Life as a Pea Chia

     The neighbors and visitors to Sally’s estate had nothing but nice things to say about little Plumpy. By now, he had gotten used to it. Little Plumpy is Sally’s pride and joy. Plumpy didn’t remember much from his life before. He wasn’t always a Pea Chia. He was born a plain Green Skeith with a rather unremarkable upbringing. But Plumpy was a reliable farmhand that Sally could always count on. Farming is heavy work, but that wasn’t a big deal for a Skeith. He enjoyed spending his days under the sun among the greeneries of Sally’s estate. There wasn’t much he couldn’t do. And what Plumpy couldn’t do, Lance and Gust were always there to cover for him. The trios were inseparable. But that was a long time ago.

     Being a Skeith was good. But being a Pea Chia was the best thing that had happened to him. When Sally offered the blessing from Naia the Fountain Faerie and a Blue Chia morphing potion to turn him into a Pea Chia, he had doubt, at first. But how could he refuse? Everywhere in Neopia, from Kreludor to the land of the Faeries and even the remote island of the Lutari’s, Pea chia was among the most popular pets. Not to mention the countless Pea Chia merchandise. Plumpy fondly remembered the excitement radiating from Sally that day. That was not a hard decision.

     Personally, he never understood the trend and popularity of the Pea Chia. Even now, while being a cute little pea warranted attention and jealousy from other Neopians and their pets, he found it hard to perform daily tasks such as farming and walking. What Plumpy could do as a Skeith, he couldn’t do as a Pea Chia. Sally, Lance and Gust took turns carrying little Plumpy and helping him whenever they could. Lance and Gust seemed different; he could tell.

     Having a Pea Chia on the farm meant more guests and visitors, not only from Brightvale and the neighboring kingdom of Meridell but also the faraway lands. This was not surprising, considering all Neopians wanted to have a peak at the cute little pea. Plumpy proudly remembered the time he helped Sally secure a business arrangement with Queen Fyora. The Cocorots and Cackleberries from Sally’s farm became staples in all restaurants and shops in the land of the Faeries, all thanks to Plumpy.

     Despite being a little pea, Plumpy was always hungry. “Your body changed but your appetite sure hasn’t”, Sally said jokingly, many times. Plumpy didn’t know why it upset him so much, because for as long as he could remember, he had always been this way. He didn’t recall much from his life before. But the bits and pieces of memory occasionally rushed back and made the little pea tremble with nostalgia. As a Skeith, Plumpy could eat as much as he wanted, unbothered by the nosy guests and visitors. He still consumed as much food as before, but now his eating was confined to his own room. This was his little secret. Only Sally, Lance, and Gust were aware of Plumpy’s eating habits. He understood, of course. Perhaps it didn’t look good to the guests of Sally’s estate, perhaps being a Pea Chia came with certain expectations, or perhaps Sally was ashamed of him…He turned to happier thoughts.

     Fruits and vegetables were Plumpy’s favorite foods. Among the vegetations grown on the estate, the Grenannas and Floranges were always parts of his diet. He thanked Sally everyday for taking such good care of him. He should be grateful, he thought. Plumpy wondered why Sally chose him for the Fountain Faerie’s blessing. Surely Lance and Gust would also love being a Pea Chia. Did they turn her down? Did they enjoy being a Spotted Gelert and a White Pteri? Perhaps being a Pea Chia would interfere with their duties on the farm. He certainly couldn’t deter those pesky Slorgs, Spyders, Symols and Drackonacks that seemed to pester the field every day. For a moment, Plumpy imagined himself a Gelert roaming freely through the field of greens, or a Pteri soaring through the sky overlooking the entire estate.

     Their dynamics had changed significantly. As a Skeith, Plumpy did most of the heavy work on the field. Nowadays, he relied on Lance and Gust for the most rudimentary tasks. They were busier than ever. To the little pea, the world was bigger; everything was heavier; every action was more exhausting. His duty as a reliable farmhand dwindled day by day and was now delegated entirely over to Sally.

     But being a Pea Chia wasn’t that bad. His new job as the estate’s ambassador and representative meant that Plumpy got to meet new Neopians and their pets every day. Being at the center of attention was certainly an honor. But on certain occasions he wished those staring gazes would grant him a moment of peace and quiet. Plumpy was very rarely by himself, and even when he was, eyes were constantly on his back. Sally reminded him to always be on his best behaviors.

