Beginnings and Endings

This actually began on Sunday.  Sean and I had been to London for his cousin Sebastian's 70th birthday.  It was a nice lunch with good people, but the journey had been too stressful for me physically. When we got to Tonbridge, we found that due to engineering works on the train track, I could not get home unless I went back to London and travelled via a different route.  I was far too tired, so I slept over at Sean's.  

Monday started early and I went straight to town to buy ingredients for Nigel's birthday cake.  Then home to clean the kitchen and bake.  Was ready just in time.  Wendy was delighted to see her Auntie Michelle again.  Teresa was very unwell and on antibiotics for a chest infection.  Caelyn says that Wendy has come down with it too.  Michelle iced the cake and because it was fudge icing and difficult to decorate she sprinkled nuts on it.  Caelyn said she had told us last year that Nigel hates nuts, and we had forgotten.  Well, its sunk in this time and he won't have to sit there picking bits of nuts off his cake next year.  Its actually sunk in at last.  No nuts for Nigel.

My mum's pastor, Vincent, drove us to take Jenny on her last journey to the Vet.  The previous patient, a nice looking Boxer, came out as we came in, so it wasn't a long wait.  We were dreading it, but the moment had come.  My mum and I were both crying, but trying to hold it in check so as not to distress little Jenny.  The Vet agreed that it was the right thing to do.  Jen was sick, thin and pale, and the vet gently slipped a needle under her skin, and she drifted off peacefully.  The Vet, Ellen, wrapped her in a towel, and we took her back to my house.  Vincent dropped us off, and I'm so glad he did because my mum was far too upset to drive.  She stayed with Michelle and me until Vincent came back for her at about 21h45.

Brak seemed to know how she was feeling, so he climbed up on her chair and cuddled her.  On Saturday when Josie went to fetch Michelle from Ellel, he seemed to know Jenny wasn't well, so he found a ball and was pushing it towards her with his nose, trying to get a game going.  But Jenny wasn't feeling well enough for that.  Still, he tried, and he did what he could to comfort Josie.

Today, my mum left for South Africa.  After she had gone, Nigel and I went to her house and buried Jenny next to Phantom in the garden.  I was crying again because it was so sad.  Jenny has been such a lovely, sweet friend that the world is poorer now for her having left it.  She is resting now in the garden she loved, and she will never have to leave it.

Goodnight, sweetheart.  We will miss you very much.