The Enemy Is In The House

It is too foggy for the enemy to leave my house now ……

Chapter 1

No one can forget the events immediately leading to their deaths. And if only he had confessed to my parents in 2006 that he had slept with me, then everything would have been better for all of us, including God concerned. God hates liars.

Chapter 2

A criminal can never erase his footprints enough even if he has eliminated all tools and appliances used in the act before he leaves the scene of crime. Never mind about his conscience the 良心,and ruling out the “sin” part in the Christian believes.

It is all about how smart he is. And that was how the man by the name of てつや やまがみ who shot 普三 安倍 the Japanese Prime Minister was subsequently apprehended and brought to justice. But was it justice for the entire nation and justice for his poor mother? Was Shinzo Abe actually the best Prime Minister that ever was for Japan? Only the native knows. I don’t. And I am in no mood to criticize a departed man and talk politics.

Today I just want to find out if he had gone into heaven. All departed souls go to heaven. And heaven is where the heart is.

We all tell our immediate family where we would want to go after we have passed into the next world. I am nowhere near departure, so I shan’t reveal where I want to go to. I don’t even like to tell others where I intend to go to when I step out of my house.

I value my privacy more than anyone I know.

“How old are you?” the Grab driver asked.

“You guess,” I said, that is when I feel like talking to him. Coz guessing brings us closer.

“So, you are a lady of leisure.” This sounds like an old acquaintance whom I disliked. I felt annoyed. The same tone a different voice.

She was my colleague in Law School. Being a year older she went in and became my senior. And she was the first to introduce me to the Bible. They were called the “Navigators” in the 1980s.

I was educated in Chinese, so that at the time, I couldn’t understand what she was trying to get at. Jesus Christ was still new to me. I can’t say that the Man has not saved me before, and I still pray the Rosary at times. I watch American movies and am a fan of several Caucasian actors.

But when I told my Chinese friends that I speak to Jesus in English, a panic alarm was sent across. Several attempts were made to induce me to enter into the Christian settings in Chinese. Why do I have to relearn the Biblical names in Chinese when in fact it was first taught in English in which I am conversant in praying to Him?

But I rarely talk to Him. He knows where I am.

Back to 安倍。It was on 8 July 2022 that he was assassinated. Almost four years have elapsed. He was a good friend of Singapore. 

Chapter 3

We have moved on. But history remains. And memories do not fade. We can’t live without our memories. Destroying a person’s memory is cruel and unkind. Only Satan would do that. Satan is the most condemned character in the Bible. 

I study English, but I have known enough vocabulary to read the Bible. 

We sometimes call Satan S.A. Tan. No, we are not making fun of the Bible. We are just a little nation, who are still quite stupid, and would like to believe that regardless, we have a sense of humour. 

Afraid of the Nipah virus now. So, I try to avoid going out.

Chapter 4

Then who keeps me company? It’s my dog Elaine. 

Elaine is my best friend for now. She is a bitch. But I love her, even though I know that she is a canine. I am not alone. A lot of people think that dogs make better friends.

We adopted Elaine some three years after Arthur our cat, when she was born.

Cats typically last 12 to 15 human years, and 1 cat year is 15 years human life. So that cats are always at age one. They never turn old. They either die before they turn one, or never.

When Arthur had contracted pneumonia and died, both Leo and I were heart broken, and we swore that we were not going to adopt another animal after Elaine. 

Elaine is ok. We can bring her out, except that he is confined to the estate. We don’t see dogs in many public places. She can travel, but not for a holiday. 

That is ok. 

She shits everywhere in our apartment. And that is extremely troublesome. I pick up her doggy poo several times a day. Leo has never been made responsible for this.

The first dog year is equivalent to 15 human years. The second equals 9 human years. So that dogs live 24 years maximum. That means that dogs can only celebrate a 2 year birthday.

Chapter 5

This morning at breakfast Molly suddenly spoke to Leo, “Why don’t you make a will,” she said.

“Huh? Will? What for?” Leo replied.

“So that if anything happens to you, I would be able to claim for your inheritance,” Molly said.

“But …. But …. “ Leo said.

“We are not officially married, our union is not recognised in law,” she lamented.

“But then we have been together for so many years!” Leo said.

“At most it is a common law marriage,” she continued.

