Prisha’s Mom Was a Veterinarian
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Marching toward my immediate younger sister’s room, I braced myself for the formidable challenge ahead, like a running back about to hit a small crease in the ‘85 Bears defense. Despite being only an eighth-grader, she boasted an intellect of the highest caliber. She was the best student among the four of us, a paragon of logic, analysis, and meticulousness. If you sought her support, you needed to bring your intellectual A-game. If she detected any hole in your argument, just one tiny flaw, it was over right then and there. Simply put, she did not suffer fools gladly.
As I drew closer to her room, faint strains of a soft, dreamy piano melody gradually intensified, each note painting images of clouds gently cascading down the lush green slopes of the Appalachians. Classical music wasn’t my forte, but I suspected that my sister was listening to the adagio movement of one of Beethoven’s piano concertos, the music she adored above all else.
Upon Reaching the threshold of her room, I found her seated on a red cushion in a pose evocative of a Buddhist monk, deep in meditation. She was donned in her favorite attire, an oversized white T-shirt emblazoned with the image of Frida Kahlo. On her neatly made bed lay Dorothy L. Sayers’ mystery novel Nine Tailors, opened and flipped upside down. Contrasting with this tidiness, her desk was cluttered with nearly a dozen classical music CDs, strewn sheets of cello music, a pair of Toni Morrison novels, and several poetry books by Mary Oliver.
And anyone entering her room couldn’t miss the black and white posters of the true 20th-century geniuses she revered—Lise Meitner, Chien-Shiung Wu, Frank Ramsey, Alan Turing, and Rosalind Franklin—that lined the wall beside her bed. Franklin, in particular, was my sister’s eternal hero. In 1952, this brilliant British scientist made a monumental scientific breakthrough by capturing the X-ray diffraction pattern of DNA molecules. She was also a pioneer in virology, and her work, alongside her collaborators, laid the foundation for research tools such as X-ray crystallography and DNA sequencing, enabling scientists to closely examine deadly viruses, including the COVID-19 virus, down to their atomic detail.
What’s even more remarkable is that the research Franklin conducted on carbon compounds in her 20s significantly contributed to later inventions and discoveries of carbon nanotubes, lithium ion batteries, and graphene, among others. Prior to Franklin’s investigations, scientists’ understanding of the structures of carbon black, coal, and graphite was limited, and she was the first to identify graphitizing and non-graphitizing carbons.
Sadly, her invaluable contributions to humanity may have come at a steep personal cost; her premature death from cancer at the young age of 37 may have resulted from extensive exposure to radiation during her X-ray crystallography work.
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Standing quietly at the doorway of my sister’s room, I pensively observed the poster of a woman whom history has largely overlooked but who should be hailed as the most influential scientist of the 20th century. Suddenly, my intimidatingly intelligent sister got up from the floor, pulled the chair around from the desk, and took a seat to face me. She then initiated an epic conversation, one that would extensively test my aptitude, mental agility, and moxie, the quest for her vote turning out to be as arduous and harrowing as the quest for the Holy Grail by the knights of King Arthur.
“Little Oppa, don’t just stand there. Come in. You know my friend Prisha, right? I called her mom because she used to be a veterinarian back when they lived in Kolkata. When I described the features of your feline, you know, the white fur with random black and orange patches on the head and back, she told me that it’s a calico.”
“Cal what? And when did you see my kitten?”
“My apologies, Maknae and I snuck into your room without your consent. I just wanted to check out the little cat and estimate its age. My educated guess is that the kitten is around three weeks old, give or take a few days. Whoever abandoned it must have at least allowed it to nurse from its mother for close to the necessary four weeks.
“Anyway, Prisha’s mom also informed me that calicos are almost exclusively female. The ratio is roughly one male to every 30,000 females, so the good news is that you now know your cat’s gender.
“And according to Japanese folklore, calicos are seen as good luck, although our mother would vehemently disagree with that sentiment. In ancient times, sailors even brought them on board for safe travels. Even today, you might see a figurine of a Japanese Bobtail calico, called Maneki Neko, in Japanese homes and stores as a lucky charm.
“Prisha’s mom, in addition, expressed some concern about a boy your age taking care of a kit—”
“Oh, sure, what does she know about animals?”
“Come again? Did the vibrating particles carrying the sound of my words, which precisely informed you that she’s a former veterinarian, make a detour and not reach your eardrums?”
“…”
“Kitty got your tongue, Oppa?”
Oh, my Krishna, Allah, Buddha, Hosanna…I thought she said Prisha’s mom used to be a vegetarian. But of course, why on earth would she consult a vegetarian about a cat, you big dummy!? Is she gonna point her finger at the door and tell me to get the hell out? I gotta pivot fast!
“Sis, your hair looks fabulous! What have you done to it?”
“My hairstyle has remained the same for the last seven months, and don’t you dare try to wiggle out of my inquiry.”
“Um…sis…of course, my ears heard that Prisha’s mom was a former vege—, no!, veterinarian. Come on, whaddaya take me for? I was just a tad irritated about her comments on my ability with animals, that’s all. No need to split your fabulous hairs over this. By the way, please don’t listen to her. I assure you that I’ll take outstanding care of the kitten, yessiree Bubba!”
“Ah, is that so? I noticed that you fed the poor little thing milk. When I inquired about it with Prisha’s mom, she warned me that cats are naturally lactose intolerant, meaning that cow’s milk could cause them discomfort. Given that you’re sadly the only lactose intolerant member in our family, the only one who can’t drink milk, shouldn’t you have been more cautious?”
“Schei…”
“What, were you about to swear in German!?”
Oops, it slipped out…good grief, she even understands German curse words. I gotta pivot fast again!
“Um…yes…I admit, I messed up by giving the kitten regular milk, but it was an honest mistake. This is my first kitty. How could I have known anything about its dietary needs? Cut me some slack here, sis…yes?
“I promise that such a mistake won’t be repeated! Starting Monday, I’m gonna borrow every book there is about cats from the Doraville Public Library. If necessary, I’ll even visit other libraries in DeKalb and Gwinnett counties to find more books.
“I shall also reach out to Prisha’s mom, the former vege—, no!, veterinarian to learn everything there’s to know about raising a kitten.”
“Hmm, you seem to be biting off way more than you can chew, but there’s something intriguing, even admirable, about your foolhardiness, I must admit.”
My sister’s brown eyes glinted with a hint of amusement, ever so slightly buoying my heretofore sinking hopes.