     Plumpy knew he should be grateful. Grateful to be chosen for Naia’s blessing. Grateful to be in the company of Sally, Lance and Gust. Grateful for the love and affection from seemingly complete strangers. He didn’t want to admit he missed being a Skeith. He didn’t want to admit his feelings. But most of all, he didn’t want to disappoint Sally.

     Did Sally know? Perhaps she did. But how could she? Business was blooming. Guests and visitors were swamping over the estate. Work orders filled up the entire office. When Sally was not on the farm, she was buried with paperwork. Sometimes he wouldn’t see Sally for weeks. He was happy for her, of course. His best memories were right here, on this very farm. He remembered planting the first Cocorot seed, racing the entire estate with Lance in less than thirty minutes. That was then. Now, it would take him a whole day. He wasn’t sure if it was because Sally had expanded the land or because he couldn’t run very fast in this little body. In any case, Sally’s farm had grown to be a tourist destination, not only well-known in the kingdom of Brightvale but all over Neopia. This was in large parts thanks to Plumpy. For a moment, he was content.

     While Sally was not present to notice the frown on his face from time to time, he was certain nothing could escape a Gelert’s golden ears and a Pteri’s keen vision. And if Lance and Gust were aware of his predicament, why didn’t they inform Sally? Perhaps it was none of their business. Perhaps they didn’t know how to help him. Or maybe he was wrong and they had no idea how much he struggled in this tiny body. Whatever the case, he wished he could talk to them, his closest friends. But at the same time, he didn’t want to cause any unnecessary burden. The trios were inseparable, but that was a long time ago. He missed when the three of them would roam the field together. Nowadays, due to the nature of his new job, he rarely had the chance to hang out with his friends.

     He remembered what he thought to be the happiest day of his life, the day where he entered this new body. Perhaps he should’ve turned Sally down. But he couldn’t have predicted how his new life would turn out. Being a Skeith was not as exciting, but at least he was at ease with himself. He didn’t know it then, but he certainly knew that now. He worried that it might be too late to do anything about it. 742 days. It has been 742 days being stuck in this body and worn out by these feelings. Plumpy counted every day of the last 2 years of his life.

     Then came a sunny afternoon. The sky was clear and the air seemed to suck the moisture out of everything. From the window, Plumpy could clearly see the rows of Cocorots and Icky Fruits burning with heat. Lance and Gust were nowhere to be seen. It was strange. Most visitors to the farm were resting in the guest quarters. Plumpy excused himself from his post to water the plants. While turning on the sprinkler system, he wondered to himself “How does a Pea Chia carry a bucket of water?” His thought was momentarily interrupted.

     From a far he could see various shadows moving towards the field. He saw Gust, then Lance and finally Sally. The three were out of breath and looked rather excited about something. Lance was wagging his tail and sticking out his tongue. Gust was flying in circle above his head. But Sally seemed sad as she embraced him tightly. Plumpy was right all this time. She was too busy with work and hadn’t noticed, until the other two intervened. Lance and Gust knew something was off about Plumpy but assumed it was due to the stress from his new role as the estate’s ambassador. Not until the three of them put the pieces together on what had happened in the last two years did they realize what was wrong. Sally, Lance and Gust looked at him and finally saw what they had been missing for a long time. Sally wiped the tears from her eyes and handed Plumpy something. “Here, drink this. We’ve been waiting outside Kauvara’s magic shop for a while. I know it is not your old color but at least you won’t have to be in this body anymore. We will get you a paint brush tomorrow.” Plumpy took the Blue Skeith morphing potion with trembling hands and was overwhelmed with joy and longing. He looked at Lance, Gust and Sally one last time before gulping down the content of the potion. He felt a rush of energy and vibrations spiraling down his tiny arms and legs. And suddenly, they were not tiny anymore. With a grin on his face, Plumpy the Skeith embraced Lance, Gust and Sally. His huge frame shook all of them with such force that seemed strange yet so familiar. Looking down at his friends, Plumpy asked:

     “Which one of you will replace me as the Pea Chia?”

     The End.