Callie was sitting at the dining table, probably waiting for her mom to come out of the room. When I stepped out, she was all eyes on me, waiting to see what I would do next.
I had never been fascinated with cats, although we had one when I was a kid. We called him Tom, for reasons I never really knew. That cat used to defecate inside our toilet and never messed around the house.
Callie is China’s pet, given to her by her inaanak, Bheng Tuazon-Bautista, who owns lots of Persian cats. Cats can be very affectionate, sometimes hugging you or even trying to massage you.
Our cat has a litter box inside the house filled with silica litter sand (China bought half a dozen sacks of it). I could never stomach the smell whenever I passed by that area. Maybe that’s why I wouldn’t dare take care of the cat myself. Thanks to Aries, our all-around guy at school and at home, the litter box disappears on time before I prepare my morning coffee.
For a few days now, Callie has been waiting outside our room, probably missing her fur mom, China, who is in India as of this writing. In the past, Callie used to sneak into our room and hide under the bed, refusing to come out despite repeated attempts. That’s when I call in my friend and last line of defense,Bruno, my am-bul. As the saying goes, “You’re like cats and dogs,” meaning lifelong enemies. True enough, Callie runs as fast as she can when Bruno appears.
I think cats and dogs value us more than most people do. When I was away from home for 21 days due to illness, Bruno was so worried he barely ate and seemed lonesome. Callie now spends most of her time on top of the piano, wondering where her mom is.
With all the negativity happening here and around the world, pets help dissolve those negative energies by absorbing them. Whenever I have too much on my mind, I just walk Bruno and soon enough, I feel better.
This week, I don’t want to write anything about politics, politicians, or even our Meralco bill with its additional “lifeline” charges. I just want to be in that peaceful state like our pets, who don’t worry about what tomorrow will bring. If things come, they come; if they don’t, they don’t.
I get tired of listening to the justice committee in Congress barking at each other. Sometimes I imagine what if, because of all the chaos in our chambers, we send our pets to sit in Congress for a few days or weeks? At least their bickering would be justified, because after all, they’re cats and dogs.
Those are just my wild imaginings, not out of frustration, but out of a wish to find the simplest way for our respectable government officials to get their acts together for the betterment of our country.
As for Callie, I assure her that China will come home soon. And unlike politicians who only make promises, she will be welcomed with care and affection. ||
