Sketchism

For the past week, my family has been worried that something had happened to our cat Gena. She hasn’t returned home. Our initial thought was that the cat was upset that we had a new pet in the house, a puppy. She’s been known to be upset and go off for a few days. I’ve spent the last few nights in the driveway calling out her name with a hope to see her trotting back to me as she always did when she heard her name or heard me tap the tin can of cat food. It’s rare that she hasn’t been back yet. I’ve even spent the last few nights praying that she would return. As I’m writing this, I remember a dream I had two nights ago that she never came back and I woke up feeling heartbroken.

Well this morning as I was heading out of the house at 6:20, I heard my parents’ door open. My dad came out to wish me a good day but I noticed his eyes were watery. I naturally figured that he had just woken up. He then told me that he and Mom found Gena dead on the other side of our backyard yesterday. I couldn’t quite get the details I was looking for. I’m not sure if she was attacked or if she got hit by a car or something. He just said that he found her on the other side of the wall that seperates our house from Pembroke Road.

We hugged. I wasn’t quite ready to hear the news this early in the morning as I was prepared to start a new day. I haven’t felt this sad in a while. It probably seems really silly to feel such heartache over the loss of a pet, but she’s been a part of the family for almost 10 years. Losing pets is the closest I’ve ever gotten to losing a friend or family member. I don’t know what it’s like to lose someone really dear to me, and I dread having to experience this kind of confusion and strange sense of guilt.

Gena was an awesome cat. It sucks to know she’s not going to be home anymore.