It had been raining the whole morning and after lunch, it continued to drizzle. Prayers had just finished and I settled under the porch of the kitchen, watching the rain and listening to its pitter patter.
Then, for some strange reason, thoughts of Mi Mi came to my mind. Nobody had seen her since she left town months ago. I wondered whether she had found true love at last. I hoped she had, everybody deserves to be happy and to love and be loved I closed my eyes and was about to doze off when I heard a movement beside me.
I opened my eyes and saw to my shock that it was Mi Mi!
"Mi! Mi!" I gasped. "I was just thinking of you! What are you doing here? I thought you'd be miles away!"
She didn't answer but sat down quietly. I saw to my dismay that she was thin and dishevelled and her once gleaming orange fur had lost its lustre. Even her green eyes had lost their vibrant glint.
"Mi Mi," I asked. "Are you in some kind of trouble?"
She looked at me and whispered, "Da, I need your help one last time...."
"What happened?" I asked gently, feeling sorry at the sight of her bedraggled state.
Her eyes misted, then she said in a hoarse voice, "After I left town, I fell in with some bad company. They forced me into prostitution and to take drugs....I managed to escape from their clutches but I didn't know where to go.... then I thought of you ... you're the only friend I have ...." She broke off, tears streaming down her cheeks. "So I came here. Da, you've got to help me ...."
I was horrified to hear what had happened to her. True, she had never lived the life of an angel but she was now desperate and needed help. The Lord Buddha taught us to have compassion for all living beings and this was the time to practise it.
"Alright, Mi Mi. How can I help you?" I asked.
"Wait here," she said and disappeared round the corner She was back in less than two minutes and this time she had a cardboard box with her. She deposited it at my feet and said, "I want you to take care of these two for me."
"What?" I gasped. I looked into the box and saw to my surprise that there were two little kittens inside, both orange in colour!
"Mi Mi! Are they yours?" I gasped.
She nodded.
"But ... but ..." I protested, wondering how I was going to take care of the kittens, especially here in the temple. Head Nun would have a fit, we were already running on a tight budget and couldn't afford to have two extra mouths to feed.
"Promise me you'll take good care of them. Promise?" she pleaded, tugging at my shoulder.
"Ok, ok, I promise ....." I stammered, not really knowing what I was saying.
"Thanks, Da, I'll never forget you for this."
She got up, gave me a hug, then ran off.
"Wait, wait," I yelled after her but she was gone. I sat there for a while, quite overcome by what had just happened. The squealing of the kittens inside the box brought me back to the present. I looked inside the box again ... oh, they were so adorable! But what would Head Nun say?
I went back into the kitchen and found Head Nun there, sipping a cup of hot coffee.
"Head Nun," I began.
She held up her hand to stop me and said, "So your orange friend left her kittens with you, huh?"
I didn't realise that Head Nun had witnessed the whole incident from the kitchen.
"Yes, and I kind of promised I would take care of them ....." I said, my voice trailing away.
"Say no more!" interrupted Head Nun. "As the younger generation say, "no big deal". Do you remember Miss M. who comes to the temple for prayers regularly? Well, she had been looking for a cat to adopt since her old one disappeared. She'll only be too glad to take these two kittens off your hands! I will call her immediately."
Miss M. came within the hour and happily took back the two kittens with her. It's amazing how Head Nun always has a solution for everything! Needless to say, I had never felt more relieved. I only wished I could convey the good news to Mi Mi.
Later that night before I fell asleep, I thought of Mi Mi again. All that she ever wanted was to be loved but somehow nothing had turned out right for her. Wherever she had gone, I hoped that some cat lover would pick her up and bring her home to stay.
Meanwhile some two kilometres away, a lonely orange cat sat in the shadows of a dark street. It was raining again and she was cold and hungry. She searched a nearby dustbin and found a few crumbs. They were hard and stale but it was better than nothing.
She sat for a while, looking up at the dark sky and for the first time in her life, she prayed. She prayed that her two babies would grow up in a home where they would be loved and be forever happy, that they would never be in need of anything ... and maybe one day, they might get to meet their mother, maybe ...
