Grandpa had lived in the village for a long time, maybe ten years. At first we all lived together with him, Grandma, my parents, and a cat. This cat was black-black, like the darkest night. Her grandmother had once picked her up as a kitten in the house and raised her. So my grandfather took the cat with him to the village when my grandmother was gone. He affectionately called her his best friend and told her many funny stories over the phone.
I talked to my grandfather almost every day on my way to school, less often on weekends. I used to go to the countryside for the summer before graduation, but after I got in, I had no time for that. In June of sessions, then I want to earn money. I did not know that my grandfather had been very ill lately. He didn’t even tell my dad about it, that he was hospitalized more than once because of high blood pressure.
Only when my grandfather became very ill, and he could not go home in a day, because the hospital was sent, he told us that he would be treated and we have to take the cat. The cat didn’t want to come to us. At home she was behaving strangely, all through the open doors into the corridor, we often caught her on the stairs.
As soon as Grandpa returned to the village, Dad took the cat too. Finally, they were both reunited and began to get along quite well. I started talking to Grandpa more often again, I thought he was on the mend, but one day he did not pick up the phone for a long time. Not just from me.
Then my dad got worried and we went to the village together after my studies. We got there in the evening, the light was on in the house, but no one opened the door. Dad ripped out the latch so we could go inside. There we found Grandpa in bed and a cat lying by his side. They both looked serenely asleep, but really hadn’t breathed in a long time.
It is not customary to bury animals in the village cemetery, but Daddy arranged for the cat to be buried in the same grave as Grandpa, only buried higher.
– She was his good friend,” sighed Dad, trying to hold back tears. – She loved Grandpa very much.
– And he loved her,” I added.
And yet it’s amazing that they both left on the same day, quietly, in their sleep.
