Ever faithful, ever sure, Scampi’s love

by Gwen Herat

Why did Scampi come into my life? Because my Creator wanted to give me a constant flow of wondrous love and teach me what faith in each other could do to change the face of the wicked world, a world full of carelessnesses, cruelty to animals and cruelty to ourselves.

This is the poignant story of undying love, a love as fresh as a springtime daisy. Sometimes parents, spouses and children can hurt you even in a minute way but never a pet like Scampi who never knew how to snap, bark or bite. He could ‘talk’ clearly in a language I understood and he understood all what I told him to the tee.

Who can give unconditional, unlimited love all the time? Not a human because his chemistry does not work that way.

Scampi would greet me with tenderness of a lovely son. Devoted with virtuous qualities seldom found in man, Scampi showed me how glory sits upon true love. To him, I was his whole world,his precious world that he never wanted to share with anyone.

He would cuddle up to me thinking I would go away even for a moment, under my table when I sit to write and his looks inspire, outside my bathroom until I finish my bath, get on top of the dining table, put his arms around my shoulders and ask me to carry and put him down.

Hmmm.... he was heavy. When lightning strikes across the sky, he would leap on to my lap and hide his face. It was a pleasure to watch his antics and to know that he is buried in the nook of a corner in our sprawling lawn where he used to play, frolic and grow, breaks my heart but his spirit is there.

Better place

My sorrows were too dark for days after he left me and went away to a better place. In a pensive trance I recall those glorious moments we shared together mostly to ourselves. The gentle spring in his leaps as he came tearing towards me are still very fresh in my mind. I feel his spirit hovering around me. I feel he is looking at me with those adorable eyes, from somewhere I cannot see.

I hear his soft sighs and my eyes well with tears. He was no dog. He was my best friend and my adorable child.

May be I should not cry because he lived a good ten years showering his wholesome care and love. He never held back anything from me. He bestowed all his passion on me.

From the day that Scampi came into my life, it had been one happy decade, laden with joy and happiness. He taught me patience.

He never complained about my cooking or driving. I had to give him a morsel of food from my plate... and feed him, otherwise his day was not complete. It is one year since he went away leaving me heart broken.

Scampi, goodbye for now. I will always love you.

Here, I would love to leave an epitaph on Scampi’s gravestone as though John Milton wrote it especially for him.

Here lieth one who did most truly prove
That he could never die while he could move.
So hung his destiny, never to rot;
While he might still jog on and keep his trot’