Common law marriages are not claimable without a valid will.

“But then where would the money go to?” Leo was puzzled.

“I don’t know, you might be having another woman outside, I have no idea.”

“Why would you say that darling?” “I have been as faithful as a puppy.” Leo protested.

“You have been coming home late in the evenings recently,” Molly complained.

“That does not mean that I was unfaithful. Do you see me outside with another woman?” Leo carried on.

“Not yet, I still don’t have any evidence.” Molly.

“Evidence! What evidence do you want???” Leo.

“Evidence of your bad behaviour,” Molly.

“Well, if you want, I could fabricate some for you …. if that makes you happy ….” Leo gave up.

“Ok, done!” and with that Molly closed the topic of conversation.

Chapter 6

Leo was perturbed, but not unhappy.

He and Molly had been living with each other for at least a decade. Arthur was adopted at four and he took another 6 years from Leo and Molly until all revenues were exhausted before the feline would call it quits. Meaning that Arthur died young, since cats are allotted 15 years. After that the landlord stepped in and stopped them from adopting another feline, so they moved to a smaller house.

At least the new landlord allowed them to keep Elaine. Elaine is a beagle.

And beagles are similar to foxhound. Molly sometimes brings her beagling.

Chapter 7

Today Elaine saw Molly collapsed on the floor, it inclined its ears to hear what she was saying: “Dear God, I pray that Elaine will live long. Please grant her the maximum life span of at least twenty years allotted to dogs.”

Oh, she is praying for me. Elaine thought to herself. 

At dinner that evening, Molly presented Leo with just a chunk of beef and two pieces of broccoli. 

“That’s all I can cook for tonight,” Molly said.

“You can’t think of other dishes??” Leo asked.

“What would you like?” Molly asked.

“Use your own brains.” Leo became angry.

“Hey! Why are you in such a bad mood?” “I didn’t do anything,” Molly protested.

“Precisely, it is because you didn’t do anything,” the man explained.

“So, apart from cooking and cleaning dog shit, what else do you want me to do?” the poor woman responded.

Leo moved away from the dining table, leaving Molly bewildered.

Molly looked at the used plates and cups, she picked them up and went to the kitchen, quietly she cleaned up the leftovers and gave them to Elaine.

At least Elaine is nice to me! Molly was crying inside her heart.

From that moment Molly decided that she must leave Leo. The best way to do it is to get a woman to seduce him. Once it is his fault, then she could just drain his account and leave. And then, if Leo still refuses to release evidence that he had slept with another woman, Molly will need to get Jack the P.I. of Spider’s Bureau to procure the evidence.

These evidence Molly would show it to Leo to prove infidelity as a reason to walk out on him. Although they need not prove it to the courts that they are divorced, since they were only married in church. 

Damien was the paster who performed the ceremony at the time. But he had since become late. No notice was given to Molly. “I believe church is the best place where unions are formed,” he helped Leo in the idea of marriage without the registry, “after all, most people marry in church, especially if they had found their partners from a church gathering.” 

Chapter 8

You can’t make others steal when they have no intention to steal. Likewise, you shouldn’t encourage others to kill themselves, unless you are absolutely sure that they would have killed themselves by some other more lethal means. But if the person is already on his way to a meeting with the Almighty, then you must accompany him. Whether the Almighty would allow him to return is another matter. This is not abetment. This is just letting nature takes its course. And this is just being polite as you respect a person’s own decision making.

So today Leo tried to find out who Molly’s God is, as he sees her praying at night before they go to bed. 

She would light a candle, then take out her Rosary, and then meditate for at least half an hour. During which time she is oblivious to her surroundings. The candle continues to shine, and Leo is rather annoyed I would say, having to wait for her in bed together with Molly.

“I have never gone to Mass with her before,” Leo thought to himself. “Maybe I should follow her to one and see if she had been there seducing other parishioners.”

“Dear, where would you like to go?” Leo asked during dinner.

“Huh? Where?” innocently Molly asked.

“Like, a place of worship,…..” Leo replied.

“But you don’t go to church!” Molly replied.

“But I would like to follow you if you have been travelling there,” Leo said.

“Travelling!” Molly said, “Why don’t we go to South Africa,”

“NO. I mean in Singapore,” Leo was crossed.

