Pigtails- A Faith Story

By Prapti Walia

Faith sat comfortably on the seat built into the recess of her bedroom window. Her usual post dinner ritual. Book in hand, and a cup of green tea by her side, she looked up to gauge the mood of the sky tonight. Pigtails, her Persian cat, curled up next to her and purred- as if to say goodnight, and then settled herself onto Faith’s feet, gently closing her feather light eyes. Pigtails knew better than to wait up for Faith. Sleep had not been her friend for awhile. The pattern was the same atleast 5 days out of 7. A weak dinner, a cup of green tea that went cold on most nights, feeble attempts at reading, pacing around the room, angry mumbling followed by tears of rage, until mercifully she’d finally cry herself to sleep. Pigtails wondered if it had something to do with Sam. They hadn’t seen Sam for awhile now. Pigtails liked Sam. He had been the best one so far. He would play with her and bring her treats. Pigtails loved putting up a show when Sam was around and watching. Faith and he laugh as she acted silly. They were joyful times. He would also bring Faith gifts. They couldn’t have been as great as the treats he brought her but they seemed to make her happy. She’d sit with the flowers he’d bought for her or the leftover chocolates they’d shared, much after he had gone. Once, he had bought her a red rag of sorts that she threw on but when Pigtails went to play with the rag later it made Faith mad! “I share my toys!” Pigtails thought as she walked away in annoyance.

Her semi sleep musings were interrupted as Faith began her nightly conversation…sometimes with the mirror, sometimes with the stars. Tonight, her company was the moon. Its shape unclear through the vision of her tear-streaked eyes. She was angry at the moon tonight. Specifically, the Rabbit on the moon. A memory lingered at the back of her head. Sam and her, and their midnight strolls. He would tell her the story about the Rabbit on the moon and she would tease him for forgetting that he had already told her the story many times. They would hold hands, and laugh, and childishly tickle each other. “Go away! Rabbit on the moon!” she yelled. But the Rabbit stayed.

Pigtails watched Faith worried and confused. She often wondered why humans acted the way they did. She was friends with Nyla, the neighbour’s cat. They had even fought once over the toy fish Faith had bought for her. Pigtails was so annoyed. But the next day she remembered nothing; and they met again on the neighbour’s fence, just like every other day, and watched the cars pass and teased the ridiculous dogs in their collars. She would always protect Nyla from those wretched beasts, and she knew Nyla would do the same for her. No matter what, they would always meet at the fence. They were friends, they were partners, and the law of the wild is clear- you never abandon your own. You always stick together. The two of them- they were a pack! And isn’t it just senseless to disappear when you meet your own kind- someone so similar to you that being yourself takes no explanation or effort?! Cats are sensible animals. Nyla once told Pigtails that humans were animals too. Pigtails refused to believe her, “why is it that they don’t follow the law of the wild then?!” she asked doubtfully.

Tonight, as she sat and watched Faith, Pigtails was sure. “These humans have so much to learn from us. They know nothing!”. Pigtails decided to leave Faith and Sam to the plight of their own indecisive actions. She turned away from Faith and promptly went back to sleep, dreaming about more important things like food, treats and trash cans.

By Prapti Walia