A CHRISTMAS TO REMEMBER

24th December, 2020.

Mama once told me, "good things come to those who wait, and only then can they be truly happy." I think I might have waited too much. Why? Because, my 'good thing' arrived this morning, and it wasn't exactly what I expected. I mean, I'm usually not that choosy, but, come on, receiving a bird for Christmas is where I draw the line, boldly. I take the little bird indoors, and, as if possessed, it begins to cluck loudly, and peck at my arm through the openings on its cage. I take a second look at the bird, and feel my eyes well up with self-pity, "who ever you are," I wail, looking upwards, "why don't you know that I HATE CHICKENS?" Alas, my question was doomed to be unanswered from the start, so I sulked as I carried the little nuisance up into my room, big mistake. Within seconds of my opening it's cage, the chicken flew out, and suddenly, it wasn't so 'little' anymore, it was a fully grown chicken that was hell bent on destroying my house. As it raced to the window, and I after it, I could hear the protests of my once carefully arranged toys as they were either thrown aside or stepped on, and I could also hear the dying words of my window, as the chicken, which I will now try to address as pet, decided to alleviate it's situation by pecking on the fragile glass. Spurred on by glaring visions of me living with a broken window, I lurched for my pet, completely missed, and had just enough time to save myself from crashing headfirst into the window. I groaned painfully, and through blurry eyes, spotted that little devil lumbering downstairs like it was nobody's business. Remembering, with obvious trepidation that, "the front door's open!" I launched into a mad chase, again. Fortunately for me, "it's headed twords the kitchen! Well, i'm surprised-- wait, my grains!" Now it all made sense to me, my little pet was just hungry. That window in my room had overlooked the grains which I spread outside, and that was why it was pecking on it. I laughed as I walked out to the backyard, sure enough, it was there eating as happily as it could. "Cluck, cluck," the little bird said when I came close to it, "cluck, cluck" it continued affectionately, awww. "Well, i don't know how to take care of a bird, much more a chicken, " I said to it, "but i'm gonna try. Just get ready to look after yourself more often." "Cluck!" I smiled. That night, before I went to sleep, I looked out the window, and saw my little fowl sleeping under a bush, and nestled in the grains,which were now packed in a basket and resting under a shed, was a smooth brown egg. I love brown eggs. "Well," I said happily, "merry christmas to me!"

25th December, 2020

I woke up, half expecting to see a red stocking full of Christmas gifts hanging merrily from the edge of my bed, I didn't see one though, at least, it wasn't hanging merrily from the edge of my bed, it was full of feathers, and cold, and shivering under my rose bushes, and, it wasn't a stocking, it was my pet! I ran downstairs, almost forgetting to put on a sweater, and cuddled it to yself as I would do a little child which had been left outside to the merciless rain. "Don't shiver," I coo, "please don't shiver, I know you're cold, but it's gonna be alright, mummy's gonna take care of you." Yeah it sounds weird, but right now, I saw it as a child who needed my help, and it was going to get my help. My pet was beaten really badly, and I offered curses and threats to the sky as I took her inside. "Ok," I breathed when that was over, "what's the first thing I do when I'm cold?" Light a fire. I lit a fire, and, without any from of protection innocently placed my shivering pet close to it, a little too close. What could go wrong, you ask? Well, let me start by saying that I had to run round my kitchen, with a burning fowl on my tail, all the while screaming, "please! Please don get roasted, I don't want to eat you! Not now at least!" I did have plans on eating her, but after the brown egg, I couldn't bring myself to think about it. Doesn't matter, she isn't calming down. I soon stopped running, to give myself some time to think about how I was going to prevent my pet from burning out. Water. Yes, water. Water was always the key, and today, it was unlocking my door of grace. Grabbing a pail that was fortunately withing reach, I poured it's contents all on the poor fowl, and, with eyes closed, waited to hear the little hiss of the water, and a reassuring "cluck!" I heaved a sigh of relief. Pet, wasn't burned badly, at least to my eyes she wasn't, but I still took her to a vet, who spent the next six hours administering different painkillers, injections, ointments and, ended his session by wrapping her up in cozy little bandages. The vet said that my pet was fine, but I still didn't take her home, she stayed in the hospital for the rest of the day, and I with her. Getting up only to make phone calls to my family, or to feed her, and, in other cases, clean up. You know what I mean. Today was an eventful Christmas, and I learnt something new today: I really have to become a responsible pet owner, so "Introduction to pets 101, here I come!"

26th December, 2020

In my part of the world, today is known as Boxing day. An event where young men wearing local fighting gear box themselves for a grand prize, or, just for entertainment. Today is no different because, in this same part of the world, COVID-19 is a bygone term, used only by politicians to gain money, am I right? Anyway, I'm taking my pet shopping, pretty cool right? I want her to choose the best things she wants for her self, and leave the paying to me. Am I great or what? Okay so, I'm about to go into the shopping mall, and since I can't write and shop at the same time, I'm going to drop my diary for now. See you when I'm back, bye!