#21 China Cat

he didn’t.

When they woke, it was after dark, so she made dinner. It was Creamed Pearl Onions, Baked Potatoes with Melted Cheddar and Black Beans, and Buttered Broccoli. He thought it was delicious, but wanted dessert, so she made raw Chocolate Brownies. She always made dessert after that. They went to bed, and made love again, but he still didn’t do that thing with his tongue.

Thomas lost his job that same week, but his daughter was coming to visit that weekend, so that was a highlight. She loved having him home every night to talk to her while she cooked. He followed her around, and listened even when she cleaned. He always had a smile on his face, and he kept her company while she cooked. He never went anywhere, and she loved that. Since she paid all the bills, and since they only had one bedroom, for now, his daughter would sleep in hers. They could sleep in the living room. It wouldn’t kill them for a weekend.

She was excited to meet Miriam, but Miriam hated her. First of all, she ate meat, and she thought vegetarianism was some sort of religion, second of all, she didn’t like the sleeping arrangements, but third, and most importantly, she didn’t like her father. The girl detested that he didn’t have a job, and resented that he always made the woman he was with more important. He never had a job, and lived off his girlfriends, she said. She changed her tune to that of doting daughter when he got back from the store, but not before she told her about Thomas. Miriam said that her Dad lost a few jobs ten or so years ago, and has been on welfare since. He gets the welfare sent to his sister’s. His parents won’t help him, even though they are in town, and his sister doesn’t want to see him on the street. He doesn’t have any other siblings. China didn’t even know about her, or the parents. China decided to be cagey about it, not confront him about it, just pretended things were the same as always. Besides, she sort of liked him listening to her, also she wanted to see how far he would go. Things went back to normal after Miriam left, and she never did come back, not as a young girl anyway.

They acted like it was a joint decision that he would never get a job again, but would always listen to her, because that particular subject was never brought up. She paid all the bills and he used his welfare as spending money. He actually had more than her, he never told her about it, and he had nicer clothes. He met with his welfare worker at his sister Ruth’s house, she gave him the key, and signed a paper he gave her. Thomas paid the difference in income tax. It was cheaper; way cheaper. He said didn’t tell them he was married, and he said he was living at his sister’s or $400 a month, and she went along with it. He said he bought groceries. He said she didn’t like it, and they didn’t want to do anything to put pressure on the situation, so they went along with it. He told his sister that they sent a cheque for a hundred or so, but really, it was for almost 600 every month. Ruth didn’t know he was married, thought he was sleeping on friends’ couches, and frankly didn’t care, because she was helping him, and it didn’t cost her a dime. So yeah, since China paid all the bills, he had more money than her. He started getting a decent savings account, while China was going into debt. He didn’t tell the welfare worker a thing. He kept everything where he really lived, at China’s. He even had a special outfit for his meetings that made him look poor, that way it was two birds with one stone, China and his sister.

China registered that he had nice clothes, but she thought he did all his shopping at the second-hand shop. He was just lucky, he told her, he wanted to look nice for her. She had bought herself some economical