Rosa, Yella and Bluela

by JJ
(Thiruvalla, Kerala, India)

My husband got our 3 year old girl 3 chicks . They were dyed pink yellow and blue so we named them Rosa,Yella and Bluela. Our little one adored them and loved feeding them and giving them water.

After a couple of days Rosa started looking drowsy. She'd look like she was standing and sleeping. This went on for a few more days. We knew something was wrong and that she wouldn't live long.

So I told my girl that Rosa might die and she plucked a flower and gave it to Rosa and kept telling the little chick to eat so she would grow strong.

The next day Rosa died and our lil girl was upset. But it seemed like our girl made peace with the fact, and reminded me she had given Rosa a flower before she died. I felt peace too, knowing we had done the best we could.

So then we were left with the other two chicks, Yella and Bluela. And those two were getting bigger and stronger. We kept them in a big vessel with food and water and let them wander out in the yard to catch insects and feed themselves a few hours while we would watch them and make sure they wouldn't get attacked by a cat or crows.

We loved watching them dig the soil for bugs. They started to fly from small heights, and mannerisms started to resemble what bigger chickens do. I started believing they would grow big. My husband was likely to move to another place for work and I knew our aged parents couldn't take care of them so the plan was to give them to our neighbors who were already rearing hens for eggs.

One evening as usual, when our daughter was out to play, I let them out of the vessel we keep them in. They immediately set out to eat ants. Usually they'd follow me to the front of our house but today they were busy eating ants and didn't bother coming.

So I went to the front of the house where our little one was playing. I went back to get them and they were still eating ants and didn't seem interested to follow me. I looked around for crows or cats and there seemed to be none. In fact, it was very quiet and felt like there was no harm. So I went back to my child.

A little while later my father in law who was watering plants nearby said only Bluela was around. I immediately went to find Yella. I was joined by my lil girl who kept screaming "Yella where are you".

I searched all around the house and yard and couldn't find the chick. I started to fear something happened. So I searched again to where they both were last standing. Even Bluela seemed disturbed, she was chirping frantically by now.

Finally I spotted a cat looking up at me near the spot I had last seen Bluela and Yella together. I rushed to it and saw our baby chick Yella covered in blood.

I felt angry and rushed towards the cat, but it ran away with the chick in its mouth. Our little girl was so upset and started yelling at the cat.

She used to call herself the "mother hen" and would carry a coconut leaf with her while the chicks were out. She'd say the leaf was to shoo away cats or crows. It broke my heart to see Yella like that and to see my lil girl so sad and crying inconsolably.

She kept asking me "did my baby chick hurt when the cat caught it?", and "would it have stung when the cat bit her? ". She was so bothered that her chick was in pain.

After trying my best to console her, I told her Yella was safe with Jesus. To this she asked me "will Jesus raise Yella?" and "will she grow big there?". She also suggested hiding Bluela until she got big enough so that cats and crows wouldn't be able to catch her.

This tragedy happened today evening. Memories of them chasing butterflies and insects together come back to my mind...I can't seem to get rid of the horror I felt seeing Yella in that cat's paws.

I don't know if it's silly to feel this upset. But truth is I wish I could go back in time and have picked them both up and brought them to the front yard where my child and I were instead of expecting them to eventually come.

I can't help feel like it was my fault, like I was too careless. Yella didn't have to suffer that horrible death. My lil girl didn't have to through the pain of losing her pet in such a horrible way.

Together the three of them – Rosa, Yella and Bluela – brought us much joy. And now we're left with just Bluela. It hurts to see Bluela alone.

I don't know what to do to stop feeling so heartbroken.