Mera Billie.

A few months ago, my cat Lance died rather violently when he was killed by a dog. We hadn't been able to find him for a few days, but this was normal for him, as he would find a new hiding spot in which he would dwell in seclusion and stash his alcohol, tobacco, and firearms.  After discarding of his narcotics and explaining to him the dangers of a meth lab in the house we would bathe him attention to make up the few days of little to no contact. 

However, this day was different. We had been unable to find him and I woke up late after watching Rocky Balboa until early in the morning (Not worth it btw). The whole family, including our servant Ratnesh (@#$%) became scowering the house for him. 

Just to go and check the most unlikely place, I decided to ask the Guard downstairs if he had seen a cat around. I went downstairs and asked if he had seen a cat in hindi. He nodded yes, and brought me to a closed gate by the inner stairs that looks out into the inner parking lot. 

I saw him lying down.

I was ecstatic, I had found him. Everything was fine again. I ran around to the parking lot and I immediately noticed something wrong with the way he was sitting.

I picked him up and his entire abdomen was thickly coated with blood. It's the most horrifying image amongst the many strange things that fly around in the seafood gumbo that is my mind. I just remember seeing all that blood. It was a euphoric horror, an utter disbelief at what was happening. Tears were pouring from my eyes, screaming for Lance, terrified at what was happening. He was alive, but faint, it was by far the longest ride in the elevator I had ever had. I cradled him in my hands, trying to keep quiet for him, not to scare him. I wept and moaned, and cradled him. There was just... so, much, blood. His blood, the blood of the cat who I loved so much was all over my chest and arms.  Finally, we reached the 14th floor, and I threw open the door and screamed through a choking throat,

"MOM WE HAVE TO GO TO A HOSPITAL, LANCE IS HURT" 

My mom took him in his arms, and we ran downstairs. I looked at the guard and said,

"I'm going to @#$%ing kill you!" I was so angry, and I needed an outlet despite the fact that the Guard had done nothing wrong.

A very nice couple named Arun and Sherene offered us a ride to the closest clinic. They drove like mad, as my mom, Yu Yu (read my mom's blog), and I sat in the back. Arun was reassuring, telling us that it was going to be fine. When we got to the clinic at a nearby market, I sat in another part of the small pet treatment facility as they cleaned and wrapped his wounds. 

People walking by the store stared at me as I was crying, I just gave them the dirtiest looks, the last thing I needed was to be judged.

After about 15 minutes, the doctors told us Lance needed to be taken to a bigger facility named Jeev Ashram Pet Sanctuary. We got back in the car, and drove for what felt like 2 hours to this place located in the middle of nowhere. We ran him in and said that our cat needed surgery. They took him into another room while I waited in the garden on a bench. 

I have to say, Jeev Ashram is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. I watched young puppies and fully grown dogs running around in complete harmony. A beautiful peacock was in it's own open cage, with chipmunks and rabbits running around in the next. In the distance I could hear a beautiful pipe playing. I would later be told a pipe is played after the death of one of the animals.

I waited on the bench, my eyes releasing gallons of tears. The dogs were extremely friendly, and one exceptionally cute puppy caught my eye. A small, brown, dirty puppy hopping around seemed to embody the playful peace of mind of all children. No reason for the running, just enjoying it as he did it. An eastern-european nurse told my mom the puppy would pass away in a few days, as the mother had died and the puppy refused to eat at all.

I saw Lance for a split second and made eye contact with his dazed, unresponsive eyes through a window into the surgery room.

Finally, they bandaged him up and said to take him home with some medicine to be taken. Lance was immobile until the latter of the day in which he managed a struggling few steps. He was getting better! Thank god!

It was at night, when I went to bed, and my mom and Yu Yu were looking after him. In the middle of the night, Yu Yu woke me up,

"Will, Lance is gone."

Gone. 

He is buried at Jeev Ashram.