A Friend's Journeys End

As I have mentioned before, 1995 was a year of change for me.  My marriage of nine years ended suddenly during the fall of 1994.  My two girls spent their time between two households -- mine and their dad's.  I found myself alone a great deal of the time when I was off from work.  I would not meet Harold for another five years.

When the girls were away, my parakeet, Sammy, kept me company.  At the time, I also had three cats, a Seal Point Siamese (China), and two non-gourmets (Mittens and Sugar).  As you may recall from an earlier post, non-gourmets are plain ole regular cats without a drop of blue blood.

That little bird was a sweetheart.  He would sit on his perch and bounce up and down in what I called "The Sammy Bop,"  just like he was dancing.  He would sing all day when his cage was uncovered.  Anyone that called me and got the answering machine could hear him in the background on my recorded message.  This was in the days before cell phones when everyone had a regular house phone with an answering machine.

You probably are wondering why I had a bird and cats?  I never had a problem until one very unfortunate day in April 1995 when Mittens decided to "play" with Sammy.  Mittens was quite the jumper.  She snatched Sammy, and although I got him away from her without any visible injury to him, I lost Sammy the next day.

It took me a while to recover from Sammy's loss.  As long as I had my answering machine, I kept the same message, simply because Sammy was singing in the background.  In fact, I still have that tape in my little box of mementos!

Then as a double whammy, I lost Mittens. I let Mittens outside one day in May of that year and she vanished; to this day, I don't know what happened to her.  This house was really isolated then.  The woods came right up to the back door.  I would like to think that she found another family and moved in with them, but I have to acknowledge that predators abounded in our woods.

Time passed.  I decided I was ready to get another parakeet.  I went to a local pet store during a lunch break from work.  That was when I found my friend, Bobbie.  Bobbie, however, was not a bird.  Bobbie was a Blue Point Siamese.

From day one, we bonded.  She never used her claws, she could purr up a storm, she was my best friend. Her real name was Mistee Blue, but no one ever called her that other than the vet.  She was Bubs, or Bobbie.  If the girls were playing, she was in the middle of the toys.  She had to sit in every bag, box, or storage item that passed in and out the door.

She was my little kitchen witch.  She would sit on the counter next to the sink and watch over me as I cooked, washed dishes, or did any other kitchen chore.  She was ever faithful, sitting quietly on the counter for hours on end.  I would turn and look over to her and she would "smise" (as Tyra Banks would say) with her eyes. She would half shut her eyes and look at me with utter adoration.

Before I stopped letting my cats outside (too many got lost or hurt), Bobbie would go out and bring me back her hunting trophies.  She didn't catch mice.  Bobbie was never ordinary.  She would catch grasshoppers.  My great little hunter!  She even learned how to climb a step ladder.  I was washing an inside window one time and there she was, looking through the pane at me from the top of the ladder!

She loved it if anyone sang to her.  Her favorite song was "You Are So Beautiful," although sometimes I teased her that it should be "You're So Vain"!

She loved oatmeal, cake batter, coconut donuts, cheese and pepperoni.

Bobbie was my companion.  She became my friend at a time of great change in my life.  She asked so little of me.  I fed her.  I gave her a good home.  I would leave the house for hours at a time.  When I returned, she would be waiting for me, happy to see me.

Our pets love us.  They trust us.  Their love is unconditional.

China and Bobbie became the best of friends.  China lived to age 21.  Bobbie took care of her at the end  when China had trouble cleaning herself.  Bobbie slept with her every single day and kept her warm.

Bobbie outlived China by almost three years.  I think these last years must have been sad and lonely years for Bobbie because she did not bond with any of the other cats.  Bennie, our Jack Russell, has been very good to her, occasionally sleeping with her, looking out for her, and protecting her.

It does not seem possible that Bobbie has reached her journeys end.  She was a constant companion for almost 18 years!  We lost Bobbie this week.  She perched on the kitchen counter right up until the day before she died.  She ate batter from the coffee cake muffins on Monday.

I wish now that I had done a better job of showing her just how special she was while she was still with me, that I had patted her more, kissed her on the head more, but I think that she knew I loved her.  As I write this, I look at that kitchen counter.  She always sat turned to me while I worked on the computer.  I half expect that I will see her if I look quickly enough.  Maybe if I look from the corner of my eyes, she will be there. . . .

Just remember, if you have a special friend, give your special friend an extra kiss and hug today, for they, too, will come to a journeys end at some point, from which they will only live on in our memories.

Originally written by Mary Shaw and published at One Foot In Reality, © 2012 – All Rights Reserved. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Harold Shaw or Mary Shaw and One Foot In Reality with appropriate and specific directions or links to the original content.

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