Bamboo

“Why are you being so loud?” my sister asked me holding her head. “she was just scared. She didn't know that we just got a cat from Aunt Tracy.” my mom said to my annoying sister, Marina. “Oh we got a kitty?!” I asked in a excited whisper remembering Marina had a huge headache and a fever. I raced over to where a midnight black blob was cowering in the far right corner. I cried, “Kitty, kitty come here! I wanna hold you. Momma, he won't come. What should I do?” She replied with a simple “Wait for him to come to you.” As I waited, I went upstairs and watched anpan-man (bread man), my favorite show at that time. Our new cat waltzed up the stair case and came towards my feet. I wasn't used to having a animal rub up against my legs, so when our cat, whom we later named Bamboo, rubbed on my legs, I yelped in shock. “Oh. It was you.” I sighed in relief to no one in particular. I held him for the first time. It felt great. My cat and I became best friends as we both grew up. He was the one I went to for comfort. I knew that Bamboo wasn't human and that he was in fact an animal, but it didn't matter to me because he would love me no matter what. Like when ever I was sad, he would always come and meow at the door until I opened it. I always told Bamboo my secrets and played dress up with him. It was almost as if he was part of our family. I never let my friends hold Bamboo because I always thought they held him wrong. He was like my baby brother. Even as we grew up he was still my baby brother because I didn't want him to grow up and die.

It was devastating at the vets office last year when they told my family he had a tumor in his stomach so big they couldn't see inside the rest of his stomach, his teeth were rotten, he had a growth on his back and his tail bone was worn out so he could not make it up the stairs. I didn't even get It was very upsetting when the vet told us we needed to put him out of his misery and pain by putting him to sleep. I was in a camp at the time and when I came late, my friends helped me get through the fact that my cat would not be with me anymore. That was a memory I could never forget as he passed away on July 7^th 2008. It has been a huge challenge getting over the fact that my best friend as a little girl, is now gone. I had always thought Bamboo would stay in my life forever and would always be my best friend. It has been a year and a couple months and I still cannot cover up the hole in my heart where my cat belonged. I know Bamboo would have wanted us to get a another cat, but I cannot bring my self to replace him. He was the bestest friend anyone could ever have.