Abhijit Em
March 2018
After losing many friends to death, I know I must be used to this shit by now, but I don’t know, how can one come to terms with losing someone like Assata?
I know I haven’t talked much about her here and it feels deceitful to
tell her story now, but I believe that everyone deserves to have their story
told, especially if they’re as special as Assata is.
Assata’s mother, Emma, was rescued from an “art” display, where she was kept
in solitary confinement. She was pregnant when she was rescued and gave
birth to Assata in foster care.
Assata got used to human company in very little time. Her squeals of
excitement at anticipation of food or of new toys were some of the most
exhilarating sounds ever. Less than a week ago, she was her happy little
self, sprinting on her wheel and snuggling with the others; and now she’s
gone.
The night before her death, when we noticed that something was really wrong
with her, we had nowhere to take her because, unlike with humans, some
animals do not have access to emergency medical care. I held her in my palm
and she clutched onto it, breathing very hard at times. She took comfort in
my arms, but I knew she was only getting worse. Part of me knew that this
was my last time with her; and it was. She did not want to go back home,
clutching tighter when I tried to put her back in.
We found her body the next morning. After losing many friends to death, I
know I must be used to this shit by now, but I don’t know, how can one come
to terms with losing someone like Assata?
I will cherish the final moments we spent together and maybe, that’s how I will always remember her. Or maybe, I will remember her exploring her new home with her sister. Or maybe, I will remember only her lifeless body, shriveled up in the corner of the same home, one that will never be the same again.
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