Cartel Cats: Know Your Rights
Chapter Six: It's Not You, It's the Storm
Pawloma was restless again. The city's alleys buzzed with rumors and resentment, the kind that spreads like wildfire after a bad night. In the heart of it all, Barbara Sanders could feel the tension rising—like static before a lightning strike.
It started with a simple misunderstanding. A delivery of food meant for the whole block went missing. Someone said they saw Rico, the rival crew leader, near the crates. Within minutes, whispers turned to accusations, and the air thickened with suspicion.
Sneezy Lila (frustrated):
"He's always around when things go wrong. I bet he took it!"
Diego (angry):
"We can't let him get away with it. We all needed that food!"
Barbara watched as the others' anger grew, turning from the missing food to Rico himself. She saw how quickly pain and fear could become blame—and how easily a community could start to fracture.
Scene 1: The Village Cat Mom's Porch
Sensing trouble, Mama Patch called everyone to her porch. The cats gathered, tails twitching, voices sharp.
Mama Patch (calm but firm):
"Kittens, I know you're upset. But before you point claws, let's talk about storms."
She pulled out her old wooden board, still marked with the scars of past lessons.
Mama Patch:
"Sometimes, something bad happens—a storm blows through. It's easy to get mad at whoever's closest, but that doesn't mean they made the thunder."
She looked at Rico, who sat apart, his eyes hard but his shoulders slumped.
Mama Patch:
"Are you mad at Rico, or at what happened? There's a difference, and it matters."
Scene 2: The Real Issue
Barbara spoke up, her voice steady.
Barbara:
"We all act on what we know in the moment. Sometimes we make mistakes, sometimes we just react. But blaming each other won't fill our bellies or fix what's broken."
Sleepy Sal nodded.
"Being mad at a person is easy. But maybe we should be mad at the policy that left us hungry in the first place. The system that keeps us fighting for scraps."
Sneezy Lila (softening):
"I guess… I just wanted someone to blame. It hurts less than feeling helpless."
Scene 3: Finding the Truth
The crew decided to investigate, not accuse. They retraced the delivery route and found the missing crates behind a locked gate—no one's fault but a careless driver and a broken latch.
Rico, who'd been silent, finally spoke.
Rico:
"I didn't take anything. I was just trying to find a warm spot for the night."
Barbara nodded, relief and regret mingling in her chest.
Barbara:
"We almost lost a friend because we let our anger choose our enemy. Next time, we look for the real problem, not just the nearest target."
Scene 4: Healing Together
Back on Mama Patch's porch, the cats shared a meal from the recovered crates. Mama Patch poured tea and spoke softly.
Mama Patch:
"Every time we turn on each other, the real problem wins. The storm passes, but the damage stays. If we want to change things, we have to stand together—even when it's hard."
She looked at each cat in turn.
Mama Patch:
"It's okay to be mad at what happened. But don't let that anger turn into blame. We only have each other, and that's how we survive the storm."
Scene 5: The Moral
Barbara gathered the crew for a final word.
Barbara:
"Next time something goes wrong, pause. Ask yourself: Am I mad at the person, or just the pain? Because when we fight each other, we forget the bigger fight—the one for fairness, for food, for freedom."
The crew nodded, the lesson settling in like the calm after rain.
Rights Recap Song
🎶
Mad kitty, sad kitty,
Trouble in the air,
Sometimes we just react,
And life's not always fair.
Actions and reactions,
Not the heart inside,
It's okay to hate the storm,
But don't let love divide.
We all start from somewhere,
Stories old and new,
If you knew what I've been through,
You'd see my reasons too.
Policy and circumstance,
Mixing bowl of pain,
Don't let anger at the system
Turn to personal blame.
So be mad at the moment,
Not the soul you see,
We only have each other
In this wild menagerie.
🎶
Spoken Outro (Mama Patch)
Kittens, storms come and go,
but the bridges you burn in anger can't always be rebuilt.
Hold onto each other,
and remember:
We survive the storm by standing side by side—
not by turning claws on our own.