We made a big mistake. That night, after Rommel left, I took Candy to her little house and went to sleep. The next day, I was surprised because Candy had not jumped into my bed, so I went to look for her in her cottage and she was dead. She had purged or poisoned herself with a plant and we didn't notice. I remember that I screamed in pain and my parents were very scared, believing the worst. When they saw Candy's little body, they were the ones who diagnosed a poisoning with a plant from the garden. I could not believe it, I was so traumatized: my first pet had only lasted me 8 days, but that atrocious memory would last me all my life.

Over the years, I have discovered many children's books that serve to make the experience of death less traumatic for a child. One of the things I remember most about that first pet was the despair at his death. That December morning, I can say with certainty, prepared me for another death: that of July 4, seven months after Candy's death, when the news came that my grandmother had passed away.

The images are from my personal gallery and the text was translated with Deepl

This is my participation this week for our great friend @ericvancewalton's initiative: Memoir monday. If you want to participate, here's the link to the invitation post

Thank you for reading and commenting. Until a future reading, friends