It was with heavy hearts that we bid farewell to our Runie cat on Saturday. Through tearful sobs and moist kisses, we hugged her close to our hearts and buried our faces in her soft fur, never saying goodbye but just simply, until we meet again. As you can imagine, our weekend was hard. It helped being surrounded by our family and friends and enjoying each other's company. Easter morning was a nice distraction, but it wasn't enough for our son. We watched with sadness as our Bug struggled, crying softly to himself and wearing her collar around his wrist. He seemed so lost. While it is always hard to lose a pet, the impact affects everyone differently and, for our son, it was like a crushing blow to his little heart. The loss is palpable in every action and word. He seemed lost. It was then we had an idea.
On Monday, as we closed one chapter, we cracked open another. This chapter of our life has the makings for a thriller and a comedy. It is only fitting that the title of the story is "Pineapple."
You see, our Bug was really struggling to cope with his loss and we thought perhaps we would get him something to focus his efforts on. As I drove him across town, I gingerly asked what kind of an animal he might like for his own again someday. He replied a rat! Well, that is not going to happen, I thought. As we walked around the pet store, we stopped and looked at all the animals. It was only then that he asked for a bird. I agreed to this adventure and we began to watch the little creatures hopping about their enclosures. He settled on a little yellow and green parakeet, with rings all the way to his beak, indicating he was still young. We watched as the very nice man attempted to catch the little bird and then get repeatedly bitten. I was already re-thinking my plan, as the man set our new feathered adventure into the the travel box. It was then it occurred to me I would need to try and take it out when we got home. Perhaps a detour to Lowe's for garden gloves was also in order. We walked around the store, collecting all the items needed to set up an enclosure for the Bug's new companion. The Bug selected fun little toys to hang in the enclosure for him and mirror so he didn't feel lonely away from all his friends. We read the labels on the food and treats we bought. We made sure to get a cuttle bone for him to scratch his beak on and after several minutes of shopping for his new pet, we proceeded to the check stand.
There was, of course, some paperwork to fill out, with us agreeing to take care of the bird and take it to the vet..... should it need care. The man at the register then proceeded to make sure I had the number for a vet and gave us our competitor's number. As I was standing there in scrubs and my jacket that clearly says Keauhou Veterinary Hospital, I had to wonder....really? It was only after the man told me that, should the bird get sick in the next 15 days, we could bring it in and they would take it to the vet, that I struggled to bite my cheek (this may require stitches). As I tried to figure out why they would recommend one veterinarian over the other 5 clinics in town or 30 veterinarians island-wide (a list of every one would seem to make better sense), the Bug was trying to come up with a name.
By the time we arrived at home, our new little friend was very ready to get out of his 4x6 container. We set up his new two-story cage complete with swing, mirror, a hanging set of dice with bells on the bottom (in case he felt like going to Vegas for the night) and a lattice ball thing that looks like it could be right out of Circus Circus. We carefully opened the box and tried to get the bird out when it decided to take its one-clip-winged chance and make a break for it. He found himself perched on the edge of the trash can. Oh dear god I thought, this is not a good omen. After a few seconds, we were able to get him into his cage. I managed to only get bitten once and all was well. We watched him for about 15 minutes, talking to him and hoping we didn't scare him too much. As I got up to leave, I stood in the doorway of my son's room. He was studying his new little friend. Then, I watched as the Bug turned on his ipod with a little Jack Johnson playing to soothe his new pet. The bird seem to settle into the room nicely as long as you didn't attempt to touch him. I then watched my son take his phone from his pocket and as he looked at the screen saver with a picture of his Runie, I saw the tears in his eyes well up and softly fall onto his cheeks. He looked into the cage and said quietly to himself, "Runie, this is Pineapple".
While I am sure there will be many stories to tell of our adventure with the new feathered member of our family, it is this first chapter that I will always remember. As we close one chapter of our lives, this was a good reminder that the sun will rise again and we will be there to greet it. Here is to a new day!
