July 31st- Third Year of the Spontaneous Cow
Today was a horrible day.
Feliciano asked me this morning whether I was ready to see Jason, and I told him of course I was. He shrugged and led me to far side of the lake, which was a part we didn't go to very often, just because it's such a long walk away. I looked around in the trees and bushes for Jason, but I couldn't see him. Feliciano just kept walking and I kept following. He seemed to solemn that I didn't dare to talk just yet and I thought that it was some kind of ritual that he had come up with yesterday. I thought that maybe he had founded a kind of religion with Jason and I was going to become a high priest with them.
Feliciano stopped suddenly and I bumped into him. He pointed to a small little shoebox on the ground. I told him that it was horrible of him to put poor little Jason in a small box like that, and I laughed at him, but deep down, I knew something bad happened. I lifted up the lid and I looked down at the squirrel inside. There was no doubt that it was Jason. It wasn't just some kind of other squirrel. This was my bad-tempered, gummy jawed squirrel. I felt a kind of stuck feeling in my throat and my mouth must have fallen open because it got really dry.
Feliciano seemed to be getting really nervous with the way I was reacting, so he started talking. He told me that he had found him two days before and he was already dead, but he didn't want to tell me because he knew I would be upset. Now I know why he didn't lead me to Jason when I asked him to and I now know why he didn't want to take me to him when it was my birthday. He said that he didn't want to ruin my birthday for me by showing me poor Jason.
I stood up and held the shoebox in my hands. Feliciano and I looked down at the still body of Jason and we observed a moment of silence. Then, Feliciano lifted out a rosary and a small twig cross that was held together with string. He said that we may as well give Jason a proper funeral. He also mentioned that he was sure that Perkins (Perkins is the Crazy Catholic, as we like to call him. He crosses himself whenever Cook looks at him because he thinks she has the Evil Eye) wouldn't mind that he had stolen borrowed his rosaries to give Jason a burial.
We took him to the side of the lake in the box. The east side of the lake was always his favourite. Feliciano realised he had forgotten to bring something to dig with, so we both had to dig with our hands. The entire day was really still and I don't think that even a single bird sang.
When we lowered the box in, we threw in some dandelions that we found growing on the side. Feliciano grasped at Perkins' rosary and muttered what he knew of a prayer called the Lords Prayer*, which he had to learn in Italy.
"Our father who art in heaven," he recited. His brow was all furrowed because he couldn't remember all the words. "Hollowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy er, um, will be done on earth as it is in something-something. Give us this day our daily bread and bacon, and forgive us our something-somethings. Errrrr, something-something-something-something. Amen."
Then we bowed our heads and observed another moment of silence for Jason. We marked his burial place with the cross Feliciano made and then we went back to the school. Neither of us will admit we cried, but I think we both did at one point of time or another. Feliciano says that we'll go grab acorns tomorrow and bury them with Jason. Except, we have to dig his box out again to do that. We'll bring spades this time.
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*- The original Lord's Prayer
Feliciano asked me this morning whether I was ready to see Jason, and I told him of course I was. He shrugged and led me to far side of the lake, which was a part we didn't go to very often, just because it's such a long walk away. I looked around in the trees and bushes for Jason, but I couldn't see him. Feliciano just kept walking and I kept following. He seemed to solemn that I didn't dare to talk just yet and I thought that it was some kind of ritual that he had come up with yesterday. I thought that maybe he had founded a kind of religion with Jason and I was going to become a high priest with them.
Feliciano stopped suddenly and I bumped into him. He pointed to a small little shoebox on the ground. I told him that it was horrible of him to put poor little Jason in a small box like that, and I laughed at him, but deep down, I knew something bad happened. I lifted up the lid and I looked down at the squirrel inside. There was no doubt that it was Jason. It wasn't just some kind of other squirrel. This was my bad-tempered, gummy jawed squirrel. I felt a kind of stuck feeling in my throat and my mouth must have fallen open because it got really dry.
Feliciano seemed to be getting really nervous with the way I was reacting, so he started talking. He told me that he had found him two days before and he was already dead, but he didn't want to tell me because he knew I would be upset. Now I know why he didn't lead me to Jason when I asked him to and I now know why he didn't want to take me to him when it was my birthday. He said that he didn't want to ruin my birthday for me by showing me poor Jason.
I stood up and held the shoebox in my hands. Feliciano and I looked down at the still body of Jason and we observed a moment of silence. Then, Feliciano lifted out a rosary and a small twig cross that was held together with string. He said that we may as well give Jason a proper funeral. He also mentioned that he was sure that Perkins (Perkins is the Crazy Catholic, as we like to call him. He crosses himself whenever Cook looks at him because he thinks she has the Evil Eye) wouldn't mind that he had stolen borrowed his rosaries to give Jason a burial.
We took him to the side of the lake in the box. The east side of the lake was always his favourite. Feliciano realised he had forgotten to bring something to dig with, so we both had to dig with our hands. The entire day was really still and I don't think that even a single bird sang.
When we lowered the box in, we threw in some dandelions that we found growing on the side. Feliciano grasped at Perkins' rosary and muttered what he knew of a prayer called the Lords Prayer*, which he had to learn in Italy.
"Our father who art in heaven," he recited. His brow was all furrowed because he couldn't remember all the words. "Hollowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy er, um, will be done on earth as it is in something-something. Give us this day our daily bread and bacon, and forgive us our something-somethings. Errrrr, something-something-something-something. Amen."
Then we bowed our heads and observed another moment of silence for Jason. We marked his burial place with the cross Feliciano made and then we went back to the school. Neither of us will admit we cried, but I think we both did at one point of time or another. Feliciano says that we'll go grab acorns tomorrow and bury them with Jason. Except, we have to dig his box out again to do that. We'll bring spades this time.
--------------------------
*- The original Lord's Prayer