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written by: Banyan Chung
Martin loves cats. He always stops on his way back home for stray cats. He would pet them, feed them if it was dinner time, tell them his deepest secrets, and enjoy the purring and affectionate rubbing from those lovely creatures.
Martin loves cats so much that sometimes he would even “arrange” a time for them so that they can share happiness before he returns home. The number of his furry lovers is unknown, but one thing is for sure: he really likes them, and they like him back, sometimes even more than he does.
You might wonder: if he loves cats so much, why doesn’t he keep one? Well, yes, he does. He has a beautiful and energetic babe in his house, whom he met at just the perfect time. Since the government said every person can only keep one pet, he decided that she would be his favorite. So that’s it. He becomes her home, and she becomes his only feline for the rest of his life. Even so, he wouldn’t mind that she goes out wandering around in the neighborhood as long as she comes home; she also wouldn’t care if he pats some fellows’ heads on his way back.
Again, you might wonder: how do you know so well about Martin and his life? Well, because I am one of the stray cats, whom he pets on his way home, feeds during dinner time, talks his deepest worries and desires with, and receives purring and affection from.
When we first met, he said he already had a cat at home, so he couldn’t stay for too long. Secretly, I followed him to his house, then I saw her. I saw her glamorous hair and confident gestures. I saw them having dinner together in a stable and lovely cabin, under the warm cozy yellow light. I saw the way he looked at her. It must be nice to be her, I thought about it as I stood in the distance, in the cool dark late at night. Then I walked back to the street where I usually stay, tucked myself in a slightly torn cardboard box, and closed my eyes, forcing myself to think about something else.
That said, the next day, when he passed by on his way home, I still greeted him with my greatest smile, focused on the moment, and got as much attention from him as possible, before being drowned with the sadness that he was about to go home to stay with her.
Today it is rainy. He didn’t come. My cardboard box was soaking wet. Despite this colorful, crowded, and happy world, I can go nowhere. I don’t know why, but I went to his cabin again. Still the same cabin, still the same pleasant yellow light, still the same happiness glowing between the pair, but somehow, I couldn’t see anything clearly anymore.
It must be nice to be her, I thought before everything went blank.
