The Animal Story

Once upon a time, there was a man who lived alone on top of a small hill. He had a small wooden house with scarlet-colored walls that can be seen from a distance, as well as a lovely lawn covered with soft green grass and laced with bright and beautiful flowers. Due to the vibrancy and cheeriness of his house, his place was frequented by many animals who live in the hill too. Squirrels love to play around the trees in his yard, dogs enjoy sleeping on the porch to hide from the afternoon heat. These presence of these creatures kept the loneliness of the man far from his mind.

While this man loved all of the animals, he did not believe in caging them up. Therefore he always kept his gates opened so that his guests can roam freely in and out of his small humble abode. And when they were in his care, he always tried to be a good host by keeping the house in place.

So how were the guests like? Let's meet some of the more prominent friends of our protagonist.

The man was a little boy when he received his first visitor. One fine afternoon when he was playing in the yard, a fierce-looking grizzly bear barged his way into the house. The intruder growled loudly and threw a plank at the boy. But being a young boy who had not learnt to fear, he threw the plank back and gave a kick on the shin of the bear. Moaning in pain, the bear fell onto the grass, hugging the sore part of its leg. The boy looked at the bear and realised how harmless it looked. So he started giggling. Amused by the laughter of the boy, the bear smiled back and that was the beginning of their friendship.

During his teenage days, the man also met a beautiful snow leopard. As the man lives on a hill with lush vegetation, snow leopards are a rare sight. So when the man first spotted the snow leopard, he was stunned by its beautiful fur. Strangely, the man and the leopard happened to have great affinity and they hit off very well. The leopard brought his daily hunts to share with the man, while the man built a special shed in his garden for the leopard. Over a period of time, the leopard began to behave more like a cat than a hunter.

The third notable friend was a cow that came by one summer. The cow did not seem too bright initially, but it was very hardworking. Unlike others who came to the house to receive from the man, the cow frequently dropped by to help him mow the garden or move any bulky items. The cow was strong, so it could do things that the man could not do on his own. The cow was also popular with the other animals, because it often played with the small ones and would offer to carry them home when they are tired. The cow became a friend as well as a servant who was readily available for the man.

Finally, there was an eagle who landed with a broken wing one day, when the man was daydreaming in the veranda. The man, who previously only had mammals as guests, was surprised to find a different species in his territory. The eagle was very unfriendly when he first came, it went around pecking others with its beak. However, during the period while the eagle nursed its wing, the man started to see a softer, gentler side of the eagle and he gradually took a liking to it. Despite not being as skillful a predator as it used to be, it would still share its catches with the other animals at the house. Hence, the eagle became one of the man's favourite guests, although its demeanor remained unchanged.

So how are these friends now? Well, as they are free to come and free to go, some have gone while some remained to be regular visitors.

The bear for example, remained a loyal friend despite all these years. Now that the boy has grown into a man, his laughter is no longer the same. Nevertheless, the bear has never quite forgotten this first impressions of the boy when he first met him. The bear was getting on age, and the man feels that he should retire to another jungle, but the bear is reluctant to move on. He continues to drop by as a guest.

As for the snow leopard, it met another snow leopard in the man's courtyard some time back. For a period after their first meeting, the both of them started to frequent the courtyard on a daily basis. Their relationship blossomed over the spring and by summer, they were madly in love. Not long after, they decided to migrate to a higher mountain with a more suitable terrain. So they left side-by-side, and it was a happily ever after.

Now, the cow has become one of the regulars at the house. It pops by every week to help the man and to fellowship with the other creatures at the yard. While the man is thankful for the cow, he is guilty of taking the cow for granted at times. In fact, there are a handful of cows who come by his place now, and they often bring along plenty of milk to share with others. To the man, the cows are very precious and treasured friends and guests.

Shortly after its recovery, the eagle left the house to soar in the skies. It does drop by once in a while as it pleases. Because the eagle is the most elusive of all the guests (maybe because birds have wings and mammals don't), the man and the animals often think about the eagle. Right now, it could be sitting on top of a mountain, or by the lake, or in the rainforest.

So this man with a little house with scarlet walls and a lovely garden, continues to live alone on top of a small hill. Even though the bright color of his house appears to be the eye-catching feature (you can see it from a distance), it is the animals who form the most colorful part of his life, its colors painted by the one who creates and sends the animals into his story.

Sorry, and thank you

Despite my gross lack of effort in keeping touch with people, I was touched by the influx of well-wishes and blessings.

I am ashamed of my social apathy. I am thankful to those who still keep me on their minds even in my absence.

and I just want to say I'm sorry, and I will treasure you more.

Interlude #3

Ever tried running in the rain? Keep running and your body should generate sufficient heat to keep you warm. Stop and the blistering cold takes a bite into your bones.

The canopy is thick. The light cannot trickle down to the ground. Every turn takes you to the same spot, every corner resembles the last. Rows and rows of vegetation stretch endlessly around you, shrinking as they approach the horizon of your vision. You don't have a compass, you cannot find the north. The chill gets to you, your hands are cold and clammy. Weariness weighs your body down and nails your feet to the undergrowth. You are a fungus, you are a fallen tree. Bacteria relish in your decay, they multiply while you lie immobolised.

As your eyes begin to shut, you hear an alluring voice that says, come and lock yourself in during this writer's block. Wither in the winter, that you may bloom again in spring.

Your ink will thaw in spring and maybe you'll find joy in the woods again.