No bathing!

Why do I have to be the one to buy hay for that thief? I know I had to come here anyway, but still…

The last time I was here, I noticed they had a pet aisle to the left. I’m sure it’ll be just for dogs and cats, but you never know.

Boy, was I wrong.

They have enough to run a zoo. In addition to what you would typically expect in a pet store, they have products for every exotic pet. Iguanas, snakes, parrots, tarantulas, prairie dogs, you name it. Food, toys, and even furniture are tailored to each species.

But here it is, the rabbit section. Among the shelves with carriers, tunnels, and feeders, there is timothy and orchard hay sorted by weight. They also have pellets. He doesn't look like a baby or a mature rabbit to me, so the safest bet is to buy the one recommended for adults. I’ll take this one and a bag of timothy hay.

I also recall what Hai said:

“If you had more vegetables around, maybe he wouldn’t steal so much food from you. Since you are so fond of gardening, you could at least try planting some in the backyard pots.”

What does she know about me? Who says I’m fond of gardening? Or… Am I? Truthfully, these days, I’m constantly thinking of new ways to improve the yard, and I find myself shopping here all the time. Have I unconsciously developed a new hobby?

Anyway, she can’t complain if I buy a few of them. These should do, cabbage and parsley seeds.

“Hi, Ru! How’s the garden revival going? Still haven’t gotten rid of the pests? The sale is still going on, you know…”

“Hello, Niwashi. No, I’m afraid not. Another one might have shown up, but I'll deal with that later. As for the rest of the yard, it’s in much better shape! Mostly thanks to your recommendations! I think I’m going to seed the lawn today.”

“Oh, that’s right! Have you decided whether to go with the electric mower or the reel mower?”

“Yes. As much as I’d like the electric mower, I’ll take the mechanical one. I'm on a tight budget. I don't know where the money has been going lately…”

“Okay! Wait a minute, then!”

She goes to the back of the store and brings a kit consisting of a mower and a scarifier.

“Now, let me roughly explain what you need to do. First, you're going to mow the grass as finely as possible and use the scarifier to remove the moss and dead grass. This will help the seeds to expand their roots and germinate. After you have cleaned everything, scatter the seeds uniformly throughout the yard. Do not hesitate to completely empty the bag of seeds! Then, cover them with soil, which you can spread with a stiff broom. This will provide the nutrients the seeds need to grow strong.”

She interrupts herself as if she forgot something important that she should have added.

“Oh! There’s one more thing you can't forget. Plenty of water! We are approaching summer, and it’s getting piping hot! I advise you to water every morning and evening. We could add more steps, but this is enough for a first try.”

“Thank you very much, Niwashi! I think I got the gist of it. I’ll take these products, too, please.”

I place the hay and pellets for the rabbit on the counter.

“Do you have a rabbit? They’re so cute! I have a dog myself, his name is Bonsai. However, he only answers when you call him Bon. I think he’s a Pomeranian mix, although I'm not sure. Animals are not my forte, but I find them all adorable! I'm best at gardening. I've simply filled the store with everything I could find for all types of animals, so I'm not the right person to suggest what’s best for your pet…”

“Don’t worry, I recently met a specialist. She’s a veterinarian and told me what to buy.”

“Oh! You’ll have to introduce me to her then! Bon was a stray, and I only just adopted him. I want to make sure everything’s fine with him. Also, someone knowledgeable would surely help me improve the pet section!”

“No problem, I can talk to her. Actually… I’ll call her right now! I ended up buying too much, and I can't carry it all by myself.”

She immediately replies with a “Yes!” and hangs up. Having someone who will accept any request comes in handy sometimes.

At the entrance, I watch her arriving in the distance, distorted by the heat, across the burning asphalt on her rusty white scooter. I introduced her to Niwashi.

They’ve immediately bonded. It was as if they’d known each other forever. They even finish each other’s sentences.

“Could you carry these things on your scooter? I'll take the rest and meet you at my place. Thanks for the help, by the way!”

“Sure! I’ll see you in a bit!”

I watch her ride away when a loud “BANG!” breaks the silence in the neighborhood. The bike is spewing engine fumes and looks beyond repair. Now, not only do we have to carry all the stuff I bought, but we also have to push the scooter all the way home.

As soon as we enter the house, we collapse on the floor. I reach out my arm to turn on the fan, and we stay like that for quite a while. The three of us look exactly alike for the first time: the apparent result of a serial murder.

I find the minimum strength necessary to prepare fresh juice for all of us, even giving some on a bottle lid to the rabbit and Yada through a straw.

“You two don't deserve it because you haven’t helped at all since moving here. You’re lucky I'm the nicest person on Earth!”

I spent the rest of the afternoon following Niwashi’s instructions step-by-step until it was almost time for dinner.

Meanwhile, Hai fed Baba and was busy removing the fur knots he had formed. Sometime later, she tried to play an imitation guessing game with her sister.

“I’m not sure… Are you a sloth?”

“Hmmmm…” grunts Yada.

“I knew it! You're so good at it, sis!”

I finished leveling the last area. But something stinks… Literally. Although I've been sweating a lot, I don’t think it’s coming from me.”

“Doesn't it smell rotten to you, Hai? Like a carcass drying in the sun?”

“Yeah, I think it’s coming from sis…” she points to her.

A flock of crows surrounds the girl, who is being protected by the rabbit growling at them.

“She really needs a bath. Since I haven’t been around lately, I couldn’t give it to her.”

“How do you even get her to the bathroom? Not to mention, you’re much smaller than her."

“I don't. I usually water her with a sprinkling can and then drag her to the sun to dry.”

“That won’t do! I'll think of something better! Now, it’s getting too late. We’ll deal with that problem tomorrow.”

During the night, I came up with a solution. There’s an inflatable swimming pool from when I was a baby in the storage.

It has some holes that I can cover with duct tape. I inflate it and voilà! Now I just have to fill it with the hose.

The girls are already prepared. Despite looking very mad, I can’t help but notice how cute Yada looks. She’s wearing a pink swimsuit and has her hair tied into a knot with a butterfly hairpin.

Her sister starts dragging her as she shouts, “No! No! No!” and throws her into the pool.

She lies on her stomach, resting her head on the pool's edge. The sister is happily splashing around next to her.

While they’re there, I take the opportunity to water the lawn.

A torrent of water balloons flies in my direction, some hitting me in the back.

“You’ll get the whole yard dirty…”

“You should have a little more fun, Ru! You’re alw…. Brgbrgbrg!”

With the hose, I send a blast of water into her face. The look on her face is so funny that I can’t suppress my laughter.

I was actually having fun. I can’t remember the last time I experienced this emotion around other people. Maybe this weird encounter wasn’t that bad after all…

“No!”

My train of thought ends when I get a “Baba Cannon” thrown in my face by Hai. The rabbit proudly walks away after performing his duty.

Yada bursts out laughing. A contagious laugh that prevents anyone from not smiling.

Someone else may be having as much fun as I am.