In a purely mortal context, the tragedy of life is death. Not necessarily for the dead but for the living through the loss and emptiness that comes with the absence of something that was once loved. Fortunately it's been awhile since anyone that I know has died but unfortunately in the space of just a few weeks we've lost both of our beloved pets that we adopted. Hardly a tragedy in the grand scheme of things but nonetheless a loss felt by our entire shop.
Mashka, our adorably sweet little kitty who charmed everyone she ever came into contact with, she disappeared several weeks ago. I can only assume that she was killed by one of the packs of jackals that roam the open areas of the base at night. She was an amazing hunter and would regularly bring gifts of dead rats, mice, even rabbits half her size to the terminal for us. Such a gnarly cat!
Dayzee, our spazzy rock-eating little wild pup with a husky-like tail and what seemed like a permanent caffeine fix, she disappeared several days ago and we think that she wandered into one of the animal traps that the military has set out to catch the jackals and was killed. I'll miss her insanity. All kinds of dogs chase bicycles and cars, how many dogs get to chase helicopters every day?
The bond that develops between people and animals is usually forged a bit deeper in the face of adversity and for us over here the adversity tends to be the stress of the seemingly unending hours spent under the hot sun, the rocket attacks, going for months or years without seeing family, the list goes on. There is also something therapeutic about the unconditional love of an animal; watching how much a dog loves a spirited game of tug-o-war or just being chased, or having the cat drape herself over my neck like a furry, purring scarf as I sit in my office.
I've always loved animals, there is something soothing about having a cute furry little pet with its own often zany personality. Just for the few months that we had the pets out here, morale improved, stress was down noticeably, and everyone had something in common to laugh at. There are hundreds of soldiers that fly through here daily and it was always amusing to watch the cat weave her way in between them all, hopping up on shoulders, climbing on rucksacks, and watching everyone bend down to give her a scratch as she wandered by.
Mashka, always in search of more food and a warm neck. Keeping Kendall warm
Work is a little bit more boring these days without a dog to spend a few minutes playing with when I have a few minutes to spare, it sucks. I miss my pets!!!
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