On the weekend, I had a variety of strange, but very kind people, knocking on my door to pick up Ebay items I had sold to them. I got talking to most as most wanted to know why I was selling the particular item they bought. As the lovely man who bought my outdoor dining setting walked passed my guinea pigs, I asked him "You don't know anyone who would want them? They are free to good home!"
He stopped. His face changed. And said "Well yes! My niece has a hutch and we were going to give her a bunny, but guinea pigs would be just as good." He had a quick look at them, and I told him what else comes with our mow hawk black & white friend Johnny & our brindle coloured friend Speedie - a portable cage, feeding bowls, extra hay and their food storage container. He liked the sound of it, and said he would let me know in the next twenty-four hours.
It was less than that when I received a text from him that he'd pick them up the next day. I prepared my boys to accept that their furry friends had found a new home. My younger son was hoping that they would go to one of their friends so that we could keep in contact with them. But I assured him, it would be better that they went to someone who loved them and would care for them because they were wanted.
The next day, I met Ruby. Ruby was a gorgeous little girl, who you could see has had some emotional problems. She was over-compensating to try and fit in. Ruby was about 10 years old, very bubbly and was moving in with her uncle and her mum after her parent's split. Her uncle wanted to help his sister look after Ruby after all the hardship that she's been through after the divorce. And Johnny & Speedie were going to be her new companions too.
When she arrived, she had no idea why she was here. It was a surprise. I told her to follow me and I led her outside to where Johnny & Speedie lived. She saw them and thought they were so cute. She held Johnny, then Speedie, and you could see that they were happy in her arms.
"Do you like them Ruby?" I asked.
"Yes. They are so cute!" she said.
"Would you like to keep them?" I asked.
Her eyes opened widely and she looked up at her uncle to say 'Can we? Can we?'
"That's why we are here Ruby," he said. "They needed a new home and I thought that you would like them."
"So I get to have two pets, not one?" she said, as she'd been talking about getting a rabbit for her hutch at home.
"Yes!"
You could see the excitement in her face. She wanted to know the logistics - how were they going to take them home? What's mum going to say? Things that had already been worked out between her uncle and I.
After we got Johnny & Speedie ready for their new journey, Ruby told me about all the things that had happened that week that were surprises - a trip to the beach, her new guinea pig friends and her uncle moving in with them. You could see the love her uncle had for her and that he wanted to show her that she hadn't been forgotten at this emotionally torturous time. We said goodbye to Johnny & Speedie and I started to cry.
I was really attached to this little creatures. They had helped me through some pretty hard times over the last few months and it was really hard letting them go. I'm going to miss their little faces, their little squeaks, walking passed them each time I jumped in the car or came home. They were my first real pets. We'd had fish & I grew up with a budgie, but they were the first cuddly creatures I'd ever had. I understand why it's so painful when a pet dies or is in distress. You love them unconditionally, and now they had been taken away.
But I know that they will be loved, as Ruby's face and reactions were just priceless. It was nice knowing that they will be going to a loving caring home and that someone didn't take them off our hands to 'help us out.' Johnny and Speedie will always be remembered as being part of our family and the day that they made a little girl happy after her day at the beach.
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