Lydia- The Pet Communicator (Wattys13- Finalist!)

Chapter 4

Lydia- The Pet Communicator

Chapter 4

As the lights turned on, I saw my relatives, Ricky’s parents, and my school friends waiting for my arrival. When I entered the hall, they all clapped their hands in joy and started singing a welcome back song.

The whole room was beautifully decorated, and there was a big zoo cake placed in front of me. The cake had trees made out of green frosting, and the cages on top were made of Twix bars; there was also a small pond made of blue frosting, and the entire thing looked both lovely and delicious. Not to mention, there were also a few animal models on top of the cake to make it seem real.

“Wow, this is amazing! Thank you so much,” I said excitedly, wiping away a tear.

Everyone rushed forward to give me a hug. I felt really special, even though I was still in my wheelchair and weak.

Next, Ricky pushed me over to where the cake was, and when I cut it, everyone cheered. Then Ricky picked me up in his arms and started carrying me upstairs.

“Ricky, put me down! Where are you taking me?” I asked impatiently.

I could hear the voices of people hooting behind us. Ricky started smirking mischievously.

“Ricky! Please te—” Ricky’s soft lips met with mine, and he mumbled, “I told you to stop asking questions.” I nodded and blushed.

I felt so helpless, since I couldn’t even jump out of his arms. I wordlessly rested my head on his chest as he walked, and when we entered a room, he put me down on the bed.

“Lydia, this is my new room!” he exclaimed, happily.

I took a look around. The room had very good ambiance—the walls were painted a coffee color, and the furniture was mostly done in maroon. It looked superb.

“Ricky, your room is beautiful.”

“I know, and I have a gift for you,” he whispered, retrieving a box covered in red velvet from his pocket. “Close your eyes and give me your hand.”

I closed my eyes and felt something metallic being slid onto my finger.

“You can open your eyes now.” When I opened them, I saw a beautiful ring on my finger with diamonds and rubies embedded in it.

“Ricky, you didn’t have to do all this. You’ve already done so much for me,” I said, hugging him tightly.

“It’s nothing, really. So tell me, how do you like my new house? We moved here two months back.”

I chuckled and answered, “I’ve only seen the hallway and your bedroom.”

“Ricky, come down here! We want to talk to Lydia, too!” Ricky’s mother shouted from downstairs.

“Ah! I hate interruptions. Anyway, I will do something to get some time alone with you. I have a lot of things to share with you.” Ricky winked, and carried me downstairs in his arms.

As we advanced towards the hall, my father took me in his arms instantly. Kissing me on the forehead, he teasingly said, “Time to feed my little baby her milk bottle.”

I slapped him on the chest and yelled, “Dad, put me down please!

Just in some time, Ricky’s mother entered the room with a glassful of milk and a plate of cake. My father put me down in the wheelchair and started feeding me some pieces of dessert.

I couldn’t see my mother anywhere, so I asked curiously, “Dad, where’s Mum?”

“Oh yeah, I asked her to bring some of your friends over. The party was looking kind of small.”

“What? Did you inform Ricky about this? I mean he has arranged the party right?” My dad shook his head in refusal, and I rolled my eyes.

Suddenly, my eyes fell on a parrot caged in Ricky’s living room. It was fast asleep. So I rolled all the way to the living room on my wheelchair to observe the parrot closely, resting in his cage.

"Oh, I just bought that parrot last week,” Ricky said from behind me. “It’s so lazy. It sleeps most of the time.”

“Shut up, you moron, you worthless hog!” the parrot squealed. “I’m bored of staying here. Let me free, you pig.”

I chuckled at the parrot’s remark. “Give him some guavas or chilies, Ricky. He must be hungry.” Ricky nodded and went into the kitchen. “So, parrot, why are you bored?” I asked to check if he could understand me.

The parrot looked at me and tilted his head, apparently confused. He leaned forward and said, “Are you speaking to me, young lady?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“How is that possible? A human being understands me! Anyway, can you let me free?”

“I’ll talk to Ricky about it, but no promises,” I replied. “He’s the one who bought you, so he is your owner. Give him some time to understand you.”

“Whatever! That pig will make my stew one day. He might treat you badly, too,” the parrot squawked.

“You should behave well! If he starts loving you, he’ll automatically give you the best care he can. I know Ricky would never hurt anyone.”

Just then, Ricky came up from behind with some pieces of guava. He seemed puzzled, and he said, “Lydia, are you talking to this parrot?”

“Yeah, he just told me that he wants to be free. Can you let him go, please?”

Ricky started laughing. “Nice joke babe!”

“Ricky, I’m serious. He wants to leave, so let him free. It’s not good jailing innocent animals, okay?”

“So he told you all this? Pfft…” He started laughing even harder.

“Ricky! I can understand animals and talk to them, I mean it!”

“That’s impossible, honey. No one understands animals, let alone talks to them. That’s just crazy, okay? Let’s go back into the hallway now.”

“I told you, he is a pig and he stinks!” the parrot squealed.

I just looked at it, bug-eyed. It was heartbreaking to see no one believing me, even Ricky.

When we got back into the hall, my mother was sitting there with the same puppy my parents had brought to the hospital.

“Welcome back! It’s good to see you,” the puppy barked.

I didn’t know how to respond. I just wished that I wasn’t losing my mind.

“Lydia, your friend is here. We thought we’d bring him here for you,” my mother said, giving me a half-smile.

“Thank you, Mom, I appreciate your concern.”

“Your mom is worried about you. I saw her crying when she was driving me here. It turns out she has a heart,” the puppy barked and jumped into my lap.

“I know she’s worried, I just wish we could understand each other,” I whispered to the pup. “So what’s your name, little one?”

“I have no name. I lost my mother when I was born—the dog catchers took her, and I had to run away so they wouldn’t take me, too. Thank you for saving my life.” The puppy licked my palms to show his love.

 I ruffled his fur and said, “Your name is now Lucky.”

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How did you find the puppy's name? Want me to change it? Or keep it the same? 

Okay,I don't know since when I have fallen in love with animals. But this story makes me love them more. I do research on animals like their breeds, foods, health issues and stuff. It really interesting! Yes! They have feelings too!! So treat them well, show them care and love. If you find them homeless, sick, lost or abandoned, PLEASE take action! 

There is a picture of the Zoo cake on the side--->