Gerbie

So I thought that I would share my pet story after Toni mentioned pets.

Mr Funk's kindergarten class got gerbels during the school year. THe whole class was mesmerized by the funny antics of the animals. They would run on their wheel and the whole class would flock to see the action. SOme of the students even built tubes for them to crawl through. We rotated who would feed them and I always loved to give them their food.

The school year was drawing to a close. Mr Funk announced that twhoever wanted a gerbel could have one. I was so excited. I convinced Mom to let me have one. I promised that I would take care of it. I assured her that she would never have to do ANYTHING. I would do all the work.

So I took by Bass shoebox to school and brought my little friend home. I was so careful not the "rock the boat" too much on the way home so the little guy (or girl--I relaly don't know what gender it was) was comfortable.

I got home and showed Mom the newest member of our family. I named him Gerbie (pronounced "Jerby".) I went with the straightforward, uncreative name with an unconventional spelling. Anyway, I went into my room and shut the door. There was a full length mirror on the back of my door and I just decided to have some personal time with my new friend. I took him out of his box and held him in my little palm as I stood in front of my mirror. It was a picture perfect moment. Then...he jumped of my hand and fled behind my dresser.

I shut the door the rest of the way and started the man...er...gerbel hunt. There was about a 1.5 inch space between my dresser and the wall. I knew that this dark crevice concealed my little gerbel. But between the dust and the power cords running behind there I could not see him.

I had learned the hard way that if you let all the drawers slide out of the dresser that it will tip forward. I decided to use that technique to get a better look at the sitchiation. I carefully slid the drawers out and looked behind the dresser. No Gerbie.

I let the drawers begin to slide back into the dresser. The dresser slowly began to return to its original position. As it got closer to the imprints in the carpet it picked up speed. I then noticed a little furry mass bumbling along the baseboard. "Gerbie!! There you are little guy!"

SPLAT!

Gerbie's spine (and the rest of him for that matter) was utterly crushed by the immense weight of my dresser. Gerbie was not only crushed but his eyeballs bulged out of his head and one of them ruptured. GERBIE!!! (uncontrollable sobbing)

We buried Gerbie that day in the back yard of our Kearns home. It was a black day. I day of regret and remorse. A day of wondering how I managed to kill the animal that had come into my care that same day. A day of proving that I was absolutely incapable of caring for another organism. Mom rocked me in her squeaky rocking chair as I cried and repeated the word "Gerbie" until I fell asleep.

I now have a daughter. I do not let her get near the dresser.