Translated short fiction: The scrawny cat that Mahadi so despises was once the pet he loved

Mahadi had been noticing the scrawny cat visiting his house for some time. He despised that animal. A patch on its back was furless, perhaps scalded with hot water by an unkind person or someone repulsed by its appearance.

The cat’s face was marred by mange. Its patchy fur, once likely black and white, was now an indistinguishable dirty grey. Its bulging eyeballs, protruding from its bony head, made it even more unsightly.

During the day, the cat skulked beneath the houses, never daring to climb up. Only in the dead of night did it sneak inside. If the owners spotted it, they would chase and beat the cat until it was almost lifeless. Perhaps the cat understood how much its ugliness disgusted people.

Mahadi once saw the cat sleeping among the weeds near his house. He had the urge to beat it, even while it slept. But instead, he merely watched from afar, waiting for it to wake up.

Mahadi also thought of his pet cat, Si Puteh, who had gone missing some time ago. At first glance, the scrawny cat’s spotted fur reminded him of Si Puteh. He had been playful and pampered, cute and chubby. Mahadi had tied a red thread around Si Puteh’s neck...

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