Lola Granola

I rescued Lola from certain doom when she was a wee kitty,
nary more than a few months old, in the summer of 1997.

I was waiting tables at the Oakleigh Market & Bistro.
Just down the street from the restaurant, a vacant
house was serving as home to some cats who were left
by the previous owners, as well as many strays.

This house was also occupied by a group of "undesirables"
who posed as renovators but were, in all actuality, squatters.
They hated the cats, and looked upon them as vermin.

They ran over some with their big truck.
They let their dog attack and even eat a few.
They sometimes stood around in the yard,
drinking cheap beer and playing "toss the cat."

A frequent customer, an eccentric author named Mildred,
and some of the staff at the Bistro decided to take it upon
ourselves to rescue all the kitties that were left,
pawning them off on sympathetic customers and friends.

After a week of our rescue campaign, all the kitties were
adopted except for this one little runt - she had no tail
(part manx) and had difficulty walking so she was easy to catch.

I stuffed her in my shirt and carried her home and stuck
her in a box, where she hid for the next 2 weeks; only
occasionally creeping out to sip some water.

Eventually, I gained her trust and we became friends.
She recieved the name "Lola Granola" after a character
from the Berke Breathed comic strip Bloom County.