The Lioness and Her Guardian

#11/4/2018

THE LIONESS WAS DOING WELL.
SHE ATE BREAKFAST AND DINNER WELL.
SHE JUMPED HIGH.
SHE RAN FAST, PROBABLY FASTER THAN SHE EVER HAD.
WHEN I LET OPEN THE GATE, SHE LICKED ME TO THANK ME.
STICKY.
THEN SHE SNUGGLED THE PINK ROPE AS I RUBBED HER BELLY. SHE WAS HAPPY.
SOMETHING THAT BOTHERED ME WAS,
I NOTICED PATCHES OF SKIN UNDERNEATH HER THICK FUR.
THE AMOUNT WAS SHOCKING.
I ALMOST CRIED SEEING THAT.
I FINALLY UNDERSTOOD THE REASON OF HER EXCESSIVE SCRATCHING.
WE TOOK CARE OF HER SO WELL, BATHED HER SO OFTEN, FED HER THE BEST FOODS.
WE COULD NOT HAVE THE LIONESS ILL.
WE NEED THE HAPPY LIONESS TO STAY IN HER CAGE, TO STAY FIERCELY COATED,
TO REMAIN ADMIRABLE.
I SAY, THE LIONESS DEFINITELY NEED A NEW SET OF MEAL.
ONE THAT IS HEALTHIER AND MORE METICULOUSLY PREPARED.
SALMON?
THEY SAY IT’S GOOD FOR SKIN.
I SUGGEST SOME OF THAT AS BREAKFAST.

#12/4/2018

WE GOT HER SALMON.
WE GOT HER HER FAVOURITES.
YET SHE WAS NOT EXCITED ABOUT IT.
WE COULD NOT SEEM TO FIGURE OUT THE REASONS.
PERHAPS SHE REALLY WAS HAVING SOME ILLNESS.
WE CONCLUDED THE NEED TO REQUEST FOR A CHECKUP BY THE SPECIALIST.
THE SPECIALISTS WERE BUSY WHEN I PHONED.
WITH MY RESEARCH, I WAS CONCLUDING SOME SKIN INFECTION AND HENCE,
I BOUGHT SOME OINTMENT THAT COULD HELP HER CURE THE BALDNESS.
SHE SAW ME BRINGING THAT TUBE OF OINTMENT,
AND SHE WAS NOT ENTIRELY HAPPY,
BECAUSE SHE DID NOT CIRCLE ME WHEN I ENTERED.
SHE DID NOT NUDGE ME TO PET HER THIS TIME.
SHE STARED AT ME IN A STRANGE WAY.
I PUT ON HER MUZZLE, WHICH SHE HAPPILY TOLERATED.
I PETTED HER HEAD, WHICH SHE HAPPILY TOLERATED TOO.
I THEN SMOOTHED HER FUR BUT SHE BEGAN TO TWITCH, NOT IN A WAY SHE WAS
SCARED, BUT IN A WAY SHE WAS IRRITATED.
SHE WAS MUZZLED. SHE COULD NOT BITE ME, I TOLD MYSELF.
I TOOK A SMALL AMOUNT OF MEDICINE ON MY HAND.
SHE TWITCHED HER NOSE, THE WAY SHE USUALLY DOES WHEN SHE SENSES A NEWCOMER
SHE DISLIKES.
SHE DISLIKED THE SMELL OF MEDICINE.
THEN I EXTENDED MY HAND.
SHE ROARED.
SHE ROARED AGAIN.
SHE ROARED AGAIN AND AGAIN.
SHE SHOWED HER FANGS.
SHE GROWLED SO LOUD THAT I HAD NEVER IMAGINED SHE WAS CAPABLE OF.
‘BAD GIRL!’ I YELLED.
SHE STOPPED ROARING AND STARED.
THE STARE WAS DARK.
‘BAD GIRL.’ I WHISPERED.
SHE SPRANG UP AND LANDED HER FEET HEAVILY ON THE SAND.
I WAS CHOKED BY THE DUST.
SHE THREW ANOTHER COLD GLANCE AT ME.
MAYBE SHE WISHED I WAS CHOKED TO DEATH.
AND SHE GROANED.
SHE DID NOT CARE ABOUT BEING GOOD OR BAD ANYMORE.
I STARED AT HER FOR A LONG MOMENT AS SHE STARED BACK.
ONLY BY STARING BACK, I LEARNT THAT MY STARE WAS WARMER
BECAUSE IT WAS BOILED WITH TEARS.
AND THE LIONESS’ WAS NOT.
I DECIDED TO LEAVE HER WITH THE MUZZLE ON.