Tuusin na nga!

Lolo, May Nahanap Akong Kuting!

By Carlos A. Arnaldo
Manila
July 11, 2016



“Yung gatas, bili mo ng UHT gatas ng Magnolia o Selecta, mga 80 pesos per liter. Yung maliit na feeding, bilhin sa pharmacy o kaya sa supermarket o malaking department store sa baby section. Pero papaano mo aalagahan yung kuting!”

“Hindi ko po alam, pero naaawa ako eh.”

“Sige, I’ll send you some funds for milk and bottle. May ID ka ba?” Remittance is easy, but it is not so easy to teach young kids how to make good use of their ID and make transactions at LBC or Cebuana l’Huillier.

“Opo, may school ID.”

“Ok ipapadalhan kita ng pera at bibigyan kita ng reference number. Ipakita yan at ang ID mo sa counter ng kahit anong LBC.”

Next day I got photos of two kittens and the feeding bottle. “Lolo, it’s like the milk bottle of human babies! I also got a cleaning brush! At saka, Lolo, huwag po kayong magalit, dalawang kuting ang kinuha, kasi natatago sa likod ng isa, sabay natutulog!” She’s now giving them cat food. This attracted a third kuting!

I traded these notes with another, older friend, who likes cats and has adopted a whole litter near her apartment.  She gave me a whole new outlook on taking care of cats.

“You know, taking care of cats is good therapy, especially for orphan kids, abandoned kids and street kids. It teaches them how to care for another, to use their succorant feelings and express their generosity and sacrifice. It also makes up for a lost sibling and for a lost parent, as it puts them vicariously into the parent role! It’s very practical and efficient therapy!”

Thanks, Trix!