This is a very sad story, about two kitties who loved each other too much.
After we moved to New Zealand, I was going out of my mind with stress, and missed having a kitty so much I advertised in the local paper for a Siamese girl, always having favoured orientals. Next thing I knew, a lady brought me a kitty, but "he" looked nothing like what I wanted. He was a tabby boy, but his mum was a Siamese lady who had an outside affair. It was love at first sight, he was a charmer, and on the inside pure Siamese.
Three months later a Siamese breeder I initially contacted, phoned me to say she has
kittens. I could not afford it at the time, and she offered me adoption of the 3 year old
mummy-cat, whom she wanted to retire. We renamed Mai Ling to Maya, Queen of the Ancients.
Her adjustment was a story of blood and tears, and one for another day. But eventually
Pepper decided enough was enough, and went into my room and chased her out. She was not
immune to his charms either.
In the beginning she played hard to get, and more often than not Pep would be at the receiving end of a whack or a scratch and hiss, depending on Her Highness' mood. But he persisted, and she capitulated. They became Romeo and Juliet, Anthony and Cleopatra... they became Pepper and Maya!
He showed her the great outdoor litterbox, aka the beach, on the other side of the garden.
He raced with her through the garden, and up and down the palm tree. Together they enjoyed
the sunspots in the house, on the deck and of course the beach. They would race through
the sand, roll in it and at a far-off, hidden corner, use it as a litterbox. And when
they were tired of playing, they would sleep in a hollow tree hide-out covered by flax bushes.
Then came April 2, 2003, the sad day we found Pepper outside by the stairs. He was hurt and could not make it up, and he died there. Maya went with us to a special little spot to bury him. That was the last time she went to the beach. She missed him, and searched for him, and called him endlessly. Now she was scared to go out alone. She only went outside to do her potty, and she did not want to play. She would just lie there, in their favourite spots, or out on the deck. Just as we learned to live with this grief, we discovered another to deal with. Exactly 8 days after Pepper's journey to the Rainbow Bridge, Maya followed him.
We will never know why she went to the roadside that morning. She was a tense, scared kitty, and petrified at the mere sight of the busy road, especially so at the busy times in the morning and late afternoon. She never, ever went close to the road. What made her go there?
Did she follow Peppers scent-trail? Did Pepper come back to take her with him? Or was the heartache and missing too much for her to handle? So many questions, and no answers. Just the missing, the terrible emptiness, the physical pain of losing my furry children.
They are together again, their bodies side by side on their beloved beach, their souls free to play again on the sand and in the trees, in safety this time, where nothing can hurt them.
I love you, my kitties, my Pepper and Maya. You will always have a very special place in my heart.... together, side by side, as always.
Copyright © Kiti de Jager
April 13, 2003
