few things, about a certain woman; a very old woman and her pet... and something else, maybe...

***

- You came some days too late. She passed away on the day of the storm. It was early evening when the rain began. She lay down to rest and did not wake up ever again.

- Oh! How sad. What a tragedy it is!

I looked at my daughter and she soon realized what I was not going to say out loud. The fact was that it happened about the same time and day the cat came into our house... and into our lives.

- A few days ago, a strange man came in here asking for her. He was... scary, not to say worse, but he got nothing from me, as he was too late as well.

The girl described the stranger and we realized that it was the same man we had seen on the beach. He had asked a lot of questions about the old woman and about a cat that should belong to her. A black cat.

‘What did he want from her, for heaven’s sake?’

- She left something for you. She asked me to give that only to you two. It seems she knew you would come after her once more.

The girl then gave me an old ornamented wooden box, which she brought from the room where the old lady used to sleep. There were some very old photographs in it. In one of them, three people were standing, like in a family portrait. On the back, a date, written in permanent ink: 1916. The resemblance was incredible.

- My God! How can this be possible?

- This is a very strange coincidence!

The girl smiled at our surprise.

- The Universe conspires in a very unique and specific way, for certain purposes! Who could question the unquestionable?

I analysed the photograph better.

- Look at the feet of those three people.

- Oh, my goodness, no! It's not possible! It's the black cat!

***

- Something is not right.

- What?

- I don’t know. I feel so sad... I was really upset by the news of her death!

- I know. I was very sad too.

- I remember what she said. The amulet would protect me...

- Be careful! You're going to be too impressed by it and ending up imagining things.

- I confess that photo impressed me quite a lot. Besides the three of us being very similar to those people, there was something else. The cat at their feet was certainly our Mephisto! My heart is so small now. I feel so strangely sad.

  

- It could not be Mephisto, for obvious reasons. Do you still have the amulet with you?

- Yes, why?

- Throw it away. Throw it into the sea.

- But she said…

- You know very well that it is common to people being impressed by things like that. And you're allowing it to affect you. I no longer care about what she said. Just throw it away. That's what's making you grieving that way. It is the power of suggestion.

- We helped her and she gave it to me in return. I can’t do this.

- Then I will. It was a poisoned gift. These are coincidences, nothing else. She filled your head with bullshit and it's getting uncontrollable. That talk of protection, a happy future filled with success and love... you know these things only happen in dreams and do not come without lots of hard work.

She took the string from her neck and stared at it, regretting to throw it away.

I plucked the amulet from her hand and, walked to the water's edge and threw it out into sea, with enough energy to reach beyond the zone where the waves formed. I went back inside, with an air of satisfaction stamped on my face.

- It wasn’t fair. It was not fair...

- What?

She shook her head in a disconsolate way, looking through me, her body slightly bent forward.

- Nothing fair... nothing fair...

I raised my voice.

- Don’t you mess around with it! Ever!

- What? It's no joke.

- Do not do that again! Not even for fun!

***

The fishermen were pulling the fish out of their nets, with the cat sitting nearby, waiting for some small treat left for him. He was the amusement of the sea men, when they got back from the morning work and selected and collected the result of their fishing.

Little sardines or the like were always left over for the cat, which was already growing fat with such kind of care. As he exercised a lot, we were not worried about his weight gain.

As time went by he was getting more and more comfortable with us. We already knew a little about his manias and habits, and many of them were welcome, as they made us laugh instead of bothering us. The cat was already part of our family and we considered ourselves happy with him.

I used to watch, from afar, the affinity he had with the people of the area, without worrying to be necessarily around him all the time. He would always come back to us as the men walked back home talking animatedly. Mephisto would greet me, get a treat, and lie down on the balcony floor to sleep.

One of the older fishermen used to take more time playing with the cat, stroking his head and eventually offering him a fish, which would be accepted with joy. The man, the same who had warned me about the storm some time before, had a special affection for the little furry pet, who returned the caresses he’d get with a pseudo handshake. It was funny, for he did that with one person only: that simple man of the sea. That morning, for a reason I did not really know, I noticed he seemed to spend more time playing with Mephisto.

Something caught my attention as I watched, absently the movement on the beach.

Not far ahead, a silhouette was walking toward the group of fishermen. From a distance, I could only see that it was someone dressed in dark clothes. I was sure it was a man by the way he walked.

The cat seemed to notice the same as me, as he suddenly changed his attention from the group to the stranger approaching. Someone greeted the man, who returned the salutation and then squatted down to rub the cat’s head. The puss refused the caress, becoming untamed and bristly, in a position of attack. The stranger reached for the animal, one more time, but backed away quickly, rising and stepping back. The cat advanced. The man in black, an old acquaintance, withdrew quickly, heading toward the direction he had come from.

From where I was, I could not hear the conversation, if there was any.

