Passing through the automatic glass doors, I swallowed air as I took off my boots and handed them to the staff at the entrance, switching into a pair of soft, calico-patterned slippers.

Round tables spotting the carpeted floor were full with customers. Some sipped their drinks, some played with the many cats and some closed their eyes to enjoy the ambience as a guitarist played live music, surrounded by a puddle of cats.

In the innermost corner where some cats liked to sleep in relative peace and quiet, Bilge, my childhood friend, was on her hands and knees. Trying to coax the calico cat the café was named after, Kali, out of her nest of pillows. Her ‘weapon’ of choice was a chain of feather and toe bean charms strung on metal hoops.

Bilge loved making jewelry, as evidenced by the many decorative chains she had gifted to her boyfriend, but this was probably the first time for her to use one like a string toy.

Çınar, the boyfriend in question and my other childhood friend, watched from a chair behind her. His brown hair curled around his ears and his green eyes shone as he looked at her with a sweet smile. 

I walked up to my friends. “That doesn’t look like it's working.”

“You’re right,” Bilge sighed, gathering the ‘useless’ jewelry in her palm.

“Watch this.” I leaned down and wiggled my fingers at Kali. My camera, which was hanging from my neck, swung forward and almost hit her. 

The sudden movement startled her and she jumped into a low stance before she sniffed my fingers. Recognizing my scent, she let my fingers scratch along her body until I reached the spot where her tail met her butt.

“You’re so sweet, aren’t you? Yes, you are,” I cooed. “Sorry for surprising you, Kali.” I looked at my friends. “This is how you pet a cat.”

“Like you didn’t spook her just now,” Bilge grumbled as she scooted on the carpet until she was sitting with her torso between Çınar’s legs. 

“Fow do you do this?” she murmured, her voice full of envy as she stared at Kali kneading the carpet with hearts in her golden brown eyes. 

We liked to say she was an owl in human’s clothing, with her piercing gaze and light brown hair. 

The cats liked to ignore Bilge completely.

Purrs made Kali’s body vibrate under my fingers. She leaned further into my touch, raising her butt and lowering her front legs, her tail shaping a question mark.

I grinned at Bilge, my breathing finally back to normal. “Sorry.”

“Oh, it’s fine.” She waved a finger in Kali’s direction. “Mark my words, I will pet you one day.”

“Why are you so fixated on this one?” I asked as I sat down on the carpet and put my camera in my school bag. I gasped slightly with my hand covering my mouth as Kali climbed onto my lap. “She’s so cute,” I whispered, petting her with my free hand.

Bilge hooked her arms under Çınar’s legs and hugged. “Because she’s the leader. If I win her love, I’ll be able to pet all of them.”

“You say, as you wiggle your fingers at Tekir.” A giggle shook my body as Kali meowed her complaints, her tail rapping against my leg. “Sorry, sorry.”

Bilge’s fingers froze in the air. “You’re right,” she whispered as her hand went back to hugging Çınar’s leg. “I was almost tricked.”

Laughter surrounded the corner we occupied and I prayed these days would go on forever.

Preferably with a cat, like Kali, purring in my lap.

Passing through the automatic glass doors, I swallowed air as I took off my boots and handed them to the staff at the entrance, switching into a pair of soft, calico-patterned slippers.

Round tables spotting the carpeted floor were full with customers. Some sipped their drinks, some played with the many cats and some closed their eyes to enjoy the ambience as a guitarist played live music, surrounded by a puddle of cats.

In the innermost corner where some cats liked to sleep in relative peace and quiet, Bilge, my childhood friend, was on her hands and knees. Trying to coax the calico cat the café was named after, Kali, out of her nest of pillows. Her ‘weapon’ of choice was a chain of feather and toe bean charms strung on metal hoops.

Bilge loved making jewelry, as evidenced by the many decorative chains she had gifted to her boyfriend, but this was probably the first time for her to use one like a string toy.

Çınar, the boyfriend in question and my other childhood friend, watched from a chair behind her. His brown hair curled around his ears and his green eyes shone as he looked at her with a sweet smile. 

I walked up to my friends. “That doesn’t look like it's working.”

“You’re right,” Bilge sighed, gathering the ‘useless’ jewelry in her palm.

“Watch this.” I leaned down and wiggled my fingers at Kali. My camera, which was hanging from my neck, swung forward and almost hit her. 

The sudden movement startled her and she jumped into a low stance before she sniffed my fingers. Recognizing my scent, she let my fingers scratch along her body until I reached the spot where her tail met her butt.

“You’re so sweet, aren’t you? Yes, you are,” I cooed. “Sorry for surprising you, Kali.” I looked at my friends. “This is how you pet a cat.”

“Like you didn’t spook her just now,” Bilge grumbled as she scooted on the carpet until she was sitting with her torso between Çınar’s legs. 

“Fow do you do this?” she murmured, her voice full of envy as she stared at Kali kneading the carpet with hearts in her golden brown eyes. 

We liked to say she was an owl in human’s clothing, with her piercing gaze and light brown hair. 

The cats liked to ignore Bilge completely.

Purrs made Kali’s body vibrate under my fingers. She leaned further into my touch, raising her butt and lowering her front legs, her tail shaping a question mark.

I grinned at Bilge, my breathing finally back to normal. “Sorry.”

“Oh, it’s fine.” She waved a finger in Kali’s direction. “Mark my words, I will pet you one day.”

“Why are you so fixated on this one?” I asked as I sat down on the carpet and put my camera in my school bag. I gasped slightly with my hand covering my mouth as Kali climbed onto my lap. “She’s so cute,” I whispered, petting her with my free hand.

Bilge hooked her arms under Çınar’s legs and hugged. “Because she’s the leader. If I win her love, I’ll be able to pet all of them.”

“You say, as you wiggle your fingers at Tekir.” A giggle shook my body as Kali meowed her complaints, her tail rapping against my leg. “Sorry, sorry.”

Bilge’s fingers froze in the air. “You’re right,” she whispered as her hand went back to hugging Çınar’s leg. “I was almost tricked.”

Laughter surrounded the corner we occupied and I prayed these days would go on forever.

Preferably with a cat, like Kali, purring in my lap.