21 2004 |
He passed away yesterday, 5/19/04, sometime after noon. He had been up and around in the morning, but the paper tube I put in his cage at around 6pm was untouched. That's what tipped me off this morning: nothing goes unchewed in his cage overnight.
I found him curled up in his nest, as though he were sleeping. Two years, eight months is still a respectable age for a little fuzzy guy, but I was nearly devastated to hold his soft furry body. I've got a weak spot for pets, and gerbil is a special one: he's Destiny's first pet, the first one she picked out herself, took care of on her own, and could actually play with.
So, D and I were understandably concerned about how Destiny would handle it; we had no frame of reference, and it's hard to tell how a 7-year-old understands.
Her first reaction was very 7-year-old, "Can we guy a new one?" She seemed sad, but I don't think it really registered until it was time to bury him.
We'd long-ago made arrangements to bury him at Grandma Kathy's house (originally due to apartment-living), and Des opted to keep those arrangements. A proper burial plot was chosen beneath a honeysucke bush, and I dug a little hole. Des didn't like the idea of burying him in a box or wrapped in anything, so we planted him as-is. I laid him in the hole, and shoveled a few piled on top while Grandma and Destiny picked out seedlings. We planted two snapdragons and a couple other foliage plants on top of gerbil's resting place, packed the remaining dirt around them, and placed a round rock as a headstone. D and Allie were present, and handling the event in their own ways. Everyone discussed what "Gerbil Heaven" was like: Some suggested that it was full of the tastiest toilet-paper tubes, or full of sunflower seeds, or was perfect for mocking felines from a safe distance. Destiny became choked up as we finished, and I whispered, "it's OK to cry, I did earlier."
Later, as I was helping Des in the bath (she can't wash her long hair on her own), we talked about gerbil again. She wondered what gerbil was doing right now in gerbil-heaven.
I said, "Well, in gerbil-heaven he can do whatever he likes the best."
Without missing a beat, Des said:
"I'll bet he's running around on the kitchen table, playing with me."
That is sad news. My sympathies to the family of Gerbil. He was a good gerbil. A happy girbil.
--David Vaiyne , 5/22/2004 08:46:26