Two Tails

Earlier this year my uncle passed away. Talk about a terrible way to start the year. For the sake of identity, let's refer to him as Uncle Steve. Anyway, he passed away in Mexico while he was with his brother, who we'll call Uncle Josue. They both were caring for my grandmother who has been ill ever since my grandfather died a few years ago. His death hurt her so that she has had a literal weak heart ever since. So she has been in and out of hospitals for years, with my two uncles aiding her.

Now, you're probably wondering why this is relevant, don't worry I will explain, as soon as I finish this other, very crucial, part of the story. Before my grandfather passed, his brother, who also passed this year, gave him this incredibly cute puppy. My grandfather cared for this puppy with all of his heart. When my he passed, my uncle Josue was the one who gained ownership, as the puppy tended to cling to him the most, and my Uncle Steve wasn't there yet. So a year later, and my uncle Josue is absolutely in love with this puppy, now turned dog, and takes him everywhere. My grandmother also loves this dog, as it served as a memento of her husband. So one day I decided to buy a flight out and visit to see how my grandmother was doing. After a few weeks I decided to live there, at least until my grandmother was doing well.

Another two, very long, years pass, and everything is great. My grandmother was doing better, and it was time for me to return to the life I put on pause. I had set to leave at the end of that month, so I still had time to buy souvenirs for my family that lives in the United States. When I came back, I noticed that my uncle Josue was distressed. The dog ran out the door and didn't come back. He usually goes and explores on his own and comes back, but this time he was gone for far too long. We waited a day, then another, then another. He was gone. We suspected that he was abducted, as that is very common in Mexico. My grandmother, and Uncle Josue were heartbroken. Not only was their beloved dog kidnapped, but they lost one of the biggest reminders of my grandfather. Sadly, I couldn't do anything, and I had to leave.

I'll get to explaining why this is important in a little bit, but for now, bare with me just a little more. So, a year passes. I've been in the states, and had constant communication with my grandmother. As it turns out, my Uncle Steve decided to go to Mexico, not only to visit my grandmother and Uncle Josue, but also to do some renovations to the old house that they lived in.

Weeks passed, and the city of Guadalajara went into code red, being that many people were being affected, and dying of Covid-19. My grandmother and uncles were being very careful, but my Uncle Steve still managed to catch it. He layed in bed, and slept it off.

A week passed, and he no longer had Covid-19, but he didn't feel fine. A week before he died, he texted my sister, saying that he was afraid to die, because no one would be there to take care of my grandmother. He went into a coma and died in his sleep.

This broke my grandmother's heart even more. She started feeling pain in her chest, so my Uncle Josue took her to the doctors. Her lungs were filled with blood, and concluded that she didn't even have the year to live. Me and my siblings decided to go to Mexico and spend as much time with our grandmother as possible. When we arrived, just our presence alone was enough to give color back to her face. Weeks pass, and with every new day came a new story about her life, about our grandfather, and about our uncle. She mentioned that ever since the dog went missing, she's been sad, thinking that somehow he would return. She said that he was one of the last mementos of my grandfather, and that she would pray to god every single day to return him. She told me that she missed having pets, and that she wished that she could have a cat or a dog.

When I heard her desire for a pet, I made it my mission to find one for her. See, I told you that I would get to it. Finding a pet in Mexico shouldn't be that hard, I thought. The streets sometimes gets filled with stray dogs and cats. There are even people who just want to get rid of their pets, and dump them on the street. I decided that a cat would be best, and cheaper, and my grandmother could handle them easier. The search began. I didn't want to just buy a pet, I wanted to give a poor cat the opportunity to have a new and loving home.

Two weeks go by, and nothing but fruitless searches. Until one day. I met a man who housed over 20 cats. He gets stray cats and makes homes for them. Unfortunately there are so many of them. They have been going hungry. They have worms, fleas, showing ribs, and dirty, tangled fur.

I saw this as my opportunity to help a couple of poor cats, and give my grandmother the best present. He showed me these kittens, all from the same litter. They're still sucking on their mom's teet, but they smelled, and had blood in their feces at such a young age. My plan was just to save one, but there were these two kittens that were very attached. At first glance, I knew that these were the kittens that my grandmother would love, so I decided to take the two of them. The man thanked me for giving the kittens a home, we just needed to wait another week so that the kittens would naturally separate from their mom.

The week passes, and the man personally gave me the cats at my home. They were frightened, and didn't want to be touched. I didn't want to introduce them to my grandmother just yet. They were filthy, flea riddled, and had tapeworms. I took them to an isolated room, where I had a nice and cozy bed, toys, and kitten litter box. The vet opened the very next day, and I needed them to get checked out. Going to the vet, the doctor treated them for all of their problems, and created a vaccine schedule for them. I could rest easy, knowing that they were now fine. I then took them a bath, which was a huge hassle. As it turns out, their fur is white.

I took them back to their room. The last thing that I wanted to do was scare them, so I avoided holding them, and petting them, as that seemed to get them agitated. They were also reluctant to eat. After spending hours in the room, having them get used to me, I left to go eat myself. When I came back, they were playing and eating. I couldn't be happier! I thought that their lack of eating would warrant another trip to the vet.

Slowly, but surely, I got closer, and they became more trusting. They allowed themselves to be picked up, and they even fell asleep in my arms. They were ready to meet my grandmother.

As soon as she saw the kittens, her smile stretched from cheek to cheek. She fell in love instantly. They never filled the hole that losing my grandfather's dog left, but they allowed her to place her love somewhere else. She always talks about them to her kids in the US, and always has a smile when she sees them.

It was time to give them names. I didn't want to name them until I met them, so that I can give names based on who they were. One of them would eat a lot, and became larger than his sister. Bob was the first thing to come to mind. Not only is Bob similar to blob, which reminded me of his weight gain, but also because it's short for Roberto, and that is just a cool name.

The other one was lazy. She didn't play as much. She would only explore to find new nap spots and she would steal my food. Of course I would only let her eat it if it was safe. I decided to name her Mooch, because she would just linger around looking for a place to sleep, and because she would steal my food.

We still have ways to go. They still have trouble completely trusting me and my family. When they see us walk near them, they run. When they hear us get up, they hide. But in the end, I am glad that I gave them my home. I know that having them trust me is going to be a big obstacle, but I'm patient. I love them already, and they bring joy to my grandmother. I will put in the work and time so that these amazing kittens love us the same way that we love them.

Knowing that my grandmother might not make it passed this year kills me inside. But I will cherish the kittens I gave to her for years to come. They will be my memento.