Chapter 19
Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd
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When I feebly returned to my room, I found the kitten now sleeping in a warm patch of the bed where a pool of sunbeams overflowed with radiance. I sat on the edge of the bed, tenderly rubbing her tiny head with my thumb, and absently stared at the wall across the room adorned with posters of my favorite Caravaggio and Van Gogh paintings.
Even if Hyung and my immediate younger sister were to vote in my favor, a likelihood I estimated at 70/30 and 50/50 respectively, their support would be futile without Maknae’s addition. Without it, this poor little thing would once again be rudely awakened and thrown out; this time, from my warm, sunlit bed into a cold, dim forest teeming with intimidating trees, tangled vines, and prickly shrubs.
The timing could not have been more dire. Immediately after the vote, we were due to leave for our annual trip to Helen, leaving me unable to accompany the kitten into the woods to feed and protect her. And given our late-night return, I wouldn’t be able to attend to her until the following day. There was no way Mom would allow me to skip the trip. Further, she would surely reject my request to have the kitten stay inside until our return. Just the thought of the little one all alone among the sun-blocking towering trees on a chilly day sent shivers down my spine.
How could I persuade the mercurial Maknae—at present sated with a sweet deal from Mom—back into my fold? I pondered and pondered, racking my brain and pulling my hair out in frustration. Early baldness be damned! Then, suddenly, in a eureka moment, like a Thomas Edison light bulb flickering on in my head, I realized that the solution lay not with me but with the kitten.
There was only one thing Maknae and I had in common: a love for animals. As a matter of fact, earlier, when I had gathered everyone in the living room to break the news about the baby cat, she had even asked me if she could go up to my room and view the kitten.
That was it. If I allowed her to see the impossibly-cute little kitten up close, to touch and stroke her soft fur, maybe the immutable Maknae could undergo a transformation of heart, perhaps even feeling empathy for the poor creature’s predicament. While events rarely unfolded as planned with Maknae, desperate times indeed called for desperate measures.
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When I went to find her, she was cozily settled on the living room sofa, absorbed in Saturday morning cartoons. On the screen, Bugs Bunny was hilariously outwitting his nemesis, Elmer Fudd, a scene strangely reflective of my own interactions with Maknae, where she always managed to get the better of me.
“Maknae-ya, don’t mean to intrude, but may I speak with you for a second?”
“No can do. And I don’t wanna talk about the vote anymore.”
“Don’t worry, this isn’t about that,” I quickly lied, attempting to put her at ease. “I know how much you like animals, but earlier today when you asked if you could see the kitten, I disregarded your request. I apologize for that; it was very rude of me. I was wondering if you’re still interested in seeing the kitten up close.”
“Seriously? You’re not pulling my leg?”
“Of course not. Come along, let’s go see her now.”
Maknae’s desire to observe the kitten closely was, as I expected, completely sincere. She enthusiastically followed me upstairs to my room, her diminutive steps bouncy with an eager anticipation.
Upon arrival, I urged Maknae to sit near the sleeping kitten and stroke her gently to feel the smooth texture of her fur. She complied, tenderly caressing the baby cat from her head to the tail. For all of Maknae’s occasional evilness, in that fleeting moment, she looked like an innocent angel. Her eyes glowed with wonder and curiosity. It seemed my plan was unfolding rather nicely.
I sidled up next to Maknae and began to share the details about cats and calicos that Prisha’s mom had relayed to my immediate younger sister, deviously weaving in my own embellished, and even downright fabricated, elements to grab her ears.
“Maknae-ya, Prisha’s mom even cited a study conducted by psychology professors at Georgia State University on pre-teen mental health. Their paper concluded that kids with companion animals, specifically cats, had lower levels of anxiety, depression, and stress. They also performed better in school.
“You see, this remarkable research, published in a prestigious academic journal, indicates that having this kitten in our home would benefit you most among all the family members. Isn’t that simply superb?”
“Oh, really?” I could detect in Maknae’s sarcastic tone that the smarty-pants knew I was desperately making stuff up.
However, this time she didn’t accompany her sardonic retort with one of her trademark quips like, “You know, I was born at night, but not last night.” Hence, I had a feeling she didn’t mind my fib, what with her gleaming eyes completely fixated on the sleeping kitten and all.
Right at that moment, all of a sudden, the little kitty stirred from her sleep and looked up at Makane with inquisitive twinkles in her lovely pigment-less, dark-blue eyes before starting to let out faint, endearing “meows.” She was probably hungry again after her nap. I internally screamed, “Hallelujah!” but kept my outward composure.
After reveling in this serendipitous turn of events for a few seconds, I went in for the coup de grâce. I carefully picked up the kitten and placed her in the arms of pleasantly surprised Maknae, knowing that the warm tactile sensation from this close contact with the tiny, lovely creature would pull at every strand of string in Maknae’s cold, hardened heart.
“Hey, both of you, come downstairs. Breakfast is ready.”
“Okay, Mom!”
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Everything had been going so swimmingly, but of course, Mom had to be the one to drain all the water from the fun pool. My daring plan was immediately washed away by Mom’s unintentional but timely sabotage when Maknae at once put the kitten down on the bed. Oh, I so wanted her to feel and hear the slight quivering of the kitten’s lovely purr. I had to now hastily appeal to her one last time.
“Maknae-ya, wait. Could you spare me a moment? I understand that you’ve made a really wonderful deal with Mom, and although I can’t imagine it being better than my offer to clean your room, handle your share of laundry, and cook for you for an entire year, I respect your decision. All the same, I still wanted you to have the opportunity to meet and pet this kitten at least once before she’s sadly kicked out of the house for good.
“Just one last thing: I’m hoping for a miracle here. I really, truly want to keep her, feed her, and watch her grow into a beautiful and happy adult cat. Your mercy is crucial for me. Please help me make all my dreams for this little kitten come true.
“I’m desperate, Maknae-ya, desperate. How about this, if I were to prevail, thanks to your goodness of heart, I’ll let you name her and spend as much time with her as you want. If you side with the kitten and me, your generous and compassionate act will never be forgotten by us, really.”
“Well, we should head downstairs before Mom blows a gasket.” Maknae rose from the bed and departed my room, dismissing my pleas without response and leaving a sudden silence that struck me as forcefully as a ton of bricks.
Alas, it was obvious that letting her see the kitten up close and touch her soft fur had no effect on my sister. Once again, my plan was simply no match for the force of nature that was Maknae.
Disheartened, like a four-year-old whose favorite dinosaur toy had been snatched away by a slightly older, bullying cousin during a family get-together, I slumped onto the bed. While letting out a deep sigh, I weakly stroked the kitten, who had no idea that she would be unceremoniously tossed from the house and thrusted back into the teeth of the cold, harsh late-autumn air in approximately thirty minutes.