“I don’t want to go to a church in Singapore, I want you to bring me to a place of worship overseas,” Molly said.

“Then no deal.” Leo said.

“So, you are not following me to church?” Molly was quite happy.

Inside Leo, he was getting fumed up.

He left the dining table without collecting the rest of the food on his plate.

Inside the kitchen. “PANG!” A plate was dropped. 

Leo rushed to the kitchen. “What happened?” he asked.

“No, nothing,” Molly responded immediately.

“You broke my plate!!!” Leo shouted.

“No, I didn’t. It fell onto the floor by itself.”

“How can a plate drop by itself? It can’t fly. You must have done it.”

“Do you want me to pick up the pieces?” Molly asked.

“OMG! You lost your brains!” Leo shouted.

And with that Leo stormed out of the kitchen, back to his favourite spot in front of the television.

The screen was just showing one of the serials from “Squid Game.”

And then Molly heard laughter from Leo.

Why is he so happy? I thought I just broke one of his favourite plates?!

Chapter 9

Since Molly read the news aloud to her, Elaine had been in a bad mood.

Molly used to admire the Japanese. Of course, as her canine companion Elaine should know. 

It’s time to go down. I need to pee. 

“Woof! Woof!” Elaine shouted at the top of her vocal cord.

“Woof! Woof!” Molly responded.

When Molly does that, I know that she is telling me to wait. Elaine thought to herself.

Then, “Keep quiet!” Molly said to Elaine again.

After Molly had logged out of her computer and changed into a new set of clothes, she brought Elaine down.

Today Elaine saw a new friend. 

He is good looking! Elaine thought to herself.

And there is no better way to introduce herself to her new friend except to woof at him.

“Woof!” then,

“Woof! Woof!” followed by,

“Woof! Woof! Woof!” Elaine began to court the Silky Terrier.   

Silky started to bark at Elaine.

Who is the master of Silky? Elaine thought to herself.

She waited for a long time, but Silky’s master never came to claim ownership. 

After a while, she saw Silky went up the road and disappeared into one of the staircases.

Elaine continued to pursue him, and then at the entrance to a first-floor unit, a door was ajar. 

She must be inside. Elaine thought.

“Woof! Woof!” Elaine.

“Woof! Woof! Woof!”

Chapter 10

Today Molly plucked up the courage to bring Elaine out for a walk outside the estate. 

Elaine started to bark even before she reached the ground floor. 

“Keep quiet,” Molly said. But Elaine doesn’t recognize this command now. She had connected with Silky.

“Woof woof woof woof woof woof,” the bitch started. She was looking for Silky; it was to tell Silky to come down and join her as well.

But Alas! It only disturbed the neighbours.

And then, “Hey! Molly!” a male voice.

“Who are you?” Molly heard the man.

“I recognize you by your dog,” the man said. 

“Oh, I didn’t realize, am I the only person with a beagle?”

“Seems to be, your beagle has a nice coat pattern,” the man started talking.

“Oh yeah, there were more than one, I like Elaine’s that was why I chose her, “Molly said.

“Let me bring my dog out, just a minute,” he followed suit.

Elaine was overjoyed when she saw that it was Silky.

“Wooo, oooo, ….,” Elaine. But Silky was less talkative.

She must be hiding something. Elaine thought to herself. Let me find out.

Chapter 11

“Why is Elaine in such a splenetic mood?” A splenetic situation occurs when the mind becomes incoherent as thoughts rambling. 

When Elaine was barking after Leo had just brought her down for a pee, Leo was annoyed.

“She is usually quite well behaved, what did you do to her?”

“Nothing, I brought her down,”

“I know, but where?”  

“Oh, she peed at the same spots,” Molly replied.

“Mind if you tell me specifically which spots?” Leo asked.

Molly turned and she switched off her lamp by the bed.

Flabbergasted, Leo patted Elaine, then decided to cover himself until Elaine stopped barking. He had no idea that Elaine found a companion.

Inside Molly’s brains she was thinking of how to get Leo to write his will. And then at midnight when Elaine started barking again. The plans had already been lodged.

Chapter 12

Molly have been having the same recurring dream that everyone refused to take a photo with her at her birthday party. 

