Bats are often considered a bad omen in our culture, and taking one as a pet is unheard of. However, there was one time when my sister wanted to keep a bat as a pet.
It was a fine morning, and I was enjoying a rare stay-at-home vacation day. Suddenly, a scream woke me up, “Ayiya, please come here,” and it was my sister’s voice. She had the habit of turning even minor things into serious matters and creating a scene.
Reluctantly, I visited her room, only to find her dressed to leave for work. I expressed my frustration, “What’s the matter? Some of us are trying to sleep here.”
“Look what I’ve found,” my sister said, extending her hand, which held a small, dark, moving object.
“Wait! Is that a pup? Like a bat pup? Ewww. Why are you holding a bat in your hand?” I asked, surprised.
“I just found her by my window. She’s very tiny and still shivering,” my sister responded.
“She?” I questioned. Why did my sister refer to the bat pup as “she”?
“Yeah! She’s definitely a she. Just look at her cute face. Fortunately, Wayira (one of our adventure cats) hasn’t seen her,” my sister replied, playing with the bat pup a little. It seemed that the bat pup was responding to my sister’s gentle petting.