A few weeks back, I visited my neighbor, whom I’ll refer to as L, to discuss a missing cat. L had lost her tabby cat, Karma, who had been missing for several weeks, causing distress within their family. The community had come together to search for Karma, but unfortunately, she remained unfound.
And one day, as I gazed out of the window, I noticed Karma peering out from the rundown shed located nearby, just a short distance away from her actual residence. I felt a surge of excitement. Not only for the prospect of reuniting the pet with her owners, but also for the possibility of being recognized as a helpful individual in my Philadelphia community.
More precisely, I believed that this gesture would help me establish a friendly rapport with the local ice-cream vendor. The absence of a visible price list on the ice-cream van implies that the vendor sets prices at his discretion. Long-time residents like L typically pay $1 for their treats. On the other hand, newcomers like myself are subject to an additional fee. During my last visit, I was charged $6.50 for a cone for my child. Despite my initial inclination to dispute the price, I refrained from doing so due to the presence of my sugar-fueled toddler. I reasoned that citing legal provisions such as title 15, section 13 of the United States Code on price discrimination would not work in my favor. Given Philadelphia’s historical significance as the birthplace of the nation, challenging the vendor’s pricing tactics seemed ill-advised.
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Anyway, I caught sight of my discounted ticket and headed to L’s house to inform her that Karma was in my garden. Together, we attempted, unsuccessfully, to persuade Karma to return home. Sadly, the cat, once a stray before being taken in by L, now seems to prefer the great outdoors. It splits its time between the alleyway and my garden, using it as its personal restroom. Despite my polite attempts to encourage it to leave, the cat stubbornly returns the very next day. It appears that I am destined to pay full price for ice-cream from now on. Karma truly lives up to its name.
– Arwa Mahdawi writes columns for The Guardian.
