A Pet in The Vacuum!

What is good about having a pet?

It happens that, out of all the books you read, some leave you with funny memories. You may totally forget the author and the book, yet some of its narrative, perhaps its themes, stuck into your head. 

Have you experienced this before? 

I have, and that’s what inspired me to write this post.

So, in one of the novels by a popular author( whose name I cannot remember right now, and if I try, I will lose the thread of this post)

But you don’t want me to lose the thread, do you?

Now, back to the main point: a parrot was one of the characters in the story. He wasn’t a main character, but an essential one. 

Do you wonder why? 

Because he brightened the last days of an old lady’s life. 

By the way, in Egypt, when one repeats other’s words without thinking— or worse without understanding, they’re called a parrot. 

In the story the parrot was… imprudent, throwing swearing words at others, not for fun or for a fight, but because his owner was professional in that craft. 

Then one day, the person who was taking care of the parrot while his friend was away on business, decided to give her flat a good cleaning. She grabbed the vacuum, turned it on, and got to work. The place looked so clean and tidy, but something was missing.

She felt something was missing, clearly, definitely missing. And that was it: the flat was so quiet. She could hear a pin drop. But how? Where was the source of everyday noise, the maestro of the swearing symphony? 

A few moments later, she saw him, swallowed by the vacuum and trapped inside like a fluffy toy.

She rushed to pull him out and held him in her hands. 

His eyes were open and he was breathing, but that was all. 

It seemed the shock, whether an electric or emotional, had switched off his brain. 

For days, his condition remained unchanged. No noise, no food. Still, he was alive.

A few days later, he was taken to the old lady. She laughed at his mishap, but she also felt sorry for him. 

She didn’t give up on him. Every day, she gave him food and water.

Bit by bit, his life was restored, but his voice was never the same. And, the good thing was he lost his old vocabulary. Yet he made the old lady laugh, and she felt quiet responsibility towards that poor creature. 

I remember there was a quote that explained how a pet can help people live longer and happier. 

Now take care,

Watch the vacuum,

And teach your pet good manners! 

With hope and peace,

 Nahla