Kearan, reading this entry makes me realize how much you internalize. When I heard you on the phone whimpering about the passing of your companion, I understand how different we are. I'd like to share with you my cats story. We have two cats, a black and a white one (remember what Deng Xiaoping said it doesn't matter whether a cat is black or white, as long as it catches the mice?). In the beginning, our son picked up a white one off a grocery carton containing a litter of six. He was pure one, except for a tail stump which was either born crooked or was trampled upon and it was yellow. He lived happily with us but was clearly a street cat. It does not take well to discipline, He always tries to dominate whether it is us or another cat. Every year, usually during he Spring, he goes away on a sojourn, and we won't hear from him for a few weeks or a month. Then he would come back, dirty, hungry and sometimes slightly injured. But it did not stop him. Two years after we got him, a friend split up with her boyfriend and gave away their entire collection. I took a Scottish cropped ear kitten in pure black. He is incredibly shy and quiet. He prefers to hide and become completely undetectable. The white cat treated his new playmate well, even though sometimes the playing gets a bit rough, and then our black kitten fights back. I see often scratch marks on her tender skin, and the coagulated blood often clutters up his fine fur, A few months ago, a third cat, with a yellow and white spotted fur, left its owner on on of the upper floors and descended into our life. No effort to return him to his rightful owner proved fruitful. Grandmother did not like this addition in the beginning and even the maid complained about the extra work. But the new cat actually spiced up their lives, so really they grumbled more than resented him, and as they kept feeding him, of course he stayed.

In the beginning, our white cat was very jealous at the intruder. It growled and fought the unwelcome visitor. The black one was more receptive as it has a naturally friendlier disposition, and quickly accepted our visitor. Eventually, the white cat failed to overcome the visitor and succumbed, They are now living an uneasy truce.

Recently, the new cat stepped into the landing of the house for the first time, and yesterday I petted him on the head.

I hope you will move on. Life passes all of us eventually. Do not grieve. I enjoyed sharing this small story with you, and hope you enjoyed reading it. It takes me too much time to write in Chinese, since the only Chinese typing I can do is through pinyin and it takes too long.

On the Sex and the City premiere night, my phone got soaked and now it does not work. I tried to go into my back up and it does not have your phone number. Please call me today if you have time, so that I can restore it.

Affectionately yours,

Allan