Dear Departed

by Shibani Mishra
(India)

It was dawn when I woke up to a kitten's cry, after some time, I went to sleep again. Finally when my day started I went outside to run a few errands, after I reached inside my apartment premises, I asked our security guard bout the cries of a kitten to which he told that the kitten's still around. When I checked, she was sitting' on the rear wheel of a scooter. I pulled her outta there and brought her home with me. She was a baby Calico kitten with the most beautiful face, I fell in love with her. From the very day she came into our lives, I can't describe how happy we were. She did her toilette in a particular place as if she was trained. She loved to snuggle up against people to get warm and comfy..

Especially she loved to snuggle with my best friend, whenever he came o'er to my place, she'd never leave his lap. When he'd leave, she'd sleep on the spot of the sofa where he sat. She loved to sleep on my bed inside my blanket. Whenever my dad worked around she'd hop in his lap and purr .She loved everyone.
It was only a week since she started to live with us but it felt like forever, it was like we shared a long bond.
We were searching a permanent home for her as the owner of our house didn't want her to stay at our place. Then I had a severe fight with the owner and I left her beside my house near a street food stall where other cats and dogs stayed and ate from there.
She didn't want to go, I remember her face, she didn't want to get outta my house, she clinged to me, she wanted to get back in the house but her little body was not enough in front of my human body strength. I took her with me, she meowed frantically, she didn't want to leave us as if she knew what was gonna happen next.
Then finally I left her there and went to my classes.
After I returned, my house owner inquired bout the kitten and I frowned at him saying where I left her.
We went together to search for her but we didn't find her again. Then the other day, I found her on the side of the road.
I wrote something to her...
"That night we searched twice for you in the hope to find you somewhere nearby but it wasn't the situation, we hoped to see you at dawn so we planned to search the next morning as you'd have got scared cause of the noise of the heavy vehicles and must've hidden somewhere so you might come out to search for food...
The owner did go to see for you at dawn but I didn't...
When I went to gym, your dead body was lying there looking right into my eyes saying, "see what you did to me"...
You laid there dead, I couldn't recognize you at first cause of the heavy dirt layer you got on yourself with each passing vehicle then I prayed hoping it for not to be you...
Then when I saw your little face, I got to know that it was you.
I picked up your little body in hope of some life left in it to rush you to hospital to save you but you were no more. Someone hit you with their vehicle and left you there to die.
I'd have died instead of you, I pawmise
All I can do is apologize."
Then I went to give her a proper burial cause that's all I could've done then.
She taught us the life lessons of practicing' patience and love. We still live with the guilt of her death everyday.

---