It disturbed Molly as she couldn’t recall what clothes she was wearing in her dreams, and which birthday. So that she picked a random piece. But the moment she came out she realised that she was in the wrong attire. The sun was hot and everyone was in thin, nylon clothing. 

Elaine was of course excited, and she dragged her straight towards the staircase that Silky disappeared in.

Molly of course knew what was happening.

The moment she went near the block, she heard Silky barking. “Woof! Woof!”

And then a man came out.

Molly could not believe her eyes.

This was a cache of Richard Gere!

She paused, bright-eye and bushy-tailed, she said “Good morning, sir!” to the man.

“I do not have a helper you want to come in and clean?”

“Oh, no, no, no, …. “ and she immediately turned to Silky and said, “Woof! Woof!”

The man looked at her with amusement, took the leash and pulled Silky away, “bitch,” he said.

Elaine was very upset. Why he called me a bitch???

So rude!!!

“Call me rich!” the man dropped the sentence and started to walk.

Frozen, Molly said ok and started to follow him, as Elaine was also pulling Molly in the same direction.

“Are you ok?” the man talked as he walked.

“Oh yes of course I am, especially seeing you now …. “

“May I know your name, sir?” tentatively Molly asked. 

“Rich, I thought I just told you,” 

“I am sorry, I know you are rich, sorry that should have asked.” Molly complied.

The man laughed. 

“You silly, my name is Richard,” 

“Oh, I see …. “ Molly put on her best smiles.

“Your beagle is a female right?” the man said.

“How did you know?!” Molly was genuinely surprised.

“I know enough about dogs than most people, I can see by their appearance,” And then he paused, “I used to be a veterinarian,” he winked his eyes.

“Then, is Silky a male or a female?” She asked.

The man looked at Molly again, this time with a quizzical eye, “I thought I told you,” 

“Huh?” again Molly couldn’t understand him.

By this time the two dogs are already fully acquainted with each other and were frolicking around.

Suddenly the man pulled Silky away, and then Molly realised that they had reached the staircase where Richard lives.

How did he know that Elaine was a bitch? And then Molly suddenly realised that she was using a fuchsia pink for Elaine’s leash.

Molly was beginning to fall for Richard the Rich man.

They say old enemy can exploit fresh toil.

The next day was a rainy day, so that Molly could not bring Elaine for a walk at the estate.

She waited the entire day to chance with Richard, but the man was not there when she brought Elaine down. Only a few cars with remnants of rainwater collected on their bodies greeted Molly. And Elaine as usual peed at her usual spots.

Chapter 13

Sometimes we don’t know the consequences until we have made a mistake. And we depend on the good people around us to show us how we have affected others badly.

The moment Molly stepped into the house, she sensed something different.

It was not until she went to the back of the living room at the corner where cabinets were displayed that she found that Leo had bought a Lady Buddha.

Satori 悟り immediately seized upon her, and she bowed down and prayed, until Leo came behind her and patted her on the shoulder, “are you praying in English or Chinese?” he asked.

“It’s between me and my God.” Molly was defiant.

“Ok, as you say so,” and then Leo added, “don’t forget that I paid for the Lady Buddha.”

“Woof!” Elaine barked in acquiescence.

The poor woman was devastated. But she remained determined to see Richard again. 

Elaine started to howl again. “Wooo, oooo …. “

Leo pulled Elaine’s leash aside, “I will walk her today,”

“But she just came up,” Molly said.

“Oh, I thought you brought her to the market,”

Molly immediately went into the kitchen to cook. At dinner, she then realized that Leo had not come up with Elaine.

Where could they be?

At 9:00 pm, Molly decided to pack up the dinner plates and put the dishes into the sink to wash. 

At 10:00 pm, Leo was still in the garden ….

At 11:00 pm, Molly heard the door click, signaling Leo’s return.  She quickly pulls the blanket over her face and pretended to be asleep.

The next morning Leo woke up and saw that Molly had gone down for a walk with Elaine before he went out.

She was disappointed that Richard was not at the garden. 

“Elaine, where is Silky?” she spoke.

After three minutes, Richard appeared with Silky.

“Where were we last night?” 

“Last night? I thought we met in the morning?” Molly retorted, she was still fresh in her memory.