The old fisherman took off his hat and scratched his head. He called out the cat, but he did not come until he saw that the man in black was out of his sight. Then he turned around and rubbed his body on his friend’s leg, who, stooping down, took the cat in his lap and came towards me.

I was already descending the stairs, walking lightly towards them. The man greeted me.

- What happened?

- I don’t know if I got it right. The man talked to the cat, calling him Mephos, but the animal didn’t seem to like the conversation.

- I noticed that he was aggressive.

- It was when the man said he wanted to take him but eventually could not touch him...

- What?

- Yes. And I do not know why he left like that, because the cat did not attack him. He only threatened, but something left the man with a look of terror on his face and he left, quick and without looking back.

- That's weird.

- No doubt. Well…

The simple sea man shrugged his shoulders and handed me the cat, which passed from his arms to mine, without protest. He said goodbye fondling our Mephisto’s head and left.

I petted the little animal, which was already purring in satisfaction. That was when I noticed a strange peculiarity: the cat had a well-known artefact, hanging from a black string around his neck, next to the red collar. I knew it was the same as I had thrown into the sea, so angry, a few days before.

Had it been that little object that had scared the outsider away, in that strange, terrified way?

My daughter walked off the door at that moment and approached us, picking up the cat from my arms and hugging it with affection. As she ran her hand over the loving animal's head, she noticed the string curled around his neck. She frowned and looked at me, her expression odd, as if wondering where that came from.

- Well, after all, the amulet was good for something...

I shrugged my shoulders and walked inside the house. There are things I cannot explain, nor will I try to understand.

***

The Big Rocks (Part 3)

- Beware of what you believe. The human mind is very powerful.

- She was very generous.

- Was she? Those two are completely deranged. Be careful…

She laughed, but I realized that there was something behind that smile. Perhaps it was only concern or even doubt, but a shadow crossed my heart, disturbing my peace.

***

The south wind blew mercilessly into the bay, stirring the waters and staining the tranquil blue-green with agitated tones of ochre and natural sienna.

As much as I listened people swearing against it, I always loved the windy afternoons. I used to have fun. Maybe I had fond memories of those afternoons when going to school was almost an adventure, and the wind that was blowing wildly through the streets leading to the sea tangled my once long hair.

I went out onto the porch and closed the door behind me. It was cool, not necessarily cold, but I did not want the doors slamming or things messed up inside.

I watched people walk, arched against the wind, along the shoreline. The rough sea carried my thoughts, free, beyond the waves and far beyond the island in front of me. There were several memories, some deeper than others, but did not stay long enough in my mind to have me worried.

I was born on the island. I have always had the sea as the background, from childhood, to my mental journeys. I learned to forecast weather, reading the indications of the sea and the sky. That wind was a harbinger of bad weather. The lead-coloured clouds were already coming down over the Cambirela peak, bringing rain and lower temperatures.

The fishing boats and canoes had been put in safekeeping boathouses and the nets rolled up. It was bad weather for fishing. The group of fishermen finished the task of collecting the vessels and containers, and walked up along the beach toward me.

- We’re gonna have heavy rain tonight.

The announcement, in the simple wisdom of the sea-men, was only a confirmation of what I had already foreseen.

- Certainly. Tomorrow must be calmer.

- No way! This is bad weather for three days, at least. It comes without the thunderstorm. A thunderstorm would come and go fast, but not this...

- It is true. Well thought…

The man laughed. The skin on his face was creased and tanned in a natural way. The smile was open and spontaneous. He was glad that he had said something I had not thought of. It made him feel superior. He adjusted his old hat and continued on his way along with the others.

I looked up at the sky. The clouds were approaching fast, bringing dense precipitation with them. Even before nightfall we would have the weather worsening.

- The rain is going to fall sooner than later.

I turned around without saying anything. She was standing behind me, but not smiling, which was unusual, when she drew attention to some fact, out of nowhere, catching me by surprise. With that wind, I had not heard the sound of the door opening.

- No doubt. There is going to be a lot of rain. Are you OK?

She took two steps closer. The wind intertwined her hair.

- I am... I think...

I looked at that face, which I knew well, and I was not convinced.

- Did anything happen?

- I don’t know. I feel a strange anguish in my chest.

At that moment a gust of wind blew against us and, opening the door, violently, messed up the carpet and the other things in the living room, slamming doors and causing overall uproar.

- What the hell! Let's go inside!

The rain fell down soon after, rushing us inside the house. I went in and held the door, waiting for her to come into the house.

- I’m glad we were on the porch, not the street or the beach.

A shadow crossed the threshold of the door, as fast as the south wind, while I was still holding the door.

- What was that?

The livid face was looking at me with wide open eyes, as if she had seen a ghost.

- I don’t know!

I searched in the kitchen and in the laundry area. I did not find anything. When I was on my way to the living room, a noise made me stop and go back. I took a flashlight because the light was sparse and I checked carefully behind the washing machine.

The large green eyes reflected the lantern light. A cat, as black as a moonless night, had come in, probably frightened by the rain and wind, through the first open door he saw... and that was mine.

- Come here, but carefully, without making a fuss about this.

- What's it?

- He's scared. Be careful. I don’t want him to attack you. See if we still have some tuna, to try to calm the little moggy down with some food. He will only come out when he feels safe. Or he'll try to run away, if he is too scared to stay in.

We still had, fortunately, some cans of tuna. I put some on a saucer and, speaking very calmly, I pushed the food close to where it was. A little farther, I left a little bowl with clean fresh water.

I turned off the light and got out. We sat in the living room, hoping that the best would happen... even if it were best for the pet to walk away through the open window of the laundry room.

- I left the open window in case he wants to leave. I do not want him to feel trapped or scared.

- He gave me a big fright! I thought it was something else.

I laughed.

- You did not think it was a ghost, did you?

She opened her mouth to say something, but said nothing. She passed her hand over her chest and stroked the small amulet, hanging from her neck. I pretended not to see it.

We were still there, without saying anything else, when a very low noise made us look at the kitchen. The cat had come from behind the washing machine and was walking, still half suspicious, towards us. Without ceremony and without looking at me, as if I were not there, he jumped from the rug to the lap of my daughter, who was surprised by his attitude. He leaned on her legs and rubbed his head against her hands, as if to beg for a cuddle. She looked at me and, seeing that I was smiling, opened her hand, so that the cat would know he was welcome. He offered his head and then the back to be stroked in a gesture of extreme confidence. Then he snuggled into her lap and looked at me, his eyes half closed, but serene.

- I think you got a new friend.

- It does not look like a stray mistreated cat, nor badly fed. He is so adorable. But he’s probably someone’s pet.

- We'll look for the owner tomorrow, then.

- When the rain is over…

I nodded. The cat closed his eyes and dozed right there on her lap. He was comfortable.

I was not surprised. 'Amazing how animals soon realize who is trustworthy,' I thought to myself.

***

Rain and wind whipped the place mercilessly for three whole days. The cat was always close to her. In those few days, they seemed inseparable.

- If we do not find the owner, I already have two names for him.

- Do not get too attached, otherwise you will suffer. And what names did you think?

- Either Mr. Crowley or Mephisto.

I laughed.

- Both very seductive names, for sure.

- They both fit well.

- Then why don't we call him Mr. Mephisto Crowley? That way you will not have to choose.

- All right then. That’s better.

The cat, as if aware that we were talking about him, lifted his head and jumped to her lap, where he offered the body for a snuggle.

- Hi, Mr. Mephisto Crowley. You're a good boy, aren’t you?

He blinked, slowly, as if answering ‘you’re right. I like you’.

We searched the neighbourhood as soon as the rain stopped, including at the local veterinary clinic, to find out if someone had complained, but no one seemed to have reported any lost animals.

After a few days, we decided that Mr. Crowley would stay with us for the rest of his seven lives. Properly dewormed, vaccinated and tagged with a chip and a red leather collar, the puss used to spend his days dozing on the living room sofa or at his favourite spot in her bed. He paid little attention to me except when he wanted to be fed.

When we were going to walk on the beach, however, he followed us, with his tail upright, all proud and full of himself. He was fearless and curious, but always remained close to us, as if he were worried about not losing sight of us or willing to protect us. The fishermen were amused to see a cat behaving like that, and sometimes they offered him some fish, which he gladly accepted, though he preferred cooked food. It was almost as if he knew that he should keep the network of contacts very active and available.

Late Sunday afternoon we were on the balcony enjoying some of the spring air, with the cat lying on the last patch of sun still shinning on the wooden floor, when he suddenly stood up and looked in the direction of where the big rocks were. His ears were like two small radars searching for some sound, which only he had detected, with his sensitive eardrums.

We saw nothing but the huge boulders on the beach. Mr. Mephisto Crowley jumped up and ran across the sands by the sea, to where the rock most resembling a huge person sat undisturbed.

- Mephisto! Come back!

He did not turn around, nor did he pay attention to the girl, who was running, followed by me, through the sun-drenched sand.

- Mephisto!

The cat was standing on one of the rocks, staring behind one of them. The tide was calm but suddenly a strong wind began to blow. The cat stayed there, until we got closer. He jumped from the rock and waited for us.

- He's a very special animal!

- What?

The man, who came out from behind the rock, squatted down and held out his hand, as if he wanted to touch the cat, but the feline stepped back, with the hair on his spine standing up. He hissed and puffed up his tail, preparing the attack. The man, all dressed in black, smiled in a strange way.

- So, Mephos, don’t you know me anymore?

The cat hid behind us.

- His name is Mephisto!

- Of course. Coincidentally, it was a very well-chosen name, if we take into account his past!

***