Gentleman Cat

The gust of wind from the subway train as it came speeding into the station ruffled his fur and caused him to hold onto his little top hat.

Standing, waiting for the train to come to a stop, in his best suit and top hat, the gentleman cat looked small among the crowds of people.

The train slowed and came to a halt and he made his way on with the rest of the commuters. Some of them stared and pointed while whispering to one another and giggling.

But the gentleman cat paid them no mind, he simple found an open seat and hopped up onto it. He sat up tall and proud as he brushed a few hairs from his neatly pressed suit pants.

At the next station, more commuters boarded and a pregnant woman came on. Seeing that there were no available seats, the well-dressed cat hopped down, and offered his own seat to the tired woman, whom thanked him gratefully and sat down heavily.

The gentleman cat stood holding onto the bottom of the silver pole in the middle of the train car to maintain his balance as it rocked along.

The next time the doors opened, some passengers departed, and more boarded. Along with them entered a handsomely dressed dog; a black bowler hat atop his well-groomed head.

Immediately, the two spied each other as the dog took a spot opposite the cat.

Nowhere on their distinguished faces showed the animosity that boiled within the two gentlemen, but the tension filled the entire train car.

For a moment the din of the crowded car fell silent as all watched out the corner of their eyes; no one looking directly at the two figures standing in their suits.

Both regarded each other for what seemed an eternity, and then, casually, the gentleman cat touched the brim of his felt top hat and nodded a greeting to the dog, who in turn nodded politely.

The tension broken, the crowd went back to their conversations and at the next stop the cat straightened his bow tie and exited the car with another touch of his hat to the dog.

As the train pulled away and the cat walked proudly along the platform, the dog stood up on a seat and watched out the window.

The cat, not looking as the dog passed by inside the train, smiled a sharp-toothed grin as he took out his pocket watch to see that he was right on time.