The same Richard brought her up the path where the other houses were. He let Silky peed at her regular spots before he would talk to Molly again.

“So, you want to apply for a job in my company?” 

“Yes, of course, any position,” Molly was happy.

“Then how about my personal assistance?” Richard said.

“Of course! Thank you Sir!”

“Come by tomorrow morning,” Richard replied.

With this employment prospect, Molly was happy to follow Elaine back to the house. She forgot that Elaine had not peed yet.

Half an hour later, she found Elaine peed on the console where the statue of Lady Buddha stood.

“OMG! OMG! …. ”

She took out a cane and hit Elaine!

No one knew who supplied Molly with the cane and no one knew why Leo bought the statue.

But for now, Molly had secured an appointment with Richard.

Chapter 14

Do dogs tear? I don’t know. Neither does Molly.

Leo took over the walking of Elaine as well as cooking.

Molly went to work at Richard’s office.

And then Elaine stopped howling at night. 

Silky had disappeared from the grounds and Richard and Molly became a pair in Tableware Kitchen.

Do dogs recognize dogs of their own breed when they see each other? I know that they cannot recognize their own reflection in the mirror. And I know that because as Molly, I have reared dogs before.

And Leo knows that all Molly wanted was to get a job instead of looking after Elaine.

Elaine was a woman that she knew a long time ago who had helped her find herself. An old acquaintance I would say.

Or you could call her your 闺蜜, meaning your confidant.

She was not love with Silky. I think that dogs know who’s who in their own dimensions.

But poor Leo, he had become the helper of Molly, who now looks after the entire estate. 

This of course, is a secret between Leo and Richard. 

Who is the enemy? She is in the house. 

Her name is Elaine. 

A Fat Cat’s Tail

I saw his fat tail at the airport …..

Chapter 1

Let‘s go back to 1983.  

In 1983, Molly adopted a cat and a dog. The cat was black, with several patches of white, spread over his entire body like a picture of the world map over a globe, the white representing countries with no green and brown revealing the curves of the mountains and the firm and sometimes muddy land.

Molly loves the cat, the name she gave him was Arthur, as she had an uncle by that same name. This uncle was a flamboyant lawyer, and has had several wives, totalling an even number. 

The first was a lady who loved dancing. She danced with him for a few nights and proposed to him, instead of he to her, the moment she realized that he had decided that it was time to call it quits. He accepted it at once, and she of course, being the one who wanted it, jumped at saying “yes,” subsequently like a cat she submitted to him, so we called her “Meow” or “Mimi” to simplify.  

And that was how her name “Meow” was arrived at. “Meow” being the sound verbalized by a cat.

Since we all call his second wife “Mdm. Meow”, this would mean that Arthur is also a cat, by logical definition. Since cats can only marry cats.

Chapter 2

Molly told me: They say that if you see a black cat on the streets after midnight you should avoid her. I used the female gender because I always thought that cats are female as they look soft and they purr and lay quietly unless provoked. But I did not realize that they are fierce and aggressive, especially with their long nails, they scratch at everything that they see. I am a cat, and a cat who derived my ancestry from the snow leopard. 

Molly used to say, “I love snow,” and then the snow leopard would jump out from behind the computer screen and come out to join her. For dinner of course. But the real snow leopard would turn his face away from anyone if disturbed. They love the snow and they hide inside the tent 🏕️. But when they are out, they are slow and deliberate. The truth is, that Molly has never brought me to the North Pole region before.

In contrast I never liked polar bears although I once knew a polar bear in an Australian zoo. But for now, I think we skip Australia, it’s too close to New Zealand and too far away from Russia. How the animals got there I had no idea. 

Chapter 3

This morning, half asleep, I strayed into a Japanese joint together with Molly. When Molly asked for serviettes, the staff refused to come to our table. Only when I woke up did I realized that Molly had paid only as little as twelve dollars and fifty cents. Molly explained to me later that they wanted to close shop as it was late, since they can’t even spare serviettes. Of course, they had no idea that Molly would feed me quietly on the side. I did hear the lady answered, “you never asked”, and then Molly said, “just bring the piece of paper over, my dear,” afterwards I saw Molly got up from her seat at the table to take it herself, then they informed her that they usually place it at the counter in a round container. 

I heard Molly talking to herself, “Why can’t they tell me right from the start?”  

