A Fishy Business - Pt.3

After they had been selling veg burgers for some three weeks, Ah Hoe decided it was time to take a break, so he and Ning went to a small village nearby where they could relax and enjoy some fresh country air.  

On arrival at the village, Ah Hoe phoned Head Nun to tell her that they had reached their hotel safely.  He planned to stay for a couple of nights before going home.  However, I was dismayed to hear that Ning had discovered a small pub for cats near the hotel and had already gone there for a drink.  Ah Hoe said he didn't have the heart to stop him from going since he had been working so hard but warned him to return to the hotel not later than midnight.

"I was hoping Ning would forget all about drinking, Head Nun," I said, feeling very disappointed.

"You can't expect a leopard to change its spots overnight, Vege Cat," replied Head Nun.  "Don't worry, Ah Hoe will make sure he doesn't get into trouble."

As it turned out, we heard later from Ah Hoe that Ning had got  involved in a brawl at the pub and had been kicked out. This time, Ah Hoe lost his temper, scolded Ning and told him that they would cut short their holiday and return home the next morning.  

A few days after their return, I was surprised to see Ah Hoe come running to the temple.  "Da, Da, I can't find Ning anywhere, he's gone!"  Apparently after coming home from their holiday, Ning stayed in for the next two days, then suddenly disappeared on the third day.  And he didn't show up for the next three or four days.  We were worried of course.  Ah Hoe went to the Long Tails Club to inquire whether they had seen Ning but they told him he hadn't been there.  He also made inquiries at the village but nobody had seen him.  

Ah Hoe was too upset to start making burgers again, so one evening I went over to his house to see how he was managing.  "I shouldn't have scolded him, Da," he sighed remorsefully.  "If anything has happened to him, it's all my fault."  "No, you shouldn't blame yourself, Ah Hoe," I said.  "I know Ning, he will turn up when you least expect him."

And he did.  We heard a knock at the door and Ning stumbled in.  He was limping and his face and body were covered with blood and bruises.  

"OMG, what happened, Ning?" I gasped.  "You look like you've been beaten up!"

Ah Hoe rushed to get some warm water and a towel to clean him up.  Ning sank to the floor, closed his eyes and said, "Oh, it hurts! I think my leg is broken, Da."  

We decided it would be better to take him to the vet who confirmed that Ning's right front leg was indeed broken.  The vet patched him up and we took him home.  It was then that the whole story came pouring out.

"Just tell us slowly what happened, Ning," said Ah Hoe kindly.

"Well, when we went for our holiday, I met this gorgeous, sexy female at the pub. She was making eyes at me and of course I couldn't resist her.  We drank and danced and flirted away the evening until somebody started a fight.  I was dragged into it and before I knew it, they had thrown me out.  Ever since coming home, I haven't been able to forget her, so I went back to the pub hoping to see her again."

"What?" exclaimed Ah Hoe.  "Is that where you went?  No wonder we couldn't find you.  You could have at least told me, Ning.  Then what happened?"

"Well, I didn't know she had a boyfriend.  When he saw us together, he grabbed me by the neck, beat me up and threw me into the drain.  I had a hard time getting home, broken leg and all....."

Ah Hoe shook his head.  "Ning, Ning, you're always playing with fire, when will you learn?"

Ning hung his head and murmured an apology.  "I'm sorry, Ah Hoe, guess I'll be out of action for a while.  Who's going to help you with the burgers?"

"I can manage, don't worry, Ning." said Ah Hoe.  "But next time, just don't run off like that, ok?"

The villagers, when they heard of Ning's "accident" as Ah Hoe called it, were very concerned and insisted on visiting their "burger cat".  They gathered at Ah Hoe's house and some even brought small gifts like a blanket and a cushion for Ning.  I happened to be there as well and I could see that Ning was very touched.

After they had gone, Ning said to us, tears glistening in his eyes.  "You know, Da, you, Ah Hoe and Head Nun have been so good to me.  Now the villagers have shown me how much they care.  I am truly overwhelmed...."

Ah Hoe smiled and hugged us both.  "You two are like my sons.  I love you both dearly and come what may, I will always take care of you."

And on that note, the evening ended.   I silently thanked the Lord Buddha for bringing Ning safely home.  Suddenly, it didn't matter any more what he did or didn't do - so long as he's safe and sound.