Anne Shirley and the Kitten
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After a moment’s silence, Hyung, chosen to moderate today’s proceedings, stood from the couch and strode toward the coffee table situated in the center of the living room. Laid upon it were six pairs of pens and square pieces of neatly torn paper meant to serve as ballots. He picked up these items and distributed a pen and a piece of paper—each inscribed with the options Aye and Nay—to each of us.
“We are gathered here today to vote on Family Bill No. 4: The Cat Act, put forth by the fourth eldest member of our family,” began Hyung, initiating the proceedings. “As he revealed an hour ago, he discovered a kitten on our welcome doormat early this morning and wishes to adopt it as the seventh member of our family. If you are in favor of this bill, please circle the word Aye on your ballot. If you oppose, circle Nay.
“After indicating your choice, please fold your paper twice to secure the vote. Then, drop your ballot into this empty tissue box here on the coffee table.
“Before we move forward, the proponent and opponent of the bill will each be allowed three minutes for their closing appeals. Mom, the floor is all yours.”
“Thank you, moderator. I’ll be brief and direct. Everyone here is already well aware of my feelings about having an animal in the house, so strongly bear that in mind while casting your vote.”
“That’s it? Nothing more to add, Mom? Very well, then, little brother, you have the floor.”
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Unlike Mom, who didn’t even bother to get up from the sofa while curtly uttering what seemed more like a threat than an appeal, I got up and purposefully walked over to the middle of the living room, just behind the coffee table. I knew the odds were heavily in Mom’s favor, but I wasn’t about to raise the white flag without a fight. I was no Dr. Martin Luther King, but I committed to using the brief three-minute window I was given to ardently advocate for the kitten through an impassioned speech, infusing each word with all the persuasion, fervor, and urgency I could muster.
“Thank you, moderator. Dear fellow family members, I’d like to begin by saying I’m really sorry for putting you in this difficult situation. I know that what happened this morning has left you all just as shocked as I am. Honestly, who could’ve imagined, even in our wildest dreams, that a tiny kitten would suddenly show up on our doorstep, shivering in the cold, completely vulnerable and alone?
“And yet, here we are. Somehow, this is our reality now. Someone left this little kitten on our doorstep, hoping we’d take her in. They could’ve abandoned her by some deserted road or out in those woods, but they didn’t. You might say it was just a random act by someone irresponsible, but I choose to think differently.
“Maybe the person thought that someone in our home really needed this kitten, that she could bring comfort and help lighten the load in a life that’s been pretty tough up until now.
“I don’t usually like to talk about this, but as some of you know, my early years in America were anything but easy. The bullying and isolation I went through at school really left their mark on me. Even though my mental health is slowly getting better, I’m still not sure if these emotional scars will ever completely heal. The idea that I might carry this pain with me for the rest of my life is something that often keeps me up at night.”
“As you all know, I’m not religious, but I like to think this kitten showing up at our door wasn’t just a coincidence. Maybe she’s a little gift from the divine, here to help speed up my healing process.
“I might be reaching a bit here, but bear with me while I make a comparison between the orphan girl Anne Shirley and this kitten. Anne was sent to Green Gables by mistake, but she turned out to be a blessing for Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert. She changed their lives from lonely and dull to something warm and full of love, and in return, Anne found a loving home with them.
“This kitten has come into my life in a similarly unique way. In Dostoyevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov, a book all of you, except Maknae, have read, the wise old Father Zosima says that hell ‘is the suffering of being unable to love.’ I can’t, and won’t, turn my back on this little creature who, in just a few hours, has brought warmth and love into my otherwise empty life.
“And I want to make a special appeal to you, Mom. You, being a devout Methodist, are the only religious person here. From what I’ve read, spiritual leaders, like John Wesley, your hero, and even Prophet Muhammad and Buddha, all taught compassion toward animals. They emphasized that the Almighty’s mercy extended to animals just as much as to humans.
“In fact, in Islamic cultures, kindness toward cats is a big deal because a white Turkish Angora named Muezza saved Prophet Muhammad, who loved cats, from a poisonous snake bite while he was sleeping. If we were to abandon this little kitten, who could even be a divine blessing, to die in the cold, would we really be following the teachings of these great religious leaders?”
“How can you be sure the cat will die and I believe in compassion for animals I’ve even fed hungry-looking stray dogs and cats not all the time but from time to time when I lived in Korea bless the animals of course but I simply don’t want to live with one in my own house!!!”
To everyone’s dismay, Mom shouted without commas and periods, her stentorian objection filling the living room and grating on our ears.
“Order, order!” interjected our moderator.
“No, no, no, no, Mom, please show respect and civility for your opponent on the other side of the aisle. Besides, you already had your chance to speak. It’s now his time on the floor, so kindly refrain from further disruptions. Please do go on, little brother.”
“Finally, despite Mom’s worry that having a companion animal might bring bad luck to our household, I truly believe this kitten will bring us happiness and good fortune. In just one morning, she’s already made me more empathetic and passionate than I’ve ever been.
“I really believe she can have the same positive impact on all of you if you just open your hearts and minds to her. Her cute little presence alone will bring smiles to your faces and brighten up our home.
“In the name of all that is good and lovely in this world, please show mercy to this kitten and vote to save her. Thank you, and I once again apologize for putting all of you in this difficult situation.”
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As I walked back to my seat, Hyung put his pen and paper down, freeing his hands to give me light applause, which was quickly silenced by Mom’s deadly stare directed at him.
“Attention, everyone. You have all heard the arguments from both the proponent and opponent of this bill, so without further ado, let’s commence the voting. Within the next minute, please make your decision and then deposit your folded paper into this box.”
As soon as Hyung concluded his instructions, I surveyed the room to see if there were any sympathetic faces looking in my direction. Perhaps a slight wink of an eye or a subtle facial gesture, something akin to a Mona Lisa smile, that would offer me some comfort or indicate they might be on my side.
But no one paid me any attention at all. Everyone was fully occupied, their eyes intently fixed on the papers in their hands. Soon, with expressions as unreadable as those of the world’s best poker players, each one picked up a pen and marked their decision. Then, one after another, they rose from their seats to place their folded papers into the box.
The fate of the tiny kitten now lay in the hands of the six ballots resting in the bottom of the innocuous-looking rectangular tissue carton on the coffee table. Judging by my on-the-spot reading of the tea leaves, I had a visceral hunch that no one had circled Aye other than me.