In bed, I saw Molly complaining to Leo when he got home that night. I knew straight away what it was. It must have been the shopaholic thing again. And so, I had to pronounce the rule of law for Molly – customer is always right. 

This is what I have observed with Molly. The moment she walks into any mall, an alarm would sound, signalling that she has come in. If not immediately then soon after. And then she would want to spend. How they install this urge to spend in her system I do not understand. It must have been me meowing. So, they must know that I am hiding inside her bag.

Leo told Molly not to talk next time before they went to bed that night. I heard.

And then the next morning when I went to have my breakfast at the usual spot, I saw two pieces of fish. “Fish fillet”, I heard Molly said. Wow!

The flesh was soft and thick, with no bones, and plain. A little salty I thought. Perhaps it came directly from the sea.

Then subsequently, I tried to ask for milk. Reluctantly Molly came. 

This time the milk was colder than usual, and I got a tummy ache. Afterwards I lie in my little corner in the oval basket with a soft blanket, and I told myself to just sleep it off instead of getting angry. MEOW! I thought to myself.

Chapter 4

Today Molly tried to bring me into a restaurant. I heard her say “Bring me to The Buckmoon Hotel,” to the Grab driver in the car. When we got out of the car, I heard the doorman at the entrance telling the concierge at the front desk to bring us to the restaurant. The waiter inside brought us to a corner. This time I could sense that it wasn’t Japanese. 

The Sensurround was different and the mood was different. No loud noises, no people walking with heels, and not a sound was made as Molly was putting food into her mouth.

Which means that she was eating alone. 

“Is she alone?” I heard the waitress asked.

How would I know? I am inside her basket. How would I know if she is dining with a companion?

Instantly I realized that I had been put into the position of an inspector detective. Reluctantly, I gave out a meow to remind her that I was inside.

“Keep quiet!” Molly said to me.

But someone noticed her talking to me. 

“You can’t come in here with this basket,” it was a woman’s voice.

“Huh why can’t I?” “What is wrong with this basket?”

“Err …. It’s too rattan,” she said.

“Too rattan, what’s wrong with rattan?” “I like rattan,” Molly emphasized.

The patch on the rattan is too, too, …. I don’t know …. How shall I say it?” the woman said.

“Hey! You are not …. You are not a waitress,” Molly said.

“Then I ask my manager to come,” I heard, it’s the same woman I could determine.

Stay cool, I told Molly.

After several minutes, nothing happened. 

And then I heard the clinking sound of the crockery and plate. Immediately I felt safe.

Going backwards, I thought to myself, why can’t cats be allowed into a restaurant? We need to eat too! What is there between me and they? Why am I only allowed to live inside this basket in a poor man’s existence? I am a citizen and a customer, in Grab, in a restaurant, and everywhere I go. I have been following Molly everywhere and branding Molly a shopaholic. It is a glorified title, I know. Molly likes to shop because she has the means to buy, at those various entry points. But not now, I think she wants to conserve her energy into just looking after me. She wants to buy clothes for me I think.

I want to see everything that Molly owned before she makes the decision to buy clothes for me.

And then I heard a loud conversation. Someone shouted, “We are trying very hard to stop war from descending on this earth.

Then silence, and I saw Molly picking me up and walked out of the restaurant almost as soon as she called for the bill.

I am sure that Molly has picked up the bill and paid for whatever that she consumed. 

Tonight, I was given just some biscuits and milk with no blanket to sleep on. In the middle of the night, I gave out a meow and then jumped straight to bed into Leo’s welcome arms.

Why? What happened today? I heard Leo ask Molly.

…….

Chapter 5

Today Molly tried to teach me some Chinese characters. She wrote on a piece of paper some Chinese characters.

And then she flashed it at me – 酸甜苦乐。I saw. 

Ok, I know. They are Chinese characters, totally four in numbers. She thinks that I don’t know how to read Chinese. Very humiliating. I came from a Chinese hemisphere, of course I know Chinese. Cats also have feelings you know.

I came from the rugged, high-altitude mountain ranges of Central and South Asia, not from the Arctic. I derive my ancestry from the snow leopard, not from the polar bears. I love the snows which is my own kind.

