Henrique, We Miss You

"Notícias tristes" (sad news) My sister in Brazil texted me.

I was wondering what happened; did she break up again with her boy friend? Did anything happened to our father?

Really it was nothing really that serious... But for me and my sister this was a really really sad one.

"Henrique morreu ontem à noite, ele estava tranquilo como sempre e nunca teve nenhuma doença..."

(Henrique died last night, he was just as peaceful as usual and never had any illness...)

I jumped up my bed and rang my sister from my home phone.

"Ei, o que você acabou de me mandar? Foi uma piada ruim?"

(Hey, what did you just text me? Was it a bad joke?)

I called my sister and just jabbed the words as she pick up the phone.

"emm...bem...nosso gato morreu... Ele morreu silenciosamente como se ainda estivesse dormindo."

(emm...well...our cat did die... He went quietly as if he was still asleep.) My sister replied.

"...então, ele foi embora em silêncio? Como sempre?...ele não estava sofrendo de nenhuma doença?"

(...so, he went quietly? Just as usual?...he was not suffering from any sickness?) I asked.

"Não, de jeito nenhum" (No, not at all) Replied my sister.

"Obrigado... Voltarei na semana que vem..." (thank you... I will come back around next week...) I replied.

So, now I am back in Brazil, in my apartment, looking at the cremation pot of Henrique...

I had no words since I was expecting the gentle rubbing and purring of Henrique when I got home but it was my sister's sad long face holding a white pot...

"Então ele se foi" (so he is gone) I said.

My sister nodded. I tried to be as positive as I could. I tried to say to myself that Henrique went peacefully and had no pain... But that did not work, It just made me heavier and harder to speak up.

"Você está bem?" (are you OK?) asked my sister.

I nodded, my sister tried to change the subject asked me about life in Japan, but somehow the conversation went to pets, then my cat in Japan (Aleshanee), then back to Henrique...

"Meu erro..." (something like "my bad") said my sister.

"Não se preocupe" (Don't you worry) I replied, since I was feeling so much more "easier to talk".

It was a short strange experience that I am going to write.

I was in my room at the apartment, trying to sleep.

I needed to visit a bank located at the city the next day that is why I went to bed quite soon.

I think I was in a half dream half awake status... Like not fully asleep. I was a little drunk since I had some wine.

I was kind of felt something fury rubbing against my feet inside the blanket. I wanted to wake up and see what that is but I could not...

Henrique? I thought in my mind. Some how Aleshanee came first (I guess it will be the first Aleshanee if it will be a spirit) and I saw a black cat walking towards me. Henrique! I called in my mind the black cat kind of brought Aleshanee away from me as if it was leading her to somewhere else.

I thought I was dreaming but there was a smell... Cat smell, if you know what I mean (that beasty animally smell). My sister came in and woke me up, I could finally fully wake myself up but I still was feeling the furriness on my feet.

"Acho que Henrique veio me cumprimentar, a panela balançou e comecei a sonhar" (I guess Henrique came over to say hello, the pot shook and I started dreaming.) Said my sister.

I nodded and told her that he is still here because I feel the fur and the rubbing of him.

I did not see any shadow nor did my sister but we both smelled him and I am sure that I am feeling him but there was no evidence, like I used to feel Aurora, no proof but I know kind of feeling.

Have any of you had the same experience?

Sorry, very short and no information at all, but this story I wanted to share is mainly for old readers around.

Please feel free to read some of the stories about my cat from my previous account.

Roy E Lynx