The Panda bought a Promise

Siting in a pool of water from the night’s rain, she could barely believe her luck. She was clean, well not that it made any difference, she would be wading through mud anytime soon. Before all the mud wading, how about breakfast, she mused. On the side of the forest she lived was a plantation, owned by none, cherished by all. Bamboo was going to be breakfast again, not much difference from lunch and supper, perhaps a little rain to taste. Well the sooner the better, breakfast was better with rain water. She didn’t know how, but it just was, guess it was the ions or the nothingness of its taste.

After breakfast, a walk was in order. She didn’t want to play into the joke, that her species were the only vegetarians who got fat. “Fat?” She snorted. What was wrong with being fat? It gave her body more cover, more fur, more thickness. She would never understand or wish to fit in. She was so lost in thought that she came across a long weird looking path. It wasn’t made of sand, dust or branches like the other paths she knew. It had certain marks on them and being unknown to colors, she realized the path had different colors.

Where I’m I, she wondered and what is this? Is it safe to pass on? It has no rain on it. This must be the wondrous path they speak of. The path where all others creatures pass, those on two legs and odd looking four legs that make noise. They speak a weird language, the people on two legs, eating everything, shouting and drinking their rain water from things. How funny and odd she must look, standing by the road and thinking. She was thinking hard and strong, for the new path didn’t look happy. Spots were chipped off and she didn’t like it.

Is this how they treat you? She asked. They don’t understand you, do they? Where I live, you can be free, get free rain and go as far as you want. The dreams of the road and herself were walking a thin line. It seemed she wanted to emboss them on the road. She built a friend and sat there all day. Yapping about meals and whenever she was hungry, she would go into the forest and get some bamboo. It didn’t bother her, her new friend rarely spoke, for when he did, it was usually a whoosh or a blur. She found a way to understand it. “Don’t go anywhere, I will be back to save” “To take you to my place. To set you free” She said.

As the sun set and she walked on home, the Panda had bought herself a Promise.