But I think half-way in transit I was talking to a polar bear from China, also in the cargo compartment, who was on his way to Australia. As I was packed in a cage, I went into the checkpoint and came out and then whilst resting in the transit area, I heard someone telling the other, “It works both ways.” 

“What works both ways? You pay money I give you the goods,” one of the voices. Are they selling drugs?  Omg!

Is this what the Chinese calls礼尚往来?

I was perplexed. And very disturbed. 

Chapter 6

This late afternoon I was being carried into a nice boutique. I said it was nice because I could smell the lemony and delicious scent, not fragrant because fragrant is a term to describe rice, particularly Thai rice.

Err … you could say that I am a smart cat, I have preconceived notion about some things and I don’t know why.

I saw lots of people walking in and moving about as well to create the impression that there are plenty of buyers, whereas it is usually Molly who buys. It created the 气 atmosphere for Molly to spend more money.

Is Molly rich? I don’t know. But she seems having the urge to buy very often. And I don’t know why. As a cat, I only have the urge to pee. 

But I don’t have this urge whenever I am outside with Molly. There is no facility to pee for cats.

In any case, it is highly inconvenient for Molly to help me pee in the toilet. Molly doesn’t know how cats pee. I usually pee in the sand box in the house. 

Tonight, as I lay quietly in the arms of Leo, I heard Molly discussing the Bible with Leo, “The Bible describes the “last days” as a period marked by intense global conflict, with Jesus Christ confronting Satan and all his forces, prophesying in that “nation will rise against nation” and “wars and rumours of wars” will occur. These conflicts are considered part of the “birth pains” leading to the final battle of Armageddon where human governments oppose God’s authority …..”

Let me translate this into cat thinking: There is no last day on earth, it only attaches to those Christians who are extremely depressed, human beings are too smart to enter war. The middle east the Gaza war in 2023 started exactly on President Putin’s 71st birthday. They call it the October 7 war. Did he ask for war? To think that would be ludicrous. No one wants war. We only like to demonstrate that we have the power to kill, just like when I see another cat coming into my territory, which is when Molly picks up another cat or say “I love you” to another feline. 

Meow is ok whenever this happens.

But no, for someone who does not wish to die, and who wants to be reborn, after departure, they ought to switch to Buddhism as they believe in the theory of reincarnation. No, this is not my advice. It is my own opinion which I am entitled to say to you. I am not a Buddhist either, but I like the Buddha for the moment. He is round and cute, and he has a fat tummy. Nice! 

I was always under the notion that cats will be reborn into dogs.

Chapter 7

Molly is treating me well.  I lie quietly in the basket without meowing and I watch her stitch. I see her tummy sometimes as she does not do enough exercise. No, I do not accompany her for her regular exercises. I sleep in my little basket in the little corner. Waiting for her to come home.

Then I see Leo pick up several pieces of paper, and I see his mind thinking ….. what shall I do ….. with these vouchers?

I meow to Leo, “throw!” 

Leo said, “they are money you know,”

“Don’t you know these tricks?” I meow.

“These are paper money, it’s akin to a situation when ancestors die, the Chinese burn paper money in an incense in a ritual to send money to them, by way of repayment,

“In the business context, you go into a restaurant, you eat, they give you free money, after that because you don’t want to waste, you come back and spend, so that they feel that they have given you back something.”

“But I am not their ancestors,” I heard Leo protest.

“And neither am I their ancestors!”

I know you know that you are not a dead person. I meow.

Finally, Leo gave up.

“By the way, where did she eat?” Leo asked. 

“In a restaurant in the Tanglin Mall,” I meow.

“What did she order?”

“Thai food,” Meow.

“So, I don’t eat Thai food from now on?” Leo asked me.

“No, there is nothing wrong with Thai food, by all means,” Meow.

Leo tears. I know that he was very disappointed as he liked the food there. I was also disappointed because this is a new set up.

Molly was just as disappointed when she came home later when Leo told her not to go there anymore. I had been there with them. There was a person by the name of “Mary”, as well as a man who called himself “Jesus”. They must be nicknames. 

So that now I am unlikely to go into this restaurant again in the near foreseeable future.

Hey! Molly hasn’t given me a name!!!

Chapter 8

Let me recall.

They had lunch together at the Thai restaurant.

