Operation Centuria: The First 25

Day 20: HE WAS KILLED ("All for love") by Rabena

I was walking alone in the silent street. It was probably about 3  in the afternoon or something and school got cancelled because of a holiday. It was one of those days when you suddenly feel irritable and you think nothing good could come to the day. I think maybe it was because I slept late last night going online when I could have spent it reading a good book and have my eyes feel less twitchy the next day.

I had on a dead pan expression on my face as I toss about the coins in my pocket. I was sent out by my parents to buy fish food in the pet store a couple of streets away from our house. On the way I kept seeing posters of ads, trash and cars passing by. I noticed one flyer posted on one pole. It was a picture of a kitten, beneath it were the words

MISSING

The cat was cute. “You and me both” I said to the picture. As I walked along I saw more of the same flyer, each getting more desperate as I neared the pet store. Once I was inside, and I saw another one taped to the counter the store owner, an old man wearing a statement shirt that said “saved”, looked at me and said “You’ve seen that cat, Kid?”

I shook my head. 

"A little girl came in yesterday asking me if she could put one here. I couldn’t say no."

"Things they do, huh?" I said making a casualty laugh. The old man didn’t really get angry, even through I totally forgot I was in a pet store.

"Nah, I think it’s nice. It’s good to have kids takin’ responsibility for better things than the internet or facebook."

I just nodded even though I didn’t really understand what he meant. He handed me a handwritten receipt and I smiled thanks.

On my way out he said “If you see that cat bring him here. The kid said she’d be back to check on him.”

I nodded. “I will.”

I doubted whether the little girl would ever see her cat again.  I carried the tiny fish feed in my hand and hid it with the other. That’s why we only have fish at home, I would explain to my brother. Because a dog would drool all over the place and make a lot of noise at night and a cat would just smell and leave you.

In a world where school is unbearable because of indifference and life is hard because everyone is always every man for himself, it was rare to find a kind old man in a pet store asking you for help on behalf of some little girl who lost her cat. The cat would have probably been seen by passers by only to be ignored kids probably already threw rocks at the poor thing. This world was cruel because people were cruel, selfish and unloving.

I was only talking like this because I was irritable today. I spent half the year forcing myself to bare a grin in front of my apparent kind, teenagers. If anything I don’t believe our generation is as awesome as we say it is. No one will do anything for anyone else.

This world is a horrible place because no one would do anything for anyone else. If there are who do, there are a very few and sometimes they give their whole lives in exchange. Sometimes I wonder why I need to be different. To bother with helping people when no one even bothers to help me. It’s every man for himself. 

I got home feeling worse from my thoughts when I bumped into grandpa Jo. 

"What’s with the long face."

"Nothing grandpa I just got home from the pet store."

"Did you get bit by a dog on the way back or something?"

It was always easy to talk to my grandpa so I told him I wasn’t feeling so enthusiastic today. He just patted my back and told me to go on ahead, my mom made smoothies and my dad is trying to start a barbecue. 

"Oh, by the way. Grandpa have you seen any stray cats roaming around the streets?"

"No."

"Well, the guy in the pet store says some little girl lost a cat. I Feel pretty sorry for the girl." I said.

"Is that why you came home with such a long face?" 

"Well, not exactly." I said a little taken aback that he can put two and two together. "I mean it’s none of my business"

"Son, feeling bad for someone isn’t something to hide." he said.

"Yeah, apathy. But grandpa that’s not why I’m feeling down. I just needed coffee." I went up the stairs with the fish food still in my hand.

"The world isn’t as bad as it seems." he said as I climbed.

"What’s that?"

"The world isn’t as bad as it seems, Jason." he said "If anything, at least someone’s looking for the poor thing. And the owner sounds awfully worried."

I nodded and forced a smile. “Yeah, grandpa thanks.”

"If people like you still believe in doing things I  think that cat would be found in no time." I heard him say but it sounded like a vague whisper as I got to the last flight of stairs.

At least someone’s looking. At least some one still believe in doing things. I remembered the man in the pet shop’s shirt that said “saved”. You know something? I was smiling. For real. Because if a little girl would go around looking for her lost cat, I can’t help but remember Someone who still bothered to go looking for us. So yeah, it may seem like just a cat to the little girl but she loved that thing, right? And I cared enough to keep an eye out. If I could care maybe someone else out there will too. And if Someone like God would bother to die for us it must mean that this world is worth something.

I got to our room and ripped the feed off and sprinkled some over to the fighting fishes and found them both peacefully swimming. I sat by the window and checked the backyard with the smell of food wafting just as I saw a tiny furry thing moving about near the bushes.

—-

In memory of my loving grandparents

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!