Every inhabitant of the apartment complex where I lived knew how ugly Ugly was. Ugly was a freak of nature. A local cat. Ugly loved three things in this life: fights, consumption of garbage food and what one would perhaps call love. A mixture of these things plus a life without a roof above his head left indelible marks on Ugly's body. For starters, he had only one eye, and there was an empty socket in place of the other. He was missing an ear on the same side of his head and his left foot was broken a long time ago. It healed in such an incredible fashion that it always seemed like the cat was trying to turn the corner. His tail was long gone. What was left was a little stump that was constantly twitching... If it weren't for multiple sores and yellow scabs covering Ugly's head and shoulders, he could have been dark grey striped cat. Anyone who saw him at least once, had the same reaction: what an ugly cat. All kids were prohibited from touching him. Adults threw stones at him. They poured ice-cold water on him from the garden hose every time he tried to enter the lobby, or jammed his paw in the front door so that he couldn't exit the building. Ugly always had one and the same reaction. Whenever an ice-cold water was poured on him, he just stood there and got soaked, until his tormentors got bored with their amusements. Whenever things were thrown at him, he brushed against people's feet as if asking for forgiveness. Whenever he saw children, he ran towards them and rubbed his head against their hands and purred loudly, begging for kindness. Whenever someone actually took him in his hands, he immediately started nibbling at the corner of their shirt or whatever else he could reach.
One morning, Ugly tried to make friends with neighbor dogs. He was viciously bitten as a result of that. I heard him screaming downstairs and immediately ran for his rescue. By the time I finally reached him, Ugly was almost dead. He just laid there, curled up in a ball. His back, legs and the back of his body completely lost their original shape. His sad life was nearing its end. A tear mark crossed his forehead. He was wheezing and suffocating as I was carrying him home. I carried him home and most of all was afraid of hurting him even more. In the meantime, he attempted to nibble on my ear. I carefully pressed him against my chest. His head touched my hand, his golden eye turned in my direction and I heard him purr. Despite feeling an almost unbearable pain, the cat was asking for one thing - for a bit of affection. Perhaps, a bit of compassion. At that same moment I was thinking that I am dealing with the most loving creature out of anyone I ever met in my life. The most loving and the most beautiful. Never would he try to bite or scratch me, or even leave me. He was just staring at me, certain that I can relieve his pain...
Ugly died in my hands before I got home, and I sat there for a long time, holding him. Afterwards, I thought a lot about how one unfortunate cripple managed to change my notion of true purity of spirit, faithful and infinite love. But this was the case. Ugly taught me more about compassion than thousand books, seminars or conversations. And I am eternally grateful to him for that. He had a maimed body, and I had a traumatized soul. The time has come for me, too, to learn to love profoundly and unconditionally. To give it all you have.
Most people aim to be richer, more successful, more beautiful or more desired. And I will always strive for one thing - to become Ugly.
