Chapter Text
One rainy evening, Janusz took a stroll in the quiet Eternal City. The rain was pouring down. The old archbishop walked, protected under his umbrella, looking at the ruins of the ancient forum to relive in the downpour. The old stones were once again washed by time. But the weather became much colder with the rain, and the cold seeped into the clergyman’s cassock. The city bells were already ringing at 7 p.m., and the sun was going down. He went towards one of the seven hills of Rome, the one called Vatican. Slowly, he walked up the avenues of the city. On his way, he lingered on the ponte Sant 'Angelo, looking at the angels of the bridge, particularly the Angel with the spear of Domenico Guidi, the folds of the tunic of the divine being agitated by the wind, making us forget that the angel was made of marble.
As he reached Castel Sant Angelo at the end of the bridge, he heard a tiny noise. A sound almost inaudible with the sound of pouring rain. But he was sure that he had heard meowing. Then, he caught a glimpse of him. A small cat with white paws, as well as is belly and lower face, so the back, top of the head and tail are grey. He gently approached the animal, so as not to frighten it. The little cat, mischievous, approached him, trembling like a soup, and stuck to his leg.
"Are you really affectionate, korku."
The little cat meowed, rubbing against the clergyman’s leg, looking for cuddles.
"But you know, it’s pouring, and you’re soaking wet, you should go back."
The cat drove him away and Janusz went back on his way. But it didn’t take long before I heard a meow behind him. The cat was following him.
"But I can’t take you, you have to go back home."
But the cat continued to meow, disagreeing with the old man.
"Do you really want to come with me?"
The cat snuggled up against the man’s legs.
"But you know, you’re going to have to be wise where I’m going."
The cat didn’t care, and followed Janusz to the entrance of the Vatican, where the prelate grabbed the little cat with one hand, so as not to lose it in the winding corridors. The kitten found it amusing to chew on the buttons of his new protector’s cassock.
"No, malutka, this is not food."
The little cat raised its head and plunged its pale blue eyes into those of the clergyman.
"I’ll find you something to eat."
He looked in the kitchen for what he could give the little cat. He had no idea. And how old was that cat? He is rather small, can be a lost baby?
''What are you doing in the kitchen, monsignor,'' asked Sister Agnès
"Well.... How do I explain... I was walking near Castel Sant Angelo, and this little cat came, and he followed me here, so I thought maybe the little one was hungry..."
"First, this little cat needs to be examined. Can I take it?"
"Yes, sister, here you are."
While Agnès took the little cat, which meowed, as if he feared being separated from his new companion. Janusz was trying to reassure the little cat as Agnès examined him, but the cat struggled in front of the nun, but she managed to take care of it.
"We have here a little girl. She must be between 2 and 4 months old, given her teeth. You’ll have to be careful, she has a cut on her right leg in front. You did well to get her back, she’s just skin and bones."
"She followed me, she’s the one who wanted to come. But she’s so little, she needs to be with her mother, not here."
"Don’t worry, we’ll manage to take care of it. She seems to trust you a little more. You’ll have to take him to the vet to be sure, though."
They then took care of the cut on the cat’s paw with disinfectant and a little bandage, and gave her some milk, which the kitten quickly ingested. Exhausted, the little animal ends up falling asleep. The old archbishop tricked him into a basket-like cushion in a shoebox, where the kitten curled up.
Leaving the kitchen with this cardboard box, he came across Thomas and Vincent.
"What is it?" asked the dean.
"A little cat, she followed me from Castel Sant 'Angelo, she won’t leave me alone. I need to take her to a vet to make sure she’s okay.''
"That’s good. You don’t have to go see the vet with this little one tomorrow morning; we’ll take care of the work." says Thomas.
"And of course, if this little cat doesn’t belong to anyone, you have my full blessing to keep it." says Vincent
"Thank you very much." replied the archbishop before leaving.