Francis is laying in his bed, belly up, watching the day go by when the pen comes along.
Pen: Francis?
Cat (not moving): what?
Pen: who´s Raisin?
Francis immediately turns around, with a petrified look in his eyes.
Pen (clueless/cont.): what?
Cat (nears the Pen, slowly): where did you hear that name?
Pen: I just heard Jason…
Cat (interrupts/panic): what?
Pen: stop talking you stupid feline! I´m trying to answer YOUR question…
Cat: just tell me!
Pen: As I was saying… I overheard Jason talking on the phone. I don´t know who it was that he was talking to, but, I heard him say Raisin.
Cat (annoyed): Oh crap!
Pen (curious): what is it?
Cat (sys): Haa….
Pen (worried): Francis? Who´s Raisin?
Cat: he´s my brother.
Pen: You have a brother?
Cat: are you kidding me? I have a ton of brothers and sisters.
Pen: yes, of course. Cats.
Cat: what´s that supposed to mean?
Pen: Nothing.
Cat: Did you hear what they were saying?
Pen: why do you care?
Cat: Pen, please. This is important.
Pen: Okay… I heard Jason saying something like: “I´ll gladly take him in for a few days, have a safe trip”.
Cat (panicking): what? Take him? As in, here? Ah crap!
Pen: Francis, what´s wrong?
Cat: I hate Raisin!
Pen: why?
Cat: because he´s mean, and a bully and he always bit my tail.
Pen: Francis, come on, he´s your brother. Don´t you miss him?
Cat: hell no!
Pen: I think I´m going to enjoy meeting him.
Cat: What? Why?
Pen: because I´m interested in knowing more about you. Getting to know your brother will be a way of doing just that.
Cat: doing what? I haven´t seen him since I came to live with Jason and that was years ago.
Pen: Oh come on Francis. It hasn´t…
Cat (interrupts): I don´t care and I don´t want to see him!
Pen: why are you acting like this?
Cat: I don´t want to see him!
Pen: Francis? Come on… this isn´t like you. You´re always nice, to everyone.
Cat: yes, well, trust me when I say, Raisin is not!
Pen: not what?
Cat: nice.
Pen: Francis?
Cat: what?
Pen: what did he do to you?
Cat (turns around and starts to walk away): Nothing. Just let it go.
Pen: let it…
Cat: Pen? Please, okay? No more.
Pen: okay.
Cat: thank you.
Suddenly Francis´s ears go up in the air as he overhears Jason talking by the front door.
His eyes open wide in shock when Jason closes the door.
As he doesn´t hear anything else, he sys, relived.
Cat: oh thank God…
Pen: what´s the matter?
Cat: nothing…
Pen: Francis, are you okay?
Cat: I´m…
Raisin (interrupts/comes out of nowhere): Hey there little brother.
Francis eyes open wide in shock and he´s left speechless, facing his brother.
Raisin, the cat, is completely white, as Francis, except for the tip of his tail which is black. His eyes, an amber yellow.
Raisin (cont.): what´s the matter pussycat? Cat got your tongue? Ha! Ha! Ha!
Francis is unresponsive, just ogling Raisin.
To be continued…
2018_ Joana Teixeira
