Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Trying to do the right thing

"They" say things happen in 3's. I don't really buy that, but having heard it all my life, it sort of sticks in the back of my mind.

On Sunday we woke up to a mess of garbage in the street. Probably dogs down the road that tipped over my neighbor's garbage can and tore open the bags looking for food. It was a revolting mess, and my neighbors were not here to clean it up. So I got a garbage bag, protected my hand, and picked it all up. Bleh!

Miguel was pulling the dead Moonflower plants out of the front hedge. The vines had done their job, blessing us with tons of fragrant blooms for a couple of months (sometimes 50 flowers a night). The vines were now full of seed, so I sat on the golf cart and collected the seeds, placing them neatly on the back seat of the golf cart. For some reason Miguel decided I should move the cart to the other side of the road, so I gathered my seeds and used the bottom of my t-shirt to make a small pocket to hold the seeds.

I sat on the other side of the road and finished my coffee, enjoying the beautiful day and watching Miguel trim the hedge. When I got up, I forgot about the seeds I was cradling, and they all dumped on the road - about 75 seeds. I was not about to leave them there, so I proceeded to gather them all up again, and in the back of my mind was the thought - what else am I going to be picking up from the road to make the third event?

Well, sadly, this morning I got my third event. Remember my post about the small gray kittens that had been using our garden for shelter and food? Yesterday Miguel said that he thought one was dead, but didn't say why...just he thought one had died because he hadn't seen both kittens in a few days, just one. I had noticed an odd odor on Sunday when I picked up the garbage, and wondered at the time if that meant a dead animal. I guess it did, because this morning, right in the middle of the road was the carcass of one of the gray kittens. It had been dead a few days as there was nothing left but fur and bone. I don't know where the body had been or how it suddenly showed up in the middle of the road this morning, because I walk that road every day and it was not there before.

I could not leave it there - I do not understand people who stand nearby when a dead animal is right under their nose. It feels disrespectful, but it happened on Sunday - a dead kitten right on the main road near the cementary. Blood and everything, and two healthy men standing right there and doing nothing. Normally Miguel would have moved the body into some plants, but I think he wasn't sure if the kitten belonged to the men so he just gently moved it to the curb and they just watched. They didn't care.

Neither do our neighbors - they even have kids but nobody moved the dead kitten here on our road. So I found a small piece of paper and brought it home to put in the tall plants across the street. I am so sorry for the little guy; even though it wasn't a pet, it was a life that we had been helping along, and I only hope it was a quick death. Sometimes living here just breaks your heart.

4 comments:

Life's a Beach! said...

Sue, I'm so sorry. I'm glad you did the right thing. Truthfully, I'm not sure people in the U.S. are much better. They probably wouldn't leave a dead animal on the street in front of their house, but few people would stop on a busy street.

K.W. Michigan said...

Poor little kitty .. he/she is now in heaven. I'm a big animal lover and don't know how anyone could hit an animal and leave it. People are uncaring. The theory of things coming in 3's in so true. I believe! Just in the last two weeks .. My garage door broke (cost 780 dollars for a new one). Snowblower died (cost 400 dollars for a new one). And on a sad note, my uncle passed away. (he was ill, so that was a blessing). So you see things do come in 3's.
Feliz Navidad!

Islagringo said...

That is so sad but so common. Did you see the post I did about somebody who left a dead dog to bloat in a paper bag by our house? How can people be so cruel?

On another note, if you find you have too many of those seeds, think of me!

Sue said...

Beck - it's a busy street, but not that busy, they could have moved the body if they'd cared to. Some of the cultural things here can make me so angry, I really have to work actively to control my reactions and realize that they probably do not mean it the way I take it. As Miguel says, a cat is just like an ant to many, and I know I don't feel much grief when I pound on an ant walking around my counter. But you're right, it's not just limited to here, there are people everywhere who don't have the same ideas about pets than I do.

KW - Sorry to hear about your uncle but sounds like it was for the best. Bummer about the broken things, bad timing, huh?

Wayne - I read all your posts but don't recall that one about the dog. Not a nice thing for someone to have done to that dog. And I have tons of those seeds - if you want some, stop by, and if you time it right (i.e., after tomorrow, but not much, you might get a sliver of pumpkin pie with my home-made pastry! (I said 'might', I can't promise Miguel won't have it polished off quickly). :-)