The Pancake Cat

By Cherry Odelberg

The Pancake Cat is the story of a wild cat that would not be owned, but finally chooses a family. Meet the family and learn something of contemporary American history and multi-culture in the pages. Nine year old Andrea is thoughtful and vivacious. She has always wanted a cat and aspires to own and run an orphanage when she grows up. Her little brother Philip is cute as a gifted four year old can be. Mom and Dad provide time honored nurture and upbringing; and give their best effort to squeeze fun and teaching moments out of daily life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 24, 2020
• ISBN: 9781984580597

Cherry Odelberg

Cherry Odelberg thrives in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado where she hikes, makes melodious music and writes what the hikes and music teach her. She has lived and written in places as diverse as Guam, Germany, Texas, Seattle, Chicago, Utah and Arizona. She loves to travel, but hates to drive; likes to eat gourmet food, but dislikes to cook; revels in a tidy house but shrinks from dusting; and feels that most of life’s problems – including writer’s block – can be solved by a long walk, a session at the piano, or a soak in the nearest hot springs. Cherry also writes women’s fiction and delightfully educational children’s musicals.

Book preview

THE PANCAKE CAT

Cherry Odelberg

Copyright © 2020 by Cherry Odelberg.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Published by Cherry Odelberg

Durango, Colorado 81301

Cover art by Andrea Shellabarger

Rev. date: 06/24/2020

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

814394

Contents

Chapter 1: Saturday

Chapter 2: Angels Unaware

Chapter 3: Surprises

Chapter 4: Reminiscence

Chapter 5: Rich in Family

Chapter 6: What is In a Name?

Chapter 7: Milestones

Chapter 8: Grandma Nuygen

Chapter 9: Cookout

Chapter 10: Peacemaking

Chapter 11: Fourth of July

Chapter 12: Hot Sun

Chapter 13: Surprise Visit

Chapter 14: September

Chapter 15: Cat Tales

Chapter 16: The Return

Chapter 17: Yard Sale

Chapter 18: Showdown

Chapter 19: Tex

Chapter 20: Thanksgiving

Chapter 21: Hanukah

Chapter 22: Home From Preschool

Chapter 23: Las Posadas

Chapter 24: Numair

Chapter 25: Almost Christmas

Chapter 26: Gymnastics Class

Chapter 27: Saturday Chores

Chapter 28: Spring Green

Chapter 29: Preparations

Chapter 30: Cinco de Mayo

Chapter 31: Packing Party

Chapter 32: Moving Out

Chapter 33: Pancakes

Rocky Mountain Epilogue

Recipes

Glossary

Meet the Illustrators

Acknowledgments

Afterword

Illustrations

Serving Gray Cat a Pancake, Selah D

Pancakes With Cat, Rory Decker

Garden Scene, Courtney V. Harris

Moving Out, Andrea Shellabarger

To Andrea and Philip, and

any reader who

finds himself, herself, or a soul mate in

these pages.

Chapter 1

Saturday

Andrea stirred, yawned and opened one eye. Daylight was framing the edges of her window, creeping in around the mini blinds. She re-closed her eye and snuggled deeper into the bed. No alarm clock beeping. No voice of mom calling, Andrea, time to get up! Nothing but clean snugly sheets and the smell of pancakes.

Anndra! Anndra! piped a small voice from somewhere down the hall, Pancakes, it’s Saturday!

Andrea rolled over and opened both eyes. Now she could hear Daddy making coffee in the kitchen. The pancakes must be nearly finished. She plopped both feet on the floor and headed toward the bathroom and her toothbrush. Good thing it was Saturday. She wouldn’t have to find something to wear before eating.

Oatmeal on Monday, Oatmeal on Tuesday, the small voice continued, punctuating the words by banging a fork on the table. Andrea could hear her brother Philip between the bursts of water from the faucet.

Eat it with raisins, oatmeal on Friday too. Today is Saturday! Pancakes on Saturday! I like pancakes, YES I DO!

Andrea laughed at the four year old’s attempt at rhyme while she dried her hands on the towel and then hurried to the kitchen to take her place at the table.

Now, Mama, said Philip, Ready now! My tummy’s all growely.

They all watched as Mama put the platter in the center of the table. Hotcakes, Grandpa always called them. They certainly looked hot today. Little wisps of steam curled upward from the loaded platter. Steam was rising from Daddy’s coffee mug too. He sat it down carefully next to his spoon and then reached out to take Mama’s hand.

Yikes, squeaked Andrea, Philip’s hand is all sticky!

Hurry, said Philip and bowed his head. Dear God, thank you for pancakes and everything good, but not oatmeal, amen!

Amen, echoed the other family members. The room became quiet suddenly. There was no talking, only the soft sound of knives spreading margarine on pancakes, the syrup bottle burping, Daddy sipping the scalding coffee and tiny clinks as mama cut Philip’s pancakes into neat, bite-sized squares.

Andrea gazed out the sliding glass door and absently counted the stripes of light and shadow made by the morning sun and the fence. A scrawny gray cat came around the corner and out of the shadows. For a moment it looked as if he would stop and play with the bean plants fluttering in the breeze. The cat swayed slightly in that direction, then came resolutely up on the wooden patio planks.

Pretty kitty, breathed Andrea softly. Andrea had wanted a pet for a long time. She begged and talked.

No pets in the house, Mama said. This house is too small for any more feet and besides, we’ll be moving in a year or so. Better wait until we are settled in a new place and then choose a pet.

Andrea watched the cat silently. She pretended it was hers. The first thing I would do, she thought, is brush out its fur. Long and gray, the cat’s fur was bunched against its sides in matted clumps. It reminded Andrea of the time she went to sleep with gum in her mouth. The gum ended up in her hair and mama had to cut it out. There was a little bald spot on the side of Andrea’s head until the hair finally grew back. Now she thought about how kitty would look with little pink kitty skin patches showing all over. Definitely not show cat material!

Two things happened at once that broke the stillness. The cat set up a mournful meowing at the door and Philip called out, Hey Andee! Look there’s a kitty!

I know, Philip. I saw it already, said Andrea in her big sister voice.

I think it’s hungry, countered Philip.

It does look pretty skinny, commented Daddy.

Needs a bath, said Philip.

Cats don’t like baths, silly.

Andrea, please sit down until you have finished your breakfast, said Mama.

Without realizing it Andrea slipped out of her chair and began to move toward the sliding glass door. Now the cat would have to wait. She hoped it would still be there, hanging around the backyard when she had chewed the last bit of spongy syrupy pancakes.

Serving%20Gray%20Cat%20Pancake%20Selah.jpg

Chapter 2

Angels Unaware

Andrea was a pet lover as well as a people lover. Right now as she finished her breakfast she was thinking and dreaming and plotting and planning. Maybe she could have a home for stray kittens when she grew up. It would go right along with her plans for an orphanage. The little girls in the orphanage would love taking care of kitties every day, feeding them, petting them. Andrea knew quite a bit about what girls liked to do—after all she was a girl herself! Her teachers were always commenting on her kindness to new classmates. She just seemed to know right off what kind of friend the new kids needed.

Mama said Andrea got that from Daddy, being a pet lover and a people lover. Daddy had dreams of running a summer camp in the mountains; a place where city kids could get away for a few weeks and run and play in the wide open spaces. And pets? Daddy could tell stories about every kind of animal you could imagine. He had them all when he was growing up. Mama always said his mother must have felt as though she was living in a zoo.

Not that Mama