It had been raining heavily for two days straight here in the Yucatan. The streets were flooded and mine now had quite a swift current flowing in all it's gutters. It was close to bed time when I started hearing the soft cries of a kitten some where out in the soaking wet night. I went out four different times to see where it was coming from. But each time I went out to the street, it would stop crying and I couldn't find it in the darkness. I was now drenched but I knew I would be unable to sleep with it crying for help. So on the fifth try, I was determined to stand there in the rain till it started again. It finally let out another squeaky plea and I was finally able to tell the direction it was coming from. There in the current of the water swollen gutters was the tiniest black kitten clinging onto a branch that had fallen. She was totally soaked and looked up at me with the biggest, saddest eyes. I scooped her up and tucked her into my jacket. Once inside, I dried her off and fed her and named her Rain. She curled up next to me that night purring and is still here with me eight months later.

Donna Spadafora
NAPLES, FL