She got up and crossed the street, not realizing that a car was speeding in her direction. Suddenly two big headlights shone in her eyes, there was a loud screeching of brakes, someone shouted "That damned cat!" and she found herself flying through the air! Then she knew no more.
Then, for some strange reason, thoughts of Mi Mi came to my mind. Nobody had seen her since she left town months ago. I wondered whether she had found true love at last. I hoped she had, everybody deserves to be happy and to love and be loved I closed my eyes and was about to doze off when I heard a movement beside me.
I opened my eyes and saw to my shock that it was Mi Mi!
She didn't answer but sat down quietly. I saw to my dismay that she was thin and dishevelled and her once gleaming orange fur had lost its lustre. Even her green eyes had lost their vibrant glint.
"Mi Mi," I asked. "Are you in some kind of trouble?"
She looked at me and whispered, "Da, I need your help one last time...."
"What happened?" I asked gently, feeling sorry at the sight of her bedraggled state.
Her eyes misted, then she said in a hoarse voice, "After I left town, I fell in with some bad company. They forced me into prostitution and to take drugs....I managed to escape from their clutches but I didn't know where to go.... then I thought of you ... you're the only friend I have ...." She broke off, tears streaming down her cheeks. "So I came here. Da, you've got to help me ...."
I was horrified to hear what had happened to her. True, she had never lived the life of an angel but she was now desperate and needed help. The Lord Buddha taught us to have compassion for all living beings and this was the time to practise it.
"Alright, Mi Mi. How can I help you?" I asked.
"Wait here," she said and disappeared round the corner She was back in less than two minutes and this time she had a cardboard box with her. She deposited it at my feet and said, "I want you to take care of these two for me."
"What?" I gasped. I looked into the box and saw to my surprise that there were two little kittens inside, both orange in colour!"Mi Mi! Are they yours?" I gasped.
She nodded.
"But ... but ..." I protested, wondering how I was going to take care of the kittens, especially here in the temple. Head Nun would have a fit, we were already running on a tight budget and couldn't afford to have two extra mouths to feed.
"Promise me you'll take good care of them. Promise?" she pleaded, tugging at my shoulder.
"Ok, ok, I promise ....." I stammered, not really knowing what I was saying.
"Thanks, Da, I'll never forget you for this."
She got up, gave me a hug, then ran off.
"Wait, wait," I yelled after her but she was gone. I sat there for a while, quite overcome by what had just happened. The squealing of the kittens inside the box brought me back to the present. I looked inside the box again ... oh, they were so adorable! But what would Head Nun say?
I went back into the kitchen and found Head Nun there, sipping a cup of hot coffee.
"Head Nun," I began.
She held up her hand to stop me and said, "So your orange friend left her kittens with you, huh?"
I didn't realise that Head Nun had witnessed the whole incident from the kitchen.
"Yes, and I kind of promised I would take care of them ....." I said, my voice trailing away.
"Say no more!" interrupted Head Nun. "As the younger generation say, "no big deal". Do you remember Miss M. who comes to the temple for prayers regularly? Well, she had been looking for a cat to adopt since her old one disappeared. She'll only be too glad to take these two kittens off your hands! I will call her immediately."
Miss M. came within the hour and happily took back the two kittens with her. It's amazing how Head Nun always has a solution for everything! Needless to say, I had never felt more relieved. I only wished I could convey the good news to Mi Mi.
Later that night before I fell asleep, I thought of Mi Mi again. All that she ever wanted was to be loved but somehow nothing had turned out right for her. Wherever she had gone, I hoped that some cat lover would pick her up and bring her home to stay.
Meanwhile some two kilometres away, a lonely orange cat sat in the shadows of a dark street. It was raining again and she was cold and hungry. She searched a nearby dustbin and found a few crumbs. They were hard and stale but it was better than nothing.
She got up and crossed the street, not realizing that a car was speeding in her direction. Suddenly two big headlights shone in her eyes, there was a loud screeching of brakes, someone shouted "That damned cat!" and she found herself flying through the air! Then she knew no more.
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