I got home and he's no longer there. I miss his usual greeting which, because it was so sincere, it used to take away my stress (at least a portion thereof). I miss his gentle face, so cute I always wanted to pat and baby him.
Yes, our doggie is gone. He died last Wednesday, February 25th, EDSA day. I was not able to blog about him right away because I was still hoping it was just a dream. But he's really gone. And I miss him.
Although a mongrel, Tiger did not fail to leave a lasting memory with us. So many in fact that I would probably create separate blog entries just to recount them. For now, we will just be contented recalling those memories, those moments, one by one. And that is enough to make us smile despite the mourning.
Tiger was 13 years old (91 in human years) when he passed away. He was poisoned by the shampoo my dad had used to bathe him. It was unusual as he was bathed with stronger shampoos before without causing any harm at all. It was just probably because he was really too old already his immune system got really weak.
A few hours before his body gave up, he unusually kept on walking staggeringly around our garage, as if fighting the disease that had struck him. By around 11 P.M. he collapsed. My sister said he was barking and barking and was trying to rise up. He was fighting for his breath, his life. My whole family (except me who was already asleep by that time) was around him when this was happening. And Tiger probably was fighting for us - to continue to be with us because he knew we love him. But it's really his time to rest. And all my family could do is to pat him and say "Tiger tama na...magpahinga ka na."
13 years...It's amazing Tiger has lived that long, in fact long enough to even outlive his contemporaries: his foes, his friends, even his lovers. I surely miss him and his memories will linger on.
He is not dead. His memories are secured in our hearts. I couldn't help but recall tuloy one line in ABS-CBN's "May Bukas Pa" : A person (a pet in this case) is not dead as long as s/he remains in our hearts.
