I blogged about pet sitting over Thanksgiving. I wrote about the dogs: Rex, Othello and Ebony. I shared about my muse Ed the Cat. I mentioned Snake, Kim Kardasian the hamster, Igor the bearded dragon and the Beta fish Judy and Subway.
During Christmas vacation Snake and Kim died. When I asked Boy Two about it he responds, “Now the only small pet left is Igor the one who counts.”
A few weeks ago while pet sitting, I noticed only one fish bowl. Sho ‘nuff Subway passed.
This weekend I babysit. Saturday mornings I teach theatre to kids; thus I rush to manage having Boy Two and The Goose ready as they are coming with me. Given my morning time management skills suck, I am stressed.
I venture upstairs to confirm Boy Two is dressed. He is. He is also lying in bed under the covers sobbing.
“What happened?”
“Igor’s dead.”
“Igor’s what?”
“Dead.”
When I thought he croaked over thanksgiving I learned reptiles take unusually long naps I ask, “Are you sure he isn’t just sleeping?”
“He has a mealworm stuck to his eye and his legs didn’t move when I picked him up.”
Clueless, I exit the room instructing Boy One to phone his father.
Mock all you want but pet grief counseling remains outside of my skill set. Moreover, well read the beginning of the blog.
I check on him.
“I don’t wanna go to class. Can we stay home.”
“No because I am the teacher. Do you want to, maybe, have a little ceremony for him when we get home?”
“I wanna wait till my mom and dad get home.”
Five minutes of keening and we are out the door like any death-free day.
Today The Goose asks me if I wrote a blog today.
“No I don’t have any ideas. This has been a kinda uneventful weekend except…”
“Igor,” she inserts.
We talk about my earlier blogs and perhaps providing an update. Then she informs me Othello knocked over Judy’s fishbowl early last week.
Tucking Boy Two in bed he inquires, “Does my mom know about Igor.”
Examining the corpse through the glass box, “Yes. Are you sure he’s dead?”
“He had a mealworm attached to his eye. And I think he is getting smaller.”
“It looks like that.”
Smooches!!
The Queen of Alyssaland