Be Cautious when You Are Alone
As the old Chinese saying goes "Be cautious when you are alone", it speaks out
the very truth of life, though in a seemingly-simple way which can be overlooked
easily.
There has been a strayed cat inside the dormitory building as I have mentioned in the previous articles. To my great delight, when I came back to school this winter, she has survived the cold winter and was right there at the door, strolling in her usual manner, gracefully and calmly as before.
The winter holiday must had been a slim time, as there were few students staying
at school during this time, thus much less food could be expected from them. She has become much slimmer actually. But she has made it to the beginning of another semester, and what else could override this greatest joy of life?
A milk-fonder like me share, though somewhat relunctantly with her my very beloved yum food of milk when she keeps speaking to me in her unique lovely way each
morning, begging to share. Together she is also sharing a room with a roof (better than outdoor, though scarcely decorated) with me while I am working on my dissertation and translation. School has not begun yet and I am sure one of the early birds who are working during holidays. She kneels besides me while I am working, and never does she make annoying noises to disturb. Quite cute, isn't she? Just that it brings me to the edge of killing pain each time when she has to be driven out before my going to sleep. Friends warned me that a cat has a genuine love for a warm bed and she cannot restrain herself from jumping into mybed and sleep with me. Lord, I know too well that a cat has too many bacteria with her, even when she is clean, let alone she has not been bathed for a long time. I had
to coax her out each evening before going to bed. And it IS so bitter to do so!
There is no equipment for a bath for her when I have problem getting a bath myself during this time of holiday when everythign is out of order at school.
I feel delightful having a companion while on the other hand is the demanding work. And I bet she loves me, too. The love from animals are so true that they do
not hide them, without even any attempt to do so, much unlike human. I talk to her during my relaxing time, in the tone you talk to little kids. She must be not
old to me, given the premise that she is a cat, with her expected life span of
10 years or so.
Yet what happened today had made me gloomy. Two of my schoolmates living on the
same floor as me achieved it.
It has been my habit of observing people when they are not really aware of that.
In this way, when someone thinks he or she is free from the rest of people, he
or she tends to reveal the true nature of his or hers, not by words however, but
instead by behavior. I bet this is one of the most useful way if you are trying
to get to the core of someone or deciding on any further move to whether to earn the friendship of another person, as testified my my limited years of life on
this planet.
However what happened today turned out to be somewhat nasty. I saw one girl, carrying two thermos bottles when passing the cat at the front of my room, dropped
in an intended manner the bottom of the bottle to the cat and thus brought her pain. I could have rushed out to her and even shout at her if what I saw later prove to be another hurt to the cat, since I was brushing my teeth in the restroom
and by glance caught sight of what had happened. but she walked away. Deeply I
sighed.
Anther happening was what rushed me into writing, despite the urgent need of efforts on my dissertation, about 15 minutes ago, by my ex-roomate. The cat was seen trying her luck by stepping in a asking manner into that girl's room. A scream
was heard and the girl rushed out with a bottle on her hand, running after the
frightened cat. It was not bright enough for me to see clearly enough what she was trying to do, while at the same time her sreaming revealled her intention"Scald you! Scald you!" Under the dime light, I finally got it clear that she was going to scald the cat with the hot water in her bottle, merely for the sake that
the cat had stpped a paw into her room! Right at hearing so, I asked her while she was overjoyed with this cruel game, in a controlled tone of calmness, "Don't!
You will get her scald and hurt her! And I do not have enough medicine and a hair-drier for that!"
She turned back and saw me, in a self-mockery way, explained "I was, oh, was just playing a joke so as to scare her. I am not really going to do that." She shook her head and went back.
Speechless I was, standing outdoor untill she walked back to her room, leaving the cat on her own.
What happened, rather, what had been bumped into my sight today did bring sadness to me, mingled with hatred attitude to the two. I do not, personlly have much
hesitation to assume that these kind of people will act to the maximun of their
benefits at the risk of the deprivation of the should-be advantages of others. If someone smiles at a creature(no matter it is a man or a kind of animal) which
is equal or higher to him, in physical size or in financial status, but scorns at another inferior or even, get fun out of teasing them, I strongly doubt inside
about his personality or what he would do to me if there is no one around and if he is at an advantageous position to mine.
Acquaintance as she is, I did not know much about the first girl. But the second
girl, my ex-roomate, did cheat us on the bill of electricity for more than half
a year when she proves to be the one with the most freedom of finance. And that
was, ironically enough, the very reason why the dispute broke out between she and the rest of us and moved out to another room.
Watch a man while he is alone and you will get the truest soul out of him. That
is why old sages persuaded us to be cautious when we are alone: It is during this special period of time when the dark side of man is apt to act and do harm. Also, anyone with true interest to improve himself would find it a great occasion
to testify himself at this time. While we say "God is watching you high above",
what we are referring to is to discipline your soul. Because without an evil idea coming from soul, there can be no cruel behavior.
