Meridian, Mississippi

They step aside as he strides into the shop, his tail lashing low and confident, his ears — well, the one that isn’t broken — pricked forward at the sound of his name. Quietly, he takes his place among the priceless antiques. Mr. Bojangles, he is old now, too, but not so old that he can’t still put the fear of Minerva into any young toms who think they’ll usurp his sacred reign.

He doesn’t live here, doesn’t live anywhere really. He is the master of his own destiny, a consummate drifter, a Cat About Town. Here in downtown Meridian, Mississippi, he is legend. Like his namesake, his eyes bespeak his age, but his step remains lively. In all his years, he has never broken a single bauble in this jumbled assortment of human flotsam and jetsam for sale.

Some wonder how he does it. But like all cats, he holds his secrets close, tucking his paws to his chest, nodding to sleep on an afternoon sunbeam, dreaming of his dancing days.

__________

About the image

Mr. Bojangles naps on a sales counter on Jan. 9, 2011 at the Antique Mall of Meridian in Meridian, Mississippi. The store is open Mondays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Photo by Carmen K. Sisson/Cloudybright)

Posted on January 11, 2011 by Carmen K. Sisson tagged animals, cats, Meridian, Mississippi, writing