keepers and lovers
from being animal keepers to animal lovers we have come a long way - my sister and me. The one thing we understood about each other was the third being in our lives !
the first memory is that kind smiling face of a doctor who we befriended on our way to school. I only remember us waiting patiently in the waiting area of his clinic until he called us in and gave us a baby kitty we so happily carried home. Our first common friend - the doctor. I cant pass that road without one quick look in the direction - its involuntary !
And an earlier than that memory is when i was in the 2nd standard (my sister is 3 years older). A friend said she had a pet animal and she'd give it to us if we went to her house. It was after school that she took us home and treated us to some nice bourbon biscuits and warm milk. We were pampered by her mother and were treated really well. But the pet never made an appearance, there was no pet. She had lied only to take us to her house. We were so pissed, we never spoke to her after that (mean...i know., but then she had lied). I still dont understand why she wanted us to go to her house !
A baby bird this time. A nest was found on top of the school cupboard and a noisy drama followed when my classmates had found a chick in the nest. I climbed up (all worried) a bench and saw a baby sparrow - its mouth wide open everytime anybody went close to it. I (this was when i was in 4th standard) thought it was thirsty...looked for an ink filler (cleaned it!) and fed the little bird some water. The next day the chick was found dead and everybody in the class blames me for it. They called me names and told the teacher about it., accusing me of murdering the poor little bird. I was in tears trying to explain to the teacher how i was only trying to help. But no! the teacher had to only make me hate school and everything about it - a long speech that went in circles. By the end of it i was feeling more sorry for myself than for the dead bird. A silent prayer hoping the bird never be born as a class 4 student !
Ruby, the bloody cat ! Again i am not sure why the cat was brought home, this huge cat in the sack. It seemed more like it was a tiger in that sack and not a cat, it could have been a stray cannonball with a mind of its own that it had just lost ! Even as kids i cant remember my sister and me wanting to physically constrain animals....we couldnt stand it. We wanted him to leave the cat out of the sack immediately...he did so rather reluctantly (i remember his hands were bloody from scratches) and a white blur passed us. That was the last of Ruby. I cant remember how i know its name....anyways its a blotted out incident other than glimpses of the sack and bloody hands and the white cat !
one of our first dogs. An all honey coloured mongrel with green eyes. a rather energetic fella, he was restless and so difficult to manage even for the two of us. my grandma held a grudge against him since the first day he came home. one day we come home to find my grandma wailing and cursing the dog....he had bitten her. Not sure what had ensued between them that ended so bitterly. We had to let the dog go and with a heavy heart we carried him in a bag to a nearby park (MNK Rao Park) and left him there. I can still remember him howling after us...
I could probably write a book on the cat-dog incidents so part of my growing up. I have learned so much, understood freedom and love. Now my relationship with an animal is that of natural trust. I understand them., i do not pet them too much, infact i hate all the excessive touching and pampering (we just say hi., shake hands like gentlemen do, talk about the weather and watch each other go about our business) but we love taking walks together, we chase each other like two mad dogs and two mad people sometimes ! I can now say that i do not take care of Namie....she is with me - thats all.
the first memory is that kind smiling face of a doctor who we befriended on our way to school. I only remember us waiting patiently in the waiting area of his clinic until he called us in and gave us a baby kitty we so happily carried home. Our first common friend - the doctor. I cant pass that road without one quick look in the direction - its involuntary !
And an earlier than that memory is when i was in the 2nd standard (my sister is 3 years older). A friend said she had a pet animal and she'd give it to us if we went to her house. It was after school that she took us home and treated us to some nice bourbon biscuits and warm milk. We were pampered by her mother and were treated really well. But the pet never made an appearance, there was no pet. She had lied only to take us to her house. We were so pissed, we never spoke to her after that (mean...i know., but then she had lied). I still dont understand why she wanted us to go to her house !
A baby bird this time. A nest was found on top of the school cupboard and a noisy drama followed when my classmates had found a chick in the nest. I climbed up (all worried) a bench and saw a baby sparrow - its mouth wide open everytime anybody went close to it. I (this was when i was in 4th standard) thought it was thirsty...looked for an ink filler (cleaned it!) and fed the little bird some water. The next day the chick was found dead and everybody in the class blames me for it. They called me names and told the teacher about it., accusing me of murdering the poor little bird. I was in tears trying to explain to the teacher how i was only trying to help. But no! the teacher had to only make me hate school and everything about it - a long speech that went in circles. By the end of it i was feeling more sorry for myself than for the dead bird. A silent prayer hoping the bird never be born as a class 4 student !
Ruby, the bloody cat ! Again i am not sure why the cat was brought home, this huge cat in the sack. It seemed more like it was a tiger in that sack and not a cat, it could have been a stray cannonball with a mind of its own that it had just lost ! Even as kids i cant remember my sister and me wanting to physically constrain animals....we couldnt stand it. We wanted him to leave the cat out of the sack immediately...he did so rather reluctantly (i remember his hands were bloody from scratches) and a white blur passed us. That was the last of Ruby. I cant remember how i know its name....anyways its a blotted out incident other than glimpses of the sack and bloody hands and the white cat !
one of our first dogs. An all honey coloured mongrel with green eyes. a rather energetic fella, he was restless and so difficult to manage even for the two of us. my grandma held a grudge against him since the first day he came home. one day we come home to find my grandma wailing and cursing the dog....he had bitten her. Not sure what had ensued between them that ended so bitterly. We had to let the dog go and with a heavy heart we carried him in a bag to a nearby park (MNK Rao Park) and left him there. I can still remember him howling after us...
I could probably write a book on the cat-dog incidents so part of my growing up. I have learned so much, understood freedom and love. Now my relationship with an animal is that of natural trust. I understand them., i do not pet them too much, infact i hate all the excessive touching and pampering (we just say hi., shake hands like gentlemen do, talk about the weather and watch each other go about our business) but we love taking walks together, we chase each other like two mad dogs and two mad people sometimes ! I can now say that i do not take care of Namie....she is with me - thats all.
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