A cafe stood in the middle of Brinchang City in Cameron Highlands. Fakhrul, a part time waiter, is anxiously and carefully bringing the ordered food and heading towards the respective, hungry customers. It was a very busy day. The staff was running around, taking and sending orders, while maintaining a good disposition to keep away from the manager’s rage.

Suddenly, a plate collapsed and crashed, spreading pieces everywhere. Fakhrul is shocked for a moment and saw the culprit running away with a small piece of cheese. The whole cafe is stunned; everyone is distracted! Then, the atmosphere turned to panic when a female customer hysterically and continuously shouted:

“Rats! Rats! Rats! Rats! Rats! Rats!”

Fakhrul cursed blindly and silently to the rat as if communicating with it mentally. He brushed through the cafe from the store, now with a broom, not waiting a single moment to attack the rat. One hit to the right, but the rat was already on the left. Its short legs are meant to run fast. Another hit to the left, but he hit a customer’s foot instead.

“Ouch! Watch it waiter! My leg doesn’t look like a rat!”

“Sorry sir!”

Looking around, Fakhrul noticed that the chaotic environment led the customers to flee from the cafe. He became increasingly frustrated as the cafe had only recently started operations and would need more time rebuilding its reputation because of a tiny little rat. And this was only his part-time job!

But with less people, there are more spaces to launch more broom attacks.

After a few minutes, the vengeance-driven broom thumping was still going on. The rat maneuvered skillfully to avoid being swatted. Fakhrul picked up a pepper shaker, took off the cap, and splashed it in the direction of the rat, which stumbled for a moment and sneezed repeatedly.

Each time the rat tried to run away, it would sneeze and jump backward, making its effort worthless. Fakhrul figured out the pattern, waited for the perfect moment, and struck the rat while it was sneezing. But the rat was not under the broom, but rather, sitting on top of it. The surprised Fakhrul swung the broom toward the opened door and outside it went.

The rat landed into the drain and stopped sneezing. It got brighter and noisier as vehicles were passing by. Perhaps dazed by its new environment, the rat rested in a sheltered place beside a lamp post. Just in his vision, however, was a portion of cheese on the ground outside the cafe. Hungrily, the rat ran for it.

Fakhrul, now standing outside the cafe, saw the running rat and swiftly kicked it flying into the rear of a lorry. Fakhrul hoped that the pepper had affected the rat’s sense of smell, meaning it would never be able to smell its way home. The lorry would bring the rat to a new home. Perhaps a temporary home.

An aroma spread in the air. The tea was ready while the grandma filtered excess oil from the banana fritters. She extended the sleeve of her blouse to sponge sweat off her forehead. The evening would be filled up by taking care of her only grandchild while the parents would be gone for a few days on a business trip. It was going to be a lovely day entertaining her with good food and drinks.

She glanced outside to the garden behind the house; a rabbit was hopping around playfully. A bag of carrots lie over on the table; she rolled up her sleeves, took out four of them, and scattered them around the garden. Without fail, the rabbit would find every carrot in the garden, which was mainly carpeted with boring green grass.

Never once did she fail to feed the rabbit, but she grew physically tired of its companionship after the long hours spent on her work. All she wanted was a long break. She planned to give the rabbit away. While looking at the clock, she stretched her arms after the long hours of cleaning. The child would arrive soon and the house would be less lonely.

In front of the house, a car zoomed up and stopped. The rabbit stood up, startled each time the car’s doors were shut. The garden was not connected to the outside world. But the child loved this area the most. Back at home, she needed to comply with strict rules and regulations, but here, it was freedom for her. Finally, the car zoomed again, disappearing.

The grandma had the food and drink ready by the table and encouraged the child to enjoy herself. The crispy banana fritters were delicious and eaten with warm tea. But the child was anxious to play with the rabbit. It was a sticking point for the grandma to give away the rabbit because this would disappoint the child.

Both the rabbit and the child were well-fed by the grateful yet tired grandma. While the child provoked the rabbit and chased it, the grandma sat down by the garden and watched. Her old age had led her to a painful and passive life, so the rabbit took over responsibilities in entertaining the child while her aging body rested. The grandma eventually fell asleep.

The child carried the rabbit gently, resting it on her arms, and walked into the house while combing its soft, mix of black and white hair. She saw the leftovers on the table and decided to finishit on her own. The child set the rabbit down and went to the table. The rabbit wandered around the house confusingly but found the bright lights through the
loosely-closed front door.

-half an hour later-

In broad daylight on the strawberry farm appeared 2 uninvited creatures. One with a limbless, elongated body, while the other with hind legs, a large head, short body, but missing a tail. The former was still confused, adapting to the new surroundings, while the latter had just extended its tongue trapping fruit flies back into its mouth. It was well fed.

The former contracted and relaxed its muscles as it moved in a serpentine movement. It was poisonous. It smelt something ... it smelt food! So it followed the smell. It followed slowly, slithering through the grass, neglecting the soft soil as it went.

The lost python was agitated, flickering its forked tongue while the unsuspecting frog remained motionless, well-fed. It was about to become a meal. Though lost, the python felt fortunate to make use of its role in the hierarchy of animals, as a predator. As the frog sung its ugly song, the python moved forward.

