Disapperance (not an A to Z post)

I am currently spending time providing moral support for Monkey while she writes her dissertation (being a sounding board when necessary to discuss ideas and just keeping her company while she stares at the computer) so I plucked 'If Cats Disappeared From the World' by Genki Kawamura from her bookshelf to read. While she was in Fukuoka she wrote an extended essay on Cats in Japanese Literature and so has quite a collection of books featuring cats, some as important characters. The cat in this book is called Cabbage. It's a fairly low key tale of supernatural interference; a young man learns that he has a terminal illness, and the devil arrives in his home to offer a deal, extend his life in exchange for removing things from the world. But you can't just get rid of something nobody cares about, the devil wants something important in exchange for your 24 hours. It becomes something of a meditation on what is important in life as he debates what things he might be prepared to sacrifice, and it turns out that cats are quite important. 

"When I woke up I found that my eyes were filled with tears. It was still dark outside. I looked beside me where Cabbage normally slept and saw that he was gone. I panicked and jumped out of bed, my eyes scanning the room. Then I saw Cabbage curled up asleep at the foot of the bed. As usual I hadn't slept well. But I was relieved to find Cabbage was still there. The memory of the night before when Aloha suggested eliminating cats was still fresh in my mind.

So what would it be like? My life or cats? At that moment, I couldn't imagine what my life would be like without Cabbage. Four years had passed since my mother had died. Cabbage had always been by her side. How could I erase him? What was I supposed to do?" (p.158)

So while it is partly about his relationships with the significant human beings in his life, one of the most significant relationships is with Cabbage. Maybe it is also about how one comes to terms with the notion of impending death. Nothing much happens, because, in reality, what can you do if you find you are dying other than say goodbye. Oh yes, he's also a postman, so what's not to love.

Stay safe. Be kind. Contemplate existence, and disappearance.