Lost and Found

All this time I had never lost hope that Mi Mi would return to us one day - and I was right.  I was meditating in the garden early that morning when I felt a tap on my shoulder and there she was - Mi Mi!  I jumped up and gasped, "Mi Mi!  I knew you would return one day!"

Mi Mi smiled wearily and sat down.  I noticed that her ginger fur was covered with dirt, she had small cuts and bruises on her face and her green eyes had lost their sparkle.  

"Oh dear, were you waiting outside all night?  Look, I'll get you some warm milk, you just wait for me here, ok?"  I said and ran to the kitchen.  I returned with the milk in a few minutes and she lapped it up hungrily.  When she had finished, I said gently, "Mi Mi , it looks like you've been through a tough time. Want to tell me what happened that night?"

"Thanks, Da.  You've always been such a good friend and I'm sorry I gave you all so much trouble.  ...."

She paused, then continued, "That night, when I heard a knock on the door, I went out to see who it was and I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw a cat, the split image of Tom, standing there.  For a moment, I was in shock, then he started talking to me and before I knew it, I had agreed to go away with him.  I knew he wasn't Tom but the thought of spending time with someone who looked so much like him, was too tempting to let go.  I wanted so much to re-live those wonderful moments I shared with Tom and I just didn't care about the consequences.  He took me to some place miles away from the village, to an empty house near a stream.  For the first few days of our stay together, he was wonderful, in fact just like Tom and I was blissfully happy.  We did everything together, I couldn't ask for anything more."

"Then what happened?"  I asked.

"He suddenly changed, Da.  I couldn't believe it.  He became demanding, aggressive, even violent.  When he took to drinking, he was uncontrollable and beat me up several times.  He even locked me in a room whenever he went out so that I couldn't escape.  I couldn't understand why he had suddenly changed and begged him to stop his terrible behaviour.  But he only laughed at me.  Finally I could bear it no longer.  One night while he was in a drunken sleep, I squeezed my way out of a broken window and ran as fast as I could from that horrible place." 

She stopped here and looked at me, tears glistening in her eyes.  "I was pretty stupid, wasn't I?  Please forgive me, Da."

"It's alright, Mi Mi.  Everybody makes mistakes. The important thing is you're safe and sound.  Come, I shall take you to Head Nun.  It's better you stay at the temple for the next few days in case that big bully should come back for you.  You'll be safe here."

Head Nun was surprised of course to see Mi Mi and being the compassionate soul she is, immediately arranged for a place for her to sleep.  The next morning, when Ah Kong and Ah Ma heard of Mi Mi's return, they came rushing to greet her.  Then Ning and Ah Hoe also came when they heard the news, oh, it was such a touching reunion! 

Mi Mi was very keen to re-open Tom's Home and Ah Hoe took her there to have a look.  It was naturally very dirty after having been shut down for so long and they both spent a day cleaning it up.  It so happened that on the way there, they stumbled upon a lost kitten and Mi Mi lost no time in taking him in.  Ah Kong and Ah Ma asked to return to Tom's Home and soon Mi Mi was back in business!

"I hope she'll be safe here," I said to Ah Hoe, when I visited them.  

"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her.  If that mad bully should turn up, I'll trash him to a pulp," said Ah Hoe grimly.

Thankfully we didn't see any sign of that nasty cat again.  Later when I met Ning and we talked over Mi Mi 's story, he said thoughtfully, "How come the real Tom didn't show up and rescue her?  Remember, he had always been so protective of her in the past."

Well, I didn't have the answer to that.  Maybe it was her karma to meet that horrible cat and suffer at his hands, but what Ning said made me wonder too.

One evening, I asked Mi Mi: "You never told us how you managed to find your way back to the temple, Mi Mi."

 "Well, after I jumped from the window, I just ran and ran.  It was pitch dark and misty - I couldn't see a thing!  Then suddenly there was this light, it looked like the light from a small bicycle lamp.  Something told me that it was safe to follow it, so I did.  It moved very slowly along as though allowing me to catch up with it and before too long, I was back at the temple."

"Did you see who it was that helped you?"  I asked.

"No, it was still so dark, I could only make out the vague outline of an old man on a bicycle in the dim street lights.  But before I could thank him, he disappeared right before my eyes!  It was so strange."

"Did you ... did you say an old man on a bicycle?"  I whispered, as goose pimples ran up and down my spine.  Mi Mi nodded.

I ran all the way back to the temple to tell Ning what I had just heard from Mi Mi. I knew then that both of us had been mistaken.  Mi Mi does have a special guardian angel, one whose all-encompassing love for her knows no bounds - and it was he who had led her back to safety that dark misty night.