Story 6: Reza Shadey Wants to Be the Boss
It was a sunny afternoon, and Reza Shadey was lounging on his favourite sun-warmed wall when he had a brilliant revelation.
He puffed out his chest until he looked nearly twice his usual size, surveyed his kingdom — which was, of course, Mrs Higgins's beautiful garden — and decided that a very important change was needed.
"Hmph!" Reza declared, leaping down with a flourish that sent a few dry leaves scattering. "I am four years old! Penelope is only three. Ginger Tom is also three. Four is bigger than three — much bigger! Therefore, by the ancient laws of... numbers and fluffiness, I am the Boss! Ruler of the Garden! All shall bow to my wisdom and fetch me extra crunchy biscuits on command."
Penelope, the elegant white cat with calm, sensible eyes, was basking nearby on a soft patch of clover. She blinked slowly, her whiskers twitching with amusement.
"Oh, Rezzi", she purred gently. "Being older doesn't make you the boss. What about kindness? Or sharing?"
Ginger Tom, the sturdy orange cat who was dozing on a nearby stone, cracked open one lazy eye. He gave a mighty pink-mouthed yawn.
"Yeah, Reza", he muttered. "I'm happy with my naps and my biscuits. Don't need a boss telling me when to eat 'em."
But Reza wasn't listening.
He paced back and forth, his tail held high like a royal sceptre.
"Nonsense! As Boss, my first decree: Penelope, you shall be my Chief Fluff Arranger — you must groom my magnificent fur twice a day! Ginger Tom, you're the Royal Biscuit Fetcher — bring me the crunchiest ones from your secret stash! And we'll have meetings every afternoon to discuss how brilliant I am."
The two cats exchanged doubtful glances. Four was bigger than three, that much was true. But was age really the key to being boss?
They weren't sure.
Little Tiger, the bouncy tabby kitten who was only two years old and full of energy, had been listening from his hiding spot under a large hosta leaf. His ears perked up.
"Boss because of age? Hmm..." he muttered, his mind racing as fast as his paws.
Without another word, he scampered off — pitter-patter, pitter-patter! — disappearing over the fence in a blur of stripes.
"Where's he off to in such a hurry?" Ginger Tom grumbled, settling back down.
Reza waved a dismissive paw.
"Probably chasing his own tail again. No matter! As Boss, I declare it's time for a royal snack inspection. Hand over those biscuits, Tom."
But before Ginger Tom could protest, Tiger came bounding back, puffing and panting, with a special guest in tow.
She was an old, wise-looking tabby cat, with stripes like Tiger's but faded to a beautiful silver-grey. Her eyes sparkled with the quiet cleverness of someone who had seen many gardens... and many cheeky kittens.
"This is my Grandma!" Tiger announced proudly, bouncing on his paws. "Her name is Tiger-Lily, and she's ten years old! That's way older than four, Reza!"
Reza Shadey's jaw dropped so low it nearly brushed his fluffy chest.
"Ten?" he spluttered, his green eyes wide with shock.
He hadn't thought about cats being older than him — especially one who looked so regal.
Tiger puffed out his chest proudly. "See? I brought the expert!"
Tiger-Lily smiled gently, her voice a soft, rumbling purr.
"Hello, young Reza. I hear you've declared yourself Boss because four is bigger than three. Well, if that's the rule, then ten is much, much bigger than four."
She paused, her whiskers twitching with quiet amusement.
"So I suppose that makes me the Boss now. Shall I begin by decreeing that all kittens must share their biscuits equally?"
Reza wiggled indignantly, his magnificent fur fluffing up.
"But... but... that's not fair! I was the first to think of it!"
He paced in a tiny circle, muttering darkly about "unforeseen numerical complications."
Penelope tried very hard not to laugh. Ginger Tom chuckled openly.
Tiger-Lily's eyes twinkled kindly.
"You know, Reza", she said, "we don't really need a boss at all. We're all friends here. We can be a team. We can help each other and have fun together."
She tilted her head slightly.
"Isn't that better than one cat bossing everyone around?"
Penelope nodded enthusiastically.
"That's right, Rezzi. Teams are much more fun."
Ginger Tom purred in agreement, relieved he wouldn't have to fetch biscuits on command. Tiger bounced happily, feeling very pleased with his clever solution.
Reza Shadey huffed.
Deep down — although he would never admit it out loud — he could see that Tiger-Lily might have a point. Being part of a team did sound rather pleasant.
And, he reasoned privately, every good team needed a particularly brilliant strategic thinker.
As the friends settled down to play, Reza curled up a little apart, his mind already buzzing with new ideas.
"Hmph", he murmured quietly to himself...
"One day I'll be ten... and then we'll see who's Boss."
Night night. Sleep tight.