美國新冠疫情日記09/29

Our Puppy “Buddy” Has Gone. May He Rest In Peace.

When we came back home yesterday, we saw our “Buddy” lying in the driveway. His eyes were closed. 

Buddy has been with our family for the last fifteen years. Tonight, may he rest in peace. I just could not sleep as so many memories came back into my mind.

About one year ago, we visited the veterinarian. He found out that buddy had a lot of bad gum infection. Since then, we have prepared softer food and put him in an air conditioned room and changed all his blankets. Every morning when he woke up, he always expected a good breakfast from me.

Buddy was part of our family. Every time our grandkids came to visit they always wanted to play with him. In the past few years, Buddy got lost two times, but my neighbor called us to bring him back home. Since then we put an iron fence around our house so he would never go out again.

Last summer we had a beautiful peacock that arrived in our backyard. The main reason was the peacock wanted to share food with Buddy. They were so friendly to each other and the best of friends.

In the past few years no matter if it was late at night or early in the morning, when Buddy heard my car come in or out, he always watched for me, leaving or arriving. Every time when I came home I could expect a warm welcome from Buddy and suddenly it changed all my feelings, even on a bad day. This uplifting of my spirit gives me more courage to fight again tomorrow.

Today we moved Buddy with his small sofa to the Southern News Group compound. Hida had prepared a permanent home for Buddy there. Today when I touched Buddy’s bowl and table, I just felt so sad.

From now on, when the beautiful peacock visits our backyard, she will not see Buddy again.

Buddy was with us in the good days and in the bad days. Now we want him to Rest In Peace.

                   我們家的”小伙伴“走了

陪伴我們十五年的小狗 -- “小伙伴”今午走了， 牠長眠在後院的長廊上，走完了牠的一生，今晚令我彻夜難眠……

大約年前我帶牠去見獸医時，發現牠的牙床已經潰爛，醫生為牠開了止痛藥方， 回家後我們就改變了較軟的狗食， 我每晚都把牠的屋裡開上冷氣和電燈 ，並且為牠重新準備了新的背墊和地毯，每天清晨當我開門時牠都會靠過來等待一頓豐盛的早餐。

小伙伴的身影已经是我們家人的一員，每次孫兒們回來總得和牠玩成一團，牠在過去十多年來，曾經走失兩次，被隣居在狗牌上找到電話告訴我們把牠帶回家之後，我們把大院裝上了铁絲網，牠也就再未走失過了。

去年夏天以來，我們院中每天傍晚都会來一位不速之客 --- 漂亮的金孔雀，她來的主要目的是要分享為小伙伴準備的狗食，她毫無畏懼把剩下的狗食吃得盡光，小伙伴對於妖艷的訪客不但不拒絕，而且還相處和諧。

十多年來，不論我們是早出或晚歸，當牠聽到汽車馬達聲，牠總會靠近車旁，多少黑夜及清晨， 我都看見牠一雙烱烱有神的眼神，近年來， 牠的體力漸衰， 有天困在前院水池中一陣尖叫， 幸而譲妻聼到，把牠救起 ，上週颱風來時，傾盆大雨， 我到處找牠，未見蹤影 ，牠却在大雨中坐在下水道旁，把牠赶快抱回來已經是全身濕透。

多少年來，我們走過了多少為事業拼搏的艱辛歲月，不論體驗多少人間之冷暖 ，總是在回到家的長廊上，有小伙伴的等待，牠的忠誠、熱情和溫情，让我們再一次回到溫暖的家， 重整信念再繼續明天的奮鬥挑戰。

今午，我把小伙伴愛坐的小沙發一起把牠移霊到美南集團總部的園區內， 為我工作已二十年的工友韓特已為牠準備了墓地，我們把牠安葬在國際貿易中心大樓的後方， 讓牠常眠於此，牠也是我們在這塊汗水凝集的土地上留下過的歷史痕跡。

今午再次走近小伙伴的寢室居所，我以微微顫抖的手撫摸牠穿用過的名牌和器皿， 和一堆尚未食完的糧食，牠已離開我們遠去了，每天飛到我們家後院的金孔雀， 從此也再看不到小伙伴了。

此時，我眼眶已濕，這份傷感如何撫平，我告訴小伙伴，我會常常回到他安息的地方，去黙念過去，十五載的歲月，牠曾生活在我們週圍，牠也是我們的家人。

今夜明月高掛，人生之速變不斷上演，我們要抓住幸福時刻，否則稍縦即逝。

2020年9月27日寫於

美國德州 隴勤荘園