Aware of Emptiness

(Goku means "Aware of emptiness.)

Just being chill after a night out on the stroll

That's Goku (the black one). He's been somewhere in this family of ours for around 10 years. At various times he's been in four of our homes - moves, traded back and forth... Never mattered because, as long as he was in one of our homes, he was part of all our lives. And he didn't just come and stay with us; he came and took over the neighborhood.

Putting the new cat-in-residence in check.

I can't even remember right now how he came to the family. I think he was a garbage can rescue...

This is his look that says, "Where the heck is the doorman? I got places to be, cats to see"  

We called him the "Pimp Cat."  And he really was the pimping-nest cat. Just pure, freaking cool. He had a crew wherever he went. In our neighborhood off Lake Otis, he'd disappear somewhere over near the school. We are sure that he had a feline lover over that way because he'd be gone for hours and come back to just pass out by the food and water dish! He had his "boys," too. They didn't cause trouble or make a lot of noise, but they were like characters out of West Side Story, trolling the streets. No one ever complained... And Goku was a bold one. When Dre and Cherie lived out near Foxwood, Goku had a couple of garages he'd camp out in. I think the owners gave him copies of their keys so he could come and go as he pleased.

Though he wasn't always the most affectionate cat (kind of hard to keep that cool attitude when you'll just, you know, curl up and submit to being petted on) he would every now and then get in a mood. Might allow you to hold him and spend a moment or two discussing the serious things happening in your life. Mostly, he used us for exercise and pleasure. He hurt the hell out of my feelings when I first gained so much weight - he'd come over and knead the fat rolls on my gut. Sometimes, he'd talk trash to us. Like if he wanted out and we weren't moving fast enough to get the door for him. 

Anyway, that was our Goku. Officially, he belonged to my nephew Dre, but, really, he was all of ours.

He just went and broke all our hearts by dying.

I'm so sad.

Peace

--Free