Spring romance on the rooftops

 Khaled Diab

The dark, handsome 'boy next door' leapt courageously across the rooftops and climbed on to the balcony of his beautiful blonde neighbour. Bathed in moonlight, their eyes – his, a fiery green, hers, a steely Siberian blue – meet through the glass door. Then, he broke into a beautiful serenade and she joined him for a duet, two forlorn lovers longing to be brought together.

This classic story of 'cool cat' old kid on the block meets the feline femme fatale who recently moves into the neighbourhood has been unfolding between our Kuku and a cat from down the street for the last week or so.

One sunny afternoon, the black tom cat with black and white face could restrain his boiling passions no longer and Katleen, my wife, was surprised to find him entering the house through the terrace door, and he and Kuku shared a long moment exchanging languorous glances.

Ever since, our poor, angst-ridden cat has hardly been able to keep a grip on herself – although she did start off by playing hard to get – and he swings by.three or four times a day. For the time being, they are content to keep things platonic and share a stare, exchange a meow or simply enjoy the silence together. Although I'm a sexually liberated pet owner, I am concerned about having kittens – but after this torpid love affair is over and Kuku has had her offspring, we can splay her.

It's Sunday afternoon and Lover Boy has not turned up since I accidentally disturbed them on our rooftop terrace this morning – perhaps our sitting out there hasn't helped! Soon, Kuku, starring as our very on Juliet, became concerned at his absence and followed his trail across the rooftops but turned back before she reached his turf.

Being the cool cat that she is, she apparently does not want to seem too keen. Instead, she's decided to sunbathe and snooze away the afternoon.

"Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?"