‘The Hamster’

He woke with a start. Despite the cosiness of his shredded paper bed he’d felt an odd sensation, as if he were falling.  It had been a restless dream haunted by worries that could not be solved. But it was now already dark within his rigid plastic house. He had overslept and was late for work. He nestled back into his bed for just a second. It would be lovely to just stay in there and let the world take care of itself. He yawned the widest yawn, revealing his surprisingly long and pointy teeth, and then got up anyway, only pausing to check that he had enough food in the house – Yes, there were plenty of seeds gathered around his bed. He liked to sleep with his food. That way he knew exactly where it was.
The Hamster hurried out of his door, quickly covering the six inches of sawdust to his office. He climbed straight into his wheel and, immediately, he heard the reassuring squeaking noise that meant he was doing something. It was a relief to know, that now, no one could accuse him of laziness. He felt refreshed and strong and the first hour of the night-shift seemed to fly past, his little legs a blur of running. After the second hour he was starting to flag.
         “Maybe another ten minutes,” he thought, “and I’ll give myself a break …and a snack.”
So he did just that. He tumble off his wheel, ambled wearily back to his little yellow house, with the sloping red roof and settled back into his bed. This time it wasn’t to sleep, but to munch on his store of food.
Just as he was snapping through the shell of his third sunflower seed there came the unexpected sound of his cage opening, quickly followed by a flood of bright light as the roof of his house was lifted off. It was his owner. Her hand gently scooped him up and he burned with shame. He had been caught red handed, slacking when he should have been working. An uncomfortable guilt had been building in his chest ever since he’d climbed off his wheel. No, actually, it had started when he’d first thought about taking a break. He felt bad that he hadn’t done enough, and now he had been found out. Although his owner was smiling and talking gently to him he knew what she must be thinking – What he really deserved was a good telling off.
He wanted to wriggle free of all this touching and stroking, because he didn’t deserve it. He needed to get back on his wheel and prove he could do better. So, although he would otherwise have enjoyed the attention, he made a show of hanging off the edge of his owner’s grip, as if trying to jump, as she passed him from hand to hand.
But she produced his food and he eagerly took the seeds, nuts and cheese. (Oh, the cheese!) Taking each piece in his teeth, he turned it over in his tiny hands and tucked it into his cheek. Even though they were delicious morsels, he didn’t pause to taste any of them, he just wanted to hoard all he could. His constant fear was that he would run out. Even though his owner had always fed him, and had never given any suggestion that she might withhold food, he had a gnawing anxiety that food might become scarce.
In a short time his cheeks were bulging with supplies. His owner stroked his cheek feeling the shape of each nut hidden there and spoke softly and kindly to him. Not that he heard any of the words; his own internal voice drowned them out:
         “Will she try and get these back off me? I need to store them safely in my house. And I must get back to my wheel. She might lose patience with me. She can’t really love me. I’m just not loveable.”
It wasn’t true of course; none of it, but the Hamster didn’t know this.
His owner put him back into his cage and flipped off the light switch as she left the room. The Hamster scrambled back into his house having to twist his head to get through the door, so wide were his cheeks now. The chink, chink, chink noise of the seeds falling onto the plastic floor inside came to the ears of another creature who was nearby…

In the gloom a grey mouse appeared, close to the skirting board, his beady black eyes glinting and his whiskers twitching and sniffing the dark air. There were so many smells: Old cloth, dust, hamster droppings … and cheese. Was that cheese? Dry hard cheese, but definitely cheese. The Mouse followed the smell to the edge of the hamster’s cage. He arrived just as the Hamster was making the short journey from house to wheel. The Mouse looked at the Hamster quizzically. The Hamster saw him, but continued to climb on the wheel and start trundling.
         “Is that cheese I can smell?” asked the Mouse.
         “Yes, but it’s my cheese,” replied the Hamster emphatically.
         “You have cheese that you haven’t eaten?” The Mouse was part-surprised, part-hopeful.
         “I’m saving it,” replied the Hamster firmly, not sure it was anyone’s business but his own.
         “Why would you have a tasty bit of cheese and not eat it right away?”
         “I need to have some food in reserve, in case I run out.”
         “Food is for eating not for saving. I’m the one who doesn’t know where the next meal is coming from, whereas you are a tame rodent. You have an owner to feed you.”
         “That may be so, but it’s by no mean’s certain. I need to be careful, prepared for the worst.”
         “You can’t spend your life worrying about tomorrow. Food is for the stomach,” said the Mouse, still hoping to get his teeth into some of the Hamster’s cheese. “Let’s share the cheese together and enjoy it while it’s at its best!”
The Hamster chose to ignore this last comment as it made him feel uncomfortable. For those who are anxious about such things find it very hard to be generous.
         “At least you’ve got someone who feeds you every day,” the Mouse scoffed as he turned to go. “You should be more grateful.” (For even the Mouse knew that gratitude always leads to generosity.) As for the Mouse, he would have to find his meal wherever he could…

… to be continued!

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© M Day 30-Nov-2022