The sun stood directly above as the day became hotter. The plump frog vocalized heavily as more air was pumped into
its larynx.  The strawberry farm's automated watering system suddenly started, and the grateful frog, which required moisture, jumped a few meters away to better enjoy the water.

Between the frog and the python, the strawberries danced to the falling water droplets released from the machine-operated tap. Slowly and carefully, the python controlled its excitement as it continued toward the frog. Neither the frog nor the snake realized, however, that a worker came nearby to check a malfunctioning water pipe.

The dampened soil has become a comfortable bed for the frog. Being showered by the water and with a full stomach, this was paradise for the frog. The shower came to an abrupt stop. The frog looked but saw the tap working. Its voice halted like a musician dropping his tuba while playing. The frog finally noticed the python! Without a sound, the python
struck! And it became dark!

“Gotcha!”

Noticing this movement from afar, the worker got an empty sack and a long stick. With the watering sound limiting the snake’s sensory abilities, the worker successfully pulled the python with the stick into the empty sack!

The frog escaped peacefully while hurriedly singing with its ugly voice. And the rain continued.

One day in a strawberry farm in the Cameron Highlands

The owner came rushing out of her house after being informed of the situation, worried that something had happened to one of her workers and horrified to think that a snake had taken residency on her late husband’s farm. She crossed the vast strawberry farm and went straight into the farm's store.

She had read George McMillan Darrow’s book Strawberry: History, Breeding, and Physiology and recalled that strawberry farms attracted common predators like birds and insects but rarely snakes and frogs. Her beloved, late husband tried many friendly methods to discourage the predators, particularly the birds. He creatively used the picture of an eye to psychologically shoo away the birds, as though a warning to the birds that they were being watched. Amazingly, the birds never came back!

Passing the door, she checked the labor schedule, noticing that it was Fakhrul’s turn for inspecting the farm. Ah, he was the one who captured the snake! She suddenly remembered that a lorry would be coming to deliver the ordered farming utensils. While she waited, she decided to reassure herself that the snake would no longer be a problem.

Fakhrul gave the owner a brief explanation and informed her that the fire brigade would send a team to pick up the snake. The owner was relieved and proud to have such a brave and reliable employee. She was considering upgrade his part-time contract to a full-time position since he had lost his job at the cafe in Brinchang City earlier that morning.

She looked at the snake-filled sack on the table by the door and hoped it would be sent somewhere else soon. The gushing water from the sprinkler system was disturbed by the roaring lorry, which came to a stop near the store.

The owner and Fakhrul both went to greet the delivery men, but made a mistake in knocking over the sack and not shutting the door completely. With a glimmer of light, the python poked its head out and slowly crawled out. Outside the sack and still hungry, the silent predator made its way towards the open door. The python escaped!

The owner ordered Fakhrul to take a look at the newly-arrived utensils. He obediently dealt with the lorry drivers, making sure the invoice matched the items sent. Despite the rat tragedy earlier, he felt that his day was turning out well. In fact, he blamed the dirty conditions in Brinchang City as the reason why pests like rats could find homes, just like the one he saw resting on the row of hoes in the lorry. The rat sneezed!

Surprised and raging with anger, Fakhrul grabbed a hoe and hammered his target repeatedly, but all of the hits failed and the rat managed to find its way out into the strawberry farm straight through the open store door. The lorry drivers and the owner confusedly watched the scene, windering how a man could be so enraged by a tiny, innocent
rat.

A fast runner, the rat saw a head coming out of the door with its mouth wide open boasting its forked tongue but could do nothing to stop at its accelerated speed. The rat realized that there was nowhere to go. In front of it was the python, while the human was coming from behind. Finally, it crashed into the mouth, lunch for the winning predator, the python.

But the rat’s ordeal has not ended; it sneezed again! The python was startled and strengthened its grip, allowing no room for escape. But the rat sneezed again and again. The python was losing its grip and eventually, with another big sneeze, the rat flew away from both predators.

The rat rubbed its nose, and its sense of smell came back! It breathed in deeply, sensing home’s scent! Lucky rat! Just a few minutes earlier, it was on the verge of being eaten. But within a matter of seconds, the rat's destiny had twisted yet again, granting him continued life and maybe even cheese.

Fakhrul, who came to his senses, forgot about the rat and focused on the python. Predator versus predator, only one would remain. From afar, the owner took a new sack from the lorry and threw it to Fakhrul, who skillfully swept the python in with a hoe.

The owner sighed with relief when she heard the siren of the fire brigade. Fakhrul handed over the sack to the authorities and cursed the rat silently. The owner reminded Fakhrul about the utensils, and he hurried to finish his job.

Passing through the farm, the owner realized that there were pieces of eaten strawberry alongside one of the rows. She wondered, doubtingly, whether the python had become an omnivore. Or if not, what other predator could be eating the strawberries. She followed the trail of the pieces and found the culprit, gnawing strawberries with its teeth, munching like it had never eaten such delicious fruit before.

The owner recognized its soft white and black fur pattern. It was definitely her rabbit! What an extraordinary and unbelievable adventure it must have had to get this far away. She held it up and looked into its eyes, thinking that they were pleading to her as though it missed her so much. The thought of her grandchild came to mind and on her lips articulated a meaningful smile, knowing her future had taken another twist. She felt less lonely already.