A Nova Short Story (I): The One Feline that Rules Them All

  To felinologists, this petite female is known as a black Chantilly-Tiffany cat, but to her servant, she is simply known as Nova.

  Despite her size, Nova is tiny, weighing slightly under three kilograms. What she lacks in size, she makes up for with a pristine and glorious black coat, which she grooms carefully.

  Nova’s mornings begin with a sharp blow to her servant’s cheek, a crude alarm clock of sorts, meant to rouse him so he may hurry to present her breakfast on a silver platter.

  As usual, she fails to awaken her useless servant.

  Guided by her superb vision and smell, Nova finds a black leather wallet on the coffee table. Sharpening a single claw, she nicks the biggest denominator, a fifty. Usually, she picks a smaller one, but today, it seems as though she wants to treat herself.

  Or perhaps she does not understand the concept of money.

  After careful manoeuvring, Nova picks it up with her mouth and gracefully lands on the floor. She’ll soon be setting off on a solitary trip, fending entirely for herself.

  Nova makes haste towards her destination, though she doesn't mind stopping to chase the occasional butterfly, if any. Eventually, she finds herself among different-looking servants, who make way for her.

  As they should.

  At her usual stall, Nova set down the note and claimed the day’s very first pick. The servant of fish is momentarily bewildered, but swiftly bows to reality.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  He was in the presence of royalty.

  “It’s the ang mo lang’s* cat! Aiyo, need to return him the money if he comes by…”

  Value for money was an understatement – what awaited her was a feast: three sizzling cod fillets in place of the lone one she’d normally expect.

  Satiated, Nova sets off for home, demanding pets and scratches from the usual servants along the way.

  Finally, with a flourish, she butts her head against the flap that serves as the front gate to her castle. The castle's keeper, her most dedicated servant, is still fast asleep. His mouth is taped shut, a pathetic attempt at stopping her from exploring the cavity and waking him up.

  So, Nova resorts to another method that is sure to rouse him.

  Nova tucks her legs in and, with a wiggle, she gets as close to the ground as possible. The bell around her collar jingles softly.

  On the third jingle, she jumps.

  Nova’s front paws hit her target, and with a little more effort, she presses her fishy paws onto her servant’s nose, clamping it shut.

  At first, there is discomfort. Then, his sealed lips try to part, but to no avail. After a mighty struggle, her servant concedes, hastily pulling her off her dream throne and finally waking up for work.

  To start her day off on the right paw, Nova demands the most expensive cucumbers as well as a bubble bath by gently but insistently meowing at her servant while sitting all pretty in the bathtub.

  Her servant dutifully prepares the bath, dipping in a cautious finger to ensure the water is just right before lowering her into it. Should the temperature stray from perfection, he would suffer her wrath for the rest of the day. Yet, without fail, he delivers an immaculate soak. Once settled, her refined pads receive the royal treatment—massaged in gentle circles, with even pressure, as though polishing priceless gems.

  With eyes narrowed in regal approval, Nova permits her servant to shampoo her, a task fraught with peril should so much as a single sud stray too close.

  Such is the life of a pampered princess.

  *A Hokkien/Singlish descriptor used to refer to white people. In this case, it refers to Dante.