I do not know how I am not asleep right now, and I do not feel tired. I woke up around midnight after less than an hour of sleep. The sound of Trooper’s cry for help woke me. I spent the entire early hours of the morning looking for Pumpkine. Every time that I returned to the house, I found Trooper pacing around and crying. I believe that both Pumpkine and Storme are gone, and I am so sad.
Trooper and Potatoe are now snuggled together on the couch. Trooper has yet to settle down for his morning nap. He keeps shifting his position as if he is so tired he cannot fall asleep. Potatoe keeps accommodating him allowing him to have as much of the blanket that he wants. When I left to drive around to look for Pumpkine, Potatoe’s head was on top of Tooper’s in the way that Potatoe lays his head on me to comfort me.
After a couple of hours of driving around, it began to sink in that Pumpkine is gone. She never leaves the backyard. She always comes when I call her, no matter what time it is. Trooper’s obviously upset and something startled him. The two are almost always together when they are outside.
I am now sitting at a coffee shop down the road from my house thinking about the week ahead. I am on vacation this week. From the day that I put my vacation on the calendar, I looked forward to this day. This is not how I pictured the day going. Even my coffee is cold. I had planned to go for a nice brunch and then get my eyelashes done. Instead, I am not hungry, so I am sitting here at some uppity coffee shop that does not fit its own surroundings, drinking overpriced, cold coffee.
Pumpkine was the best little kitty on planet Earth. I called her my princess. She was the only girl kid in the house. She loved to cuddle right next to me when she goes to sleep at night. She is patient and trusting. Unlike the boy cats, she would sit quietly as if standing at attention, while I would get her breakfast ready. She looked on in disdain at her brother kitties trying to eat the food while I was still pouring it. When her breakfast was ready, she waited for me to pick her up and put her in front of it.
A couple of months ago, she got hurt, and she nearly died. The thought of losing her broke my heart. I held her around the clock for more than 48 hours. I could look back and feel that this was all for nothing. Instead, I look back, and I am grateful for this time with her. She knows and appreciated how much I love her. I am going to miss her late night snuggles and purrs.
Rest in peace little Pumpkine.