Progymnasmata

R.I.P Vanilla, a beloved pet rat

Vanilla was an albino rat, a "fancy rat" her tag in the pet store called her. We purchased her and her fellow female friend, later named Smokey, almost one year ago.

Vanilla, being an albino, couldn't see that well. And I could recognize this trait in her. As she crawled on my lap or on the arm of the Lazy-boy recliner that I was on, she'd extend her nose along the edges to test by feel and by smell whether there was anymore "there, there" for her to walk upon.

Because of her poor vision, Vanilla was a first-rate pet for our two girls (8 & 5); she never ran quickly and, she was meditative, never trusting her judgement to sight alone (a good lesson for me and the rest of humanity) but always testing her knowledge of the world against the conferring feelings of sense and smell.

Vanilla never bit anyone and tolerated even the most ungentle affection (by the 5 year old) with a dignity common to most animals.

. . . . . .

Vanilla died two days ago. Mrs. Comedian and I knew it was coming. The evening before her extremities (paws and tail) were growing cold. And her movement was clumsy.

That morning, I put Vanilla in a small, cardboard box and buried her in the woods near our house. The two girls wanted to say a "silent prayer" for her, so we did. I put a large rock on the spot where she was buried.

The other day the oldest girl said "when I think of Vanilla, I get a lump in my throat. . . .I miss Vanilla."

And that gives me a lump in my throat.