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Story #33: Under the Boardwalk

By Alex Abbott

Having been on the AWS campus for many years, my boys and I are always curious to see what babies show up on the campus each year. One year it was a family of foxes in the woods, one spring a mother skunk moved in under the handwork room… much to the chagrin of Ms. Black, and of course, who didn’t LOVE the adorable, and so very Texan, baby armadillo squad of 2019 as they paraded through the grades courtyard every afternoon.

On our hill country campus there is no shortage of birds and beetles. There are tiny  ‘spring peepers’ when the rains start, and fat, silent toads keeping cool in the summer shade. Roadrunners sprint across our campus year round and appreciate the variety of lizards who call this place home. But beyond all these creatures some of the favorites have been the generations of kittens that have appeared under the boardwalk over the years. The Cats of Waldorf: “Where are they now?”

Found by Kelly Horton under the boardwalk between first and second grade, with his four gray sisters.  After nurturing them through their first few weeks, Kelly and her then kindergarten aged son Justin brought them on campus. He was feisty and smart. I had to have him. Even my staunchly anti-pet husband became smitten with this kitten. Justin Horton had named him Randy, and we added the name Reymundo (Spanish for king of the world). The name was appropriate. He learned to play fetch, and hide and seek. He was. A great listener and could be a cuddler when it suited him.  He learned to open doors, and to ring a bell to be let in when he was ready. He won a pet picture contest with this photo. He was master of his world, and of our hearts, which broken into a million pieces when he died.

There will never be another like him.
Love, Maestra Rosa Vela Sachs

Tiger Abbott, found by Kellie Hoisington in August 2016

Just as the first grade Rose Ceremony for the class of 2028 was about to start a tiny black fluff of fur was found near the dumpster behind the PAC. The kitten had only just opened his eyes. He was passed from house to house until finally I decided that my family would take this bottle baby. He has since grown up into a fiercely independent and brave cat, a legend of our neighborhood. His boy, Gus, who was on his first day of first grade at that Rose Ceremony when Tiger was found, has grown up right along with him.

The Boardwalk Kittens of 2018, found by Sky Melcer and the Moongarden Class

In the wee early hours of the morning, and sometimes after school, an intelligent looking grey cat was often seen patrolling the campus grounds. Could this be one of Reymundo’s four gray sisters?! Could this be Tiger’s long lost mother? After Easter Break Ms. Sky found that this elusive gray cat was, in fact, hiding something very special. Under the boardwalk at the grades school bathrooms were her five sweet kittens! As you can imagine the children in the grades school were fascinated. The Krempetz family adopted this mother cat and named her Sintana. Mr. Krempetz came up to school and sat for hours to make sure all of the kittens were taken to be with their mother until permanent homes were found. Sintana was delighted to become a housecat and now spends her days well fed and cozy with a couple of her grown up kittens still with her.

Sintana, having given up her wild youth, is now working from home as an executive assistant.

“What about Bob?”
The last kitten of this litter to find a home was this tiny little tabby. He was not very adventurous, and pretty plain to look at. But, as you can see he has grown up to be possibly the friendliest, laziest, most spoiled cat in the world. Meet Bob Abbott, the baby of our family! My boys and I are thankful to have had many years on this special campus that is just wild enough to hold some unexpected surprises every now and then. As Gus says… “all schools should have some cats!”