It all began on a cool early morning on a Saturday in 2000. My wife and I had just come back from a midnight show. While making our way back to our home, I spotted her at the steps leading to our home. I followed her and, being a cat lover, decided to be friendly to her. She ran to one of the neighbours home and took refuge amongst the many potted plants. I coaxed her to come out and after a while, she did. Through the dirt that was covering her long white fur, I could see that she was a beautiful cat. Her big round eyes that greeted me were simply captivating and from then on, I fell in love with her. I took her in and thus started our wonderful journey.
Precious was a loving cat, she would wait for my wife and me to come back from work and we would play together and I would spend endless hours just being with her. Then one day I noticed that she was bleeding. My wife and I decided to bring her to the Mount Pleasant Animal Hospital off Whitley Road to get her checked up. What we discovered was beyond our beliefs. She was, all the while, carrying a dead foetus; a full-grown child in her stomach. I decided that she goes through an operation to remove her dead foetus, or risk losing her.
If her baby had survived back then in 2000, they would've probably looked like this.
After that, Precious provided my wife and me with endless warm experiences. She was sensitive to grief. Whenever my wife cried, she would go close to my wife, sit down next to her and lick her face or place her paw on my wife's hand, as if trying to console her. On late nights when I had to complete my assignments, precious would be sitting next to my computer, occasionally shifting around, preventing me from falling asleep.
It is through loving her that my wife and I conceived Aqilah, my first child. And when Aqilah was born, Precious didn't shy away and feel jealous. Instead, she took to Aqilah well. But from that moment on, time spent on her were getting lesser and lesser, with the demands of looking after Aqilah, work and personal goals affected the quality time that I had with her. But, through all that, Precious would give the same response to me, clinging to me as if it was the first time I had her.
When Aqil was born, Precious didn't change either. She showed the same loving nature as when Aqilah was born. I concluded that she was a family cat and she loved having people around her. She is a truly amazing cat.
When I came back home on 31st December 2008, I found Precious sprawled on the kitchen floor when I was cleaning her tray. I called all the family members to gather around her to say their last goodbyes. I brought Precious around the house one last time in my arms to let her view her home. I waited with her and while my wife and children were away, Precious left me for good in my arms while I was cleaning her at 8 pm. She was struggling for a while and after giving a last shout, as if telling me that she was leaving, she stopped breathing and her head fell precociously onto my forearm. She had gone away for good. I guess that is where she wants to die and nowhere else. She had come into my life in my arms and that is where she had left me.
I miss you very much Precious. You are much more than just a pet. You are a loyal friend, staying with me through thick and thin. You showed me what unconditional love is and you have left a lasting legacy in my life. Thank you for all the joyful moments that you have provided my family and me. You deserve your place in heaven. Though it's hard to let you go, I know that I must. Till we meet again, Hicks will continue where you've left off...............
