Meet Marshall Law – a cat with a genetic defect
In my novella Change of Lifestyle, a stressed London teacher suffers a personal and public betrayal and moves to Jakarta. He is promptly adopted by an Indonesian cat called Marshall Law.
Like many Indonesian cats, Marshall’s tail is “twisted, gnarled and stubby.” It’s a genetic defect, similar to the one Manx cats have. Because of geographical issues (ie – islands), it’s hard to weaken the strain. But why did I include a cat at all?
Personal Experience
My family lived in Jakarta between 2016 and 2020. While there, we adopted two tiny kittens: Nutmeg, named after the Indonesian spice, and Bertie, named after a famous Indonesian fitness instructor (full name Bertie Tolaso). Both of them have slight kinks in their tails near the end, but nothing like other Indonesian cats, some of whom have tails like clubs, others have almost nothing, like Manx cats.
Nutmeg is quiet and calm, but as Richard Osman might say, Bertie has main character energy. He’s demanding, opinionated and entitled. All this from a cat we found when he was far too young to be away from his mother, sitting in the middle of the road! When we brought him back to England, the kids who live on our street quickly labelled him “Beastie” because of the way he terrorises other cats. Marshall Law is very much a homage to Bertie.
helping gabe
Marshall stops Gabe from becoming too isolated during his self-imposed exile. Looking after the cat gives him a purpose other than writing and keeps him grounded. Also, Marshall provides good comic relief.
gabe, michelle and Marshall
Marshall serves almost as a mediator between the two main characters in the difficult first moments of their reunion. The fact he allows Michelle to pick him up, tells Gabe that if nothing else, Marshall trusts her.
Marshall and the rogue agent
Gabe’s dream is to become a writer of a cold war series of espionage novels. To parallel that dream, Change of Lifestyle is unveiled in a series of espionage tropes. One way or another, coded messages, spies and rogue agents all make appearances. Marshall is the device used to get a message from one character to another.
Change of lifestyle
further reading
What’s wrong with Indonesian cats’ tails?
Ondel-ondel: Guardians of Jakarta
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