Are You Sleeping?

Remember learning the song "Frere Jacques" (sp?) in school? The French version of the song,

"Are you sleeping
Are you sleeping?
Brother John.
Brother John.

Morning bells are ringing.
Morning bells are ringing.
Ding, ding, dong.
Ding, ding, dong."

I always get the French and Spanish versions messed up, so I sing,

"Frere Jacques,
Frere Jacques,
Dormes vous? (This is French)
Dormes vous?

Suena la campana.
Suena la campana.
Din, Din, Don. (This is Spanish, I think...)
Din, Din, Don."

Anyway, one of the girls' guinea pigs, named Frere Jacques, died last night.

*sigh*

I found that he had diarrhea a bit too late. He was very dehydrated and lethargic. I got up every hour last night to coax drops of water into his mouth and murmur over and over, "It's okay, Frere...this will make you feel better."

Well, it didn't.

He died at about 4 am. I wrapped him one of my last good hand towels (man, I really need new towels) and put him carefully in a shoe box. Then I woke up the girls to let them know.

They just stood around the box, petting him, with tears welling in their eyes. And what made me finally lose it is their murmurs of, "It's okay Frere. You probably feel better now."

They are definitely my girls. They may not look much like me, but they definitely have my heart.

He is now, literally, on ice in the cooler on the top shelf of the pantry - awaiting the memorial service and burial this evening. (I felt a bit terrible when I considered making him a toe tag. Terrible, but in a funny way.)

If anyone would like to attend the service (I know it's short notice) it will be at my house at 7:00 pm tonight. Donations can be made to Cavy Companions in lieu of flowers.