I haven’t written a
blog entry in the past few weeks as I have been too tired and too sad to do so.
It began about a month
ago with the death of one of the four baby fish I bought to add to my small
pond. I only had Ned for about a week and he just didn’t do well and eventually
passed away. This was soon followed by the death of Loki (another baby) late
last month due to mouth rot, and then Dickon, Saturday week ago, from rot
around his tail. I tried everything I could to save them – putting them in a separating
tank in the pond, antibiotics, water changes…nothing worked.
Then, on the 26th
October the gorgeous Naamfon, an elephant who arrived after I went to Boon Lott’sElephant Sanctuary in May 2014 and who I was looking forward to meeting, died.
Then last week, it was
23 years on the 4th November since my cousin Ben died in a motor
cycle accident. He was only 21 years old, and the older I get the more I
realise just how young he was.
Also on the 4th
November I found out about the further tragedies that had befallen BLES the day
before. The beautiful bull, Somai, had died, and three of the dogs, Peanut
Butter, Marmite, and Hugh (all of whom I spent many happy hours with at BLES)
had been poisoned and had died as well – all on the same day.
Then, on the 5th
November I found my beautiful fish, Harriet, ill in the big pond. Harriet was
about eight years old, but always a little delicate thing. She died on Friday
morning.
On Saturday, after I
buried Harriet wrapped in a tissue, with a bit of plant from the pond, and two
bits of food to take with her, I wept and I felt so empty.
So much loss. It was,
and is, still so much to take in. I expect to see my babies in their ponds
swimming happily along and coming up to me looking for food. I never imagined
going back to BLES and not having Marmite, Peanut Butter, and Hugh escorting me
around the place and coming on walks with the elephants. I never pictured Somai
not walking sedately and regally along the track with his beloved mahout Phi Sot.
And I always expected to meet Naamfon.
I’m sorry – I can’t write
anymore just at the moment…my heart is broken.
2 comments:
I'm so sorry for all this loss. I think that grief accumulates - loss on loss is hard to take.
The elephant losses are very tough - Thailand has a special place in my heart. Naamfon means rain or raindrop - a gorgeous name for an elephant - so to have tears fall in his/her honour (and that of those who would have been their companions at the sanctuary, and even the smallest of creatures but no less important) seems appropriate.
That is very beautiful Mali - thank you. I didn't know the meaning of Naamfon...xx
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