July 17th 1998 —- Oct. 6th 2000
Mouse
My sophmore year in college I decided I wanted a pet of course
living on campus a dog or a cat was not an option.
One day after a stressful day of exams I went to the pet shop and
emerged with a little brown and white mouse in a wire cage.
My roommates laughed estimating that I would be sick of the little
“rodent” after a few days. At the time I thought my new pet was going to be
an amusement after all she was just a little mouse.
However in the years following she completely changed my view and I will
never take for granted the importance of any creature.
She had really soft fur paper thin ears and round eyes she was really
alert and when ever I walked in to the room she would climb the walls of her
wire cage almost as if greeting me. I would watch her for a second laugh then
start on the piles of homework that usually awaited me.
As time went by Sunnie was allowed to run around while I was doing
homework she usually stuck around except for one time she got
loose for about two weeks in our townhouse.
She tormented us by running up to our feet and running away quickly
or running over my legs while I was sleeping.
Finally Sunnie was caught and put in to a tank she couldn’t’ escape from.
She was still full of energy and often stood on her hind legs and watched me
move about the room. I began to look forward to coming home after class
or work to see how she had strategically placed the ribbons and
colored paper I had given her to make nest out of.
When I held her I would be amazed at how small her feet where and
laugh at her whiskers that would tickle when I put her next to my face.
In those few moments I could forget about tough classes bills and
every thing else.
After a pregnancy and some rescues Sunnie and I added Raven
Sophie (her daughter) Ophelia Mayday and Terra to our home.
Although some have challenged her Sunnie was always the boss of the
group and always in charge. I would watch her clean all her “children” and
work hard to constantly fix her little nest that I would mess up when I
reached in to hold her. Sometimes I would take her outside the dorm to get a
break from her duties while I studied and watched.
It was the cutiest thing to watch them sleep all nestled in one ball
then look up with sleepy faces when I tapped on the glass.
I couldn’t believe how attached I had gotten to these little animals that I had
always thought of as simply pests!
Over the summer we went to my grandmothers farm to live and lost
Sophie to a dog. My grandmother felt bad but I don’t think she quite
understood why I was crying over a mouse.
Not long after Sophie was gone Sunnie developed a tumor.
I tried to ignore it..after all she had been with me for so long and I wanted
her to be around when I graduated. The tumor grew and Sunnie couldn’t walk
and couldn’t use her hands to eat. She couldn’t run on the wheel and
her breathing seemed difficult.
…….I am writing this after just returning from the vets office where I decided to end
my little friends suffering. It’s raining outside and I can see the
mouse nest is already getting destroyed because the other girls never
learned how to do Sunnie’s job.
I can’t look at them or hold them yet because it is making me cry so I think
I am going to spend the rest of the day alone thinking about a little mouse
that was big enough to to break my heart.
Miss you already Sunnie!
Crystal Raven Ophelia Mayday and Terra
| Sunnie |