Chata

She came to me during one of my darkest moments. I had just lost my beloved Vincent, and my heart was broken. I didn’t feel like I could care for, or love, another animal for a long time.

Then…. there she was.

She and her brother, Julius, needed temporary care, which turned into a lifetime for both.

I was guarded for many years. Actually. So was she. Then, suddenly, she became gravely ill. She spent many days in emergency coiled into a small ball. I spent as much time as they would allow, sometimes until midnight, sitting with her, feeding her from my fingertips, talking to her, caressing her. They finally sent her home because she would only eat with me and they couldn’t find what was wrong. I was certain she would leave me. But she didn’t.

We became inseparable after that. She slept with her head on my pillow and would move onto my chest the moment she felt me waking. Anytime I worked on my laptop, she would jump on my lap or lay on the table with her head gently resting on my hand while I typed. Anytime I was out, she would wait at the top of the stairs and, on my return, gave me an earful of how terrible the boys were while I was gone.

As she got older, she lost her hearing and would yell loudly looking for me. She would yell until I made myself visible and then followed me quietly to wherever I was working.

We went like that for many years. Until, once again, she suddenly became drastically ill. But this time, she wouldn’t rally. She had had enough. At 17, after only days of being ill, she died at home in my arms, as I whispered desperately, over and over and over again…

I love you… I love you… I love you…

Now, I’m the one calling out for her, hoping she will hear me. And I’ll do it until I am able to see her again. Until she can guide ME home.

My Accomplice. My Chata. My Heart.

♥ Thank you.