Goodbye Adik

Mak's cat died today. but it wasnt unexpected.. adik's actually been sick for quite sometime but he did enjoy short bursts of good health. somehow that made us forget that he wasnt really all that well. there had been a couple of visits to the vet but to no avail. evidently whatever he was suffering from couldnt be cured by antibiotics or vitamins. his health just kept on deteriorating.

Of course mak is devastated. adik wasnt just a pet to her, he was also a companion. she talks to him all the time and sometimes they even 'quarrel'. yup, the bickering can go on & on but obviously one-sided. still i guess it served its purpose - she got whatever it was thats bothering her off her chest & he was happy as long as he was fed. but problem is, in mak's mind at least, he's almost human and treated as such. which really isnt much of a problem if you're reality based, but for lonely old people like mak, its a little dangerous. emotions that are already not as stable as they should be can so easily get out of hand, leaving the door wide open to extreme melancholy & depression.

Its now 2 cats that have died with her.. all within the span of 4 years. its quite a blow even to anyone i guess. i would be devastated myself if i was to lose nicolei but mak lack the 'bounce back' to life factor. in the first place, i dont think she's quite over the trauma of her mastectomy & chemo of 2 years ago and gloomily predicts the worse even though she's so much better now. truth is, she didnt even complete the full course of her chemotherapy. the shock of her first session made her refuse any further treatment and any attempt at a follow-up have been flatly refused... biar je aku mati sendiri. sadly, no amount of pleading or cajoling have worked. mak is stubborn that way.

So losing adik is another reason for her to withdraw into that dark, hopeless world of hers.

Nontheless, i'm holding on to the hope that this blessed ramadhan will work its magic and heal her wounds.

I did what i could not too prolong mak's agony. i immediately buried adik in a shallow grave at the slope in front of my house, the same area where i buried chewy, the other tomcat. and in case a stray dog were to suddenly dig up the carcass, i created a rock pile heavy enough to be a deterrent , i hope.

RIP Adik.