Maybe they saw Molly talking to me in the basket. Again? How could they see me? 

During the conversation, I heard the word, “ancestors”. I am beginning to wonder, who am I in relation to Molly? What was my relationship to her? Was I one of her ancestors? And if so? Who was I? 

But the truth is, even as a cat, we ought to be kind and gentle, so that we can be reincarnated as a human. Yes, of course, I know that I am a cat. A  ハンサム cat.

Ah, I see my food is coming. I  saw her carry the bowl, and then she sprays a thin layer of chilli and ginger over the not so white rice. I was happy that she does not feed me with this today. 

I could read Molly’s mind now.

She says, “being human is tough. We need to eat, sleep and work at the same time. And if we are unable to do so, we exercise until our bodies lie flat on the floor.

Chapter 9

Just because they give me a few biscuits and some milk they think they own me. I looked at the two pathetic faces, and I gave out a meow in a different pitch, to voice my protest.

Today she has a pair of slippers in purple towel looking like she just came out from the bathroom. I had never followed Molly into the bathroom before. 

After that when Molly put me in the basket I knew that she was going to bring me out again. But this time it feels like a different basket. We walked into a pop-up café, a well-supported first class dining area and lots of people walking in to buy cakes and biscuits thus creating the impression that there are shoppers for Molly to spend afterwards. But fact is, that the food is delicious. I was told before I went in. I meow loudly.

Gingerly I followed Molly into the restaurant. And I am afraid to find customers looking into the basket to find out that I am inside.

Shut up! She puts a finger to her lips, whilst looking at the waitress. The waitress was stunned. How could that be? You mean you slept with him last night? This lady was under the impression that Molly was single and unmarried, so that if she puts a ring to her finger she must have been married or at least engaged.

And then the waitress asks her, in front of me, “is this from your grandmother’s collection?” 

“Huh? Who told you?” I heard Molly responding. How did she know that this was from my grandmother? My grandmother has been dead a long time ago. The reincarnated form?

Immediately she took her bag and walked out of the restaurant. The basket was moving back and forth, and I shivering. Then after a few steps. She turned back and put me on the chair again. I was quite happy, and I immediately meow, loud enough for all diners to hear.

Chapter 10

Today I saw Molly’s feet with a set of purple furry slipper looking like she just came out from the bathroom. I have never followed her into a bathroom, even though she does not close her door when she enters the bathroom. I am allowed to roam in the entire house. She sleeps eats reads and sits in my presence. The only time she closes her door on me is when she goes into the bathroom. Often I meow and scratch the door. 

I sensed that Molly is looking for people to scold this morning. Just because the toast did not pop out of the box on time, she scolded Leo. “Is this a sin in the ten commandments?” I heard Leo respond.

After a while I realized that there is an unspoken rule in the house, like a demarcated line drawn between them.

I saw her carry the plate then she spreads a thin layer of jam and butter over her bread.

I was very happy until I was on the way out again. I regretted it the moment I went into the basket. Before I went in I peeped at the tag and saw that it was a Loewe. 

I realized that I was sitting on the first-class seat. Now I think they are sending me back into the mountains, will they convert me back into a snow leopard again?

This time I knew that there is no way back.

“难到你要我见死不就?” I heard Molly said to Leo.

OMG! Chinese again!! I rushed out of the house and went to the nearest shelter to hide. 

A man in black asked, “what are you doing here?” 

Don’t you know that I am a feline? I can’t understand what you are saying!

“I think she is inside,” the other male voice said.

I dare not make a sound, I tried to pretend that I am a dog this time, I opened my mouth, but I can’t woof, I can only meow.

“Let me go and check in on her,” the other guy said.

I lay quietly at under the table, and I could hear someone coming to clear the smelly food away. And then the sound of the truck faded into the distance.

I waited for what seems to be an eternity.

Molly always had this telepathy with me. The moment I meow she picks me up. And now, I can’t meow anymore.

Desperate, I walked out of my hiding place, and there I see Molly coming.

“Where are you? I thought you had gone far.…” “You are a cat, not the snow leopard …” she shouted. 

She picked me up and she carried me in her arms and walked out of the guardhouse. 

I am back to eating biscuits and drinking milk again!

I still prefer the basket I am used to, although Loewe would have made a better choice.