Tyger Tyger...

I am a positive, easy-going and happy person, it's my nature. But today one of, those things happened that could make me lose a little of my faith in human nature.

My boy has a tiger, this is my boy with his tiger on his shoulder, where he keeps him. Tiger's name is Grr.

The rooms a bit of a mess, we are decorating.

But, back to today. Rook and I went shopping, we do this all the time. He sits in the trolley we potter about and have a bit of a laugh. Shopping over we drove home and as I was unpacking the car I suddenly realised, no Grr. Then I had a sudden flashback, Grr was in the trolley, I never took him out the trolley. What kind of Father am I? A bad one. Oh god, Rook'll never sleep again, worse, he'll be heartbroken.

Then Rook looked at me from his car seat and said, 'Grr?'

Cue panic. For non-parents, imagine you'd left everything you own ever and your significant other somewhere that would allow the finder to have them and then come and burn you alive, slowly, for a bit of laugh; you will be halfway towards the sense of panic I felt. So, back in the car (leaving the house door open, I don't mean unlocked, I mean OPEN, whoops) back to the shop. Nearly crash the car parking it. Dive out. Now I am reasonably hopeful here, I realised quickly, it's one of those funny little shops that people don't generally use trolleys in, so the odds are good that Grr will still be there. Also, Grr is, well, he's well loved put it that way, he doesn't smell too good.

So, I ran* across the carpark and as I approached the shop a middle aged couple were coming out. They looked mid-to late fifties or they could have been my age and had a hard life, I'd probably bet on the latter. As I got near I caught the words 'give it to...' and saw a flash of dirty, stripy fur vanish into a carrier bag.

'The Tiger!' I cried, and they both looked a bit taken aback and then at least had the good grace to blush. Or maybe I was a bit imposing and scared them a little. Usually I would say no one would be scared of me but I was six ft one of black clad, long hair and possibly, my tiger-loosing induced mania may have added to the effect. They coughed up Grr. I thanked them profusely, returned to the car