The Pussycat and the Butterfly - Part 3

 

Alasdair’s bedroom was his favourite place to be. He had all of his toys perched on their seating areas for him to pick and chose to play with as he pleased. The fun he would have as he lined them all up to play his favourite character, Luke Skywalker. They laughed at all of his jokes and gave the most outstanding applause as he acted his way through the entire Star Wars trilogy. They really were very good toys.

 

Today he wasn’t going to play with his toys. Today, in honour of Arabella, he was going to create. He looked out all of his colouring in pens and pencils and found some paper. But what to draw, he wondered. Without thinking, he wrapped his paws around his pencil and put the pencil to paper and waited to see what happened. It started off as a self-portrait. But there was something missing. He got out the most vivid colouring in pencils he could find and got to work sticking his tongue out and moving his head from side to side as he drew and coloured in. The end result was quite magnificent, even if he did say so himself. 

 

Alasdair raised the picture to the air as he admired his own creation. He breathed in deeply as he realised how handsome he looked. Not only was Alasdair tall and grande, but on his head Arabella had placed her beautific wings in place of his ears. She was his crowning glory. She made him stand out amongst the crowd. She gave him that valiant, bravery he so craved. His fur curled around his newfound wings proudly.

 

“Very nice” he heard from the outside of the window. It was Arabella.

 

Alasdair almost fainted from shock and relief at the same time. 

 

“ARABELLAAAAAA!!!” He boomed, tears sprinkling from the sides of his face as he teared across the room to let her in. 

 

“I have been worried sick about you. I thought you were…”

 

“What?” Said Arabella quite innocently

 

“I thought you were…” Alasdair couldn’t quite finish his sentence or thought.

 

“You thought I was what?” She asked

 

“Gone”

 

“Why did you think that?” She replied 

 

“Because of the rain. It was so hard and so heavy and you are so delicate and so pretty…”

 

Arabella interrupted him before he could continue “Alasdair, I’ve lived outdoors my whole life. Don’t you think I’m used to a spot of rain? I know I’m small and I look delicate, but these wings are a lot stronger than you think”.

 

“So, I see”, said Alasdair.

 

“You know, before I grew my wings what I was?”, she asked without waiting for his answer, “I was a fat little caterpillar. All I did was eat and eat and eat and then BOOM! I was locked up in a cocoon for weeks and weeks and weeks. I was all alone with no-one to talk to. I had a lot of time to think during that time. I told myself, if I ever got out of it, I would live my best life. I’d be happy and make others feel good and most of all, I’d be content with whoever I was to become”

 

She was right. Alasdair recalled his mum and dad teaching him about creation and the process that caterpillars had to go through before they became the most beautiful butterfly. 

 

“Well, it worked. All those weeks of being lonely and scared made you such a good person. You really do make me feel good. Thank you Arabella”, he said

 

She smiled back at him “Did you paint me?” She asked

 

Alasdair turned a bright shade of one of Arabella’s favourite colours as he tried to hide it under his tail.

 

“Eh..” he stuttered “em, well…”

 

“Let me see then”, she said as she tried to move his tail to no avail. Alasdair was a lot heavier that she was and she didn’t have the strength to move him. She fluttered her wings against his furry exterior which gave him the giggles. 

 

“Stop! You’re tickling me”, he laughed half jumping up into the air.

 

“Got it” she exclaimed flying right outside of the window so she wouldn’t be disturbed. 

 

Her eyes ran over every detail, absorbing the many colours and strokes of the pencil.

 

“Wow Alasdair, you have a real talent you know”.

 

“Really?” Alasdair said trying not to smile at such flattery as he made his way to the window to sit beside her.

 

“Yes, I think I understand it, but why am I so big in it?”

 

Alasdair now felt embarrassed again and said in a small voice “Because you are a big thing in my life. You make me feel better about myself. Because when you are around, I feel like I have something that was always missing”.

 

“Like your ears?” She said softly

 

“Like my ears”.

 

She nodded and smiled into herself as she continued to look at the drawing. “Well, that might be the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me before. And this is the nicest picture I have ever seen before. Thank you Alasdair. You’re alright”.

 

“You’re alright too”, he replied as they both sat on the window ledge, happy to be in each others company once again. 

 

“Now, how about that audition….”