‘Then my apologies for being presumptuous.’ Eri lowered herself next to Shoji. ‘Hey, have you heard of the cats’ paradise?’

‘No,’ he said. ‘What’s that?’

‘My mother told me about it when the stray cat we used to feed disappeared.’ Her voice was soothing, and she had a gentle expression on her face. ‘According to her, the cats’ paradise exists in a completely different dimension from our world. Cats all over the world are drawn to it by an inexplicable force. They’ll enter an abandoned house, a hole in a stone wall, or the shadow under a bridge, and then they’ll end up in cats’ paradise.’

Shoji rubbed the cat’s belly.

‘My mother said it’s a huge, comfortable house,’ Eri continued. ‘It’s warm inside, and the weather outside is always nice. Cats laze and nap all over, in the corridors and in the rooms. There are plenty of cushions on the floor, and even a big kotatsu in the biggest room.’

‘A kotatsu?’

‘Yes.’ Eri rested her head on her arms, cradling her bag. ‘It’s so cosy there.’

‘Who takes care of them?’ he asked. ‘Let me guess, a kind old lady?’

Eri shook her head. ‘No one. Humans can’t enter that space, because it’s the cats’ paradise.’

‘Don’t they die of hunger?’

Again, she shook her head. ‘They don’t get hungry and thirsty, and they don’t fight with each other. The cats are always sleepy, napping and lazing around. It’s so peaceful.’

‘Such bliss,’ he murmured.

‘And there’s no night. It’s forever daytime.’ She paused, seemingly trying to remember something. ‘Or rather, time works differently in that space. These cats spend their days sleeping, losing track of time. It’s so comfortable that they don’t feel like moving at all.’

‘Uh-huh.’

Eri stood. ‘That’s why, sometimes, cats go missing, only to return after a long time. Perhaps a little scruffy from the journey but, all things considered, they’re fine.’

Shoji patted the cat before waving goodbye. ‘If this place is so great, why do they still leave? Isn’t it better to just stay there forever?’

‘It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes one of the cats remembers its owners and decides to return. There’s no goodbye, no parting words. The cat will walk quietly through one of the doors and make the journey home.’ She gestured to the main road. ‘Shall we go?’

‘Ah, yeah. It’s getting late.’

Shoji looked at the stray cat one last time. In turn, it stared at him with its round, blue eyes. A moment later, the cat turned around and disappeared into the shadows.

24 White Curtains, Tiny Roses

CHAPTER 24

WHITE CURTAINS, TINY ROSES