You, Ken-Tu And The Mockingbird, Part I of III

You, Ken-Tu And The Mockingbird, Part I of III

By Monette Benoit, All rights reserved.

Well, some days are not dull. I swear my life could be a sitcom. This is only one gem when silliness seemed to unfold at record pace.

I view many life lessons as I read forums and e-mails from court reporters and students. Respectfully, I share my life lesson below.

My sister-in-law appeared with nephews and skateboarding teens. She needed help closing her car’s trunk because the key had broken inside the lock. (Schools were closed for the swine flu.

Locally, skateboarding kids gathered in ‘teen pods’ [my term] – pretending to cough on each other, while laughing at adults.) That is the moment a cat appeared from the heavens on her car roof as we worked to help her close the trunk, so she could drive home.

In the driveway, a nephew gasped and pointed, “Hey! Where did that cat come from? It catapulted from the sky!”

The cat was bleeding with multiple fresh wounds on both sides of its neck and back.

Then the cat raced into our garage. It parked and sat with its front paws pointed ‘to’ the spot where my husband said a few hours earlier, had said, quote, "I wish I could do something about that mouse in the garage!"

That night, the cat placed a warm, dead mouse near my feet. How do I know? I picked it up.

I named the cat Ken-Tu. He did not understand any words except “stop that.”

I spoke to him saying, “You-ken-tu” and “He-ken-tu” as I observed the cat, considered adopting this wounded animal. Perhaps someone was missing their pet?

The vet shared Ken-Tu is eight years old and had been “homeless at least one year – possibly more, based upon deformed ears, ear mites and bulbous tumor that exploded, creating a cauliflower ear.” Ken-Tu ‘healed’ in the garage (post a huge vet bill).

Years ago, I volunteered with the St. Vincent de Paul Society, SVDP, as a caseworker. I also volunteered to assist in the initial organization of a new animal shelter (rescuing wild and abandoned animals) and a new women’s shelter. I learned many lessons.

Each event was a teacher, to me. I filled my car many times for families, children, rest homes and hospitals. We helped a wide area. I then delivered donations and offerings to individuals and churches.

The weekend I’m documenting, I was assisting my cat Chicos, a special spirit, who was in kidney failure for eight months. I softly teased people that I was the hand-maiden who shared food in syringes and “closed the deal.” (We have rituals; cats love rituals.) I administered IV subcu fluids, as needed; Chicos and I were rounding another one-way corner.

The court reporters and students whom I privately tutor and coach reached out to me. I know Chicos’ life was extended as others shared their experiences and their wisdom.

Soon on a Sunday, we decided to bring Ken-Tu into our humble house, which already had two cats and one 70-pound, two-year old dog (all rescued animals). Ken-Tu was in the laundry room, snarling as needed. At 17 pounds – our ‘starving kitty’ was a force. (Because of abuse – with little provocation – he swung overhand.)

Part II and Part III will be posted www.monettebenoit.com and www.CRRbooks.com

Monette Benoit, B. B.A., CCR, CRI, CPE 
Realtime Court Reporter, Instructor, Consultant, Columnist 
Coach, Tutor and Multiple Title Author of Books & Test Prep for the
Court Reporting
& Captioning Industry

About the Author:

Monette Benoit, B.B.A., CCR, CRI, CPE, is a JCR Contributing Editor for the National Court Reporters Association, NCRA.

She is the author of multiple books and Test Prep for the Court Reporting & Captioning Industry to include the national and state RPR, RMR, RDR, CSR ‘Written Knowledge Exam’ Textbook, Workbook, Companion Study Guide, ‘The CRRT WKT’ CD Software Program, Advanced SAT, LSAT, GRE, Real-Time Vocabulary Workbook and ‘CATapult’ Your Dictionary CD Software Program series.

Books, CDs, private tutoring, mentoring services and articles may be referenced www.crrbooks.com/

Monette is an experienced consultant, instructor, real-time court reporter, tutor, life coach, CART provider, columnist. She teaches, tutors and coaches home-study students, college students, court reporters and professionals.

Monette speaks to groups at state, national and international conventions about motivation, technology, expanding skills and Deaf, Oral Deaf, Hard of Hearing.

Monette Benoit, B.B.A., Certified Court Reporter, Certified Reporting Instructor, Certified Program Evaluator, Paralegal, may be reached at: http://www.crrbooks.com/ http://www.catapultdix.com/ and All American RealTime/Captioning Services, Inc.: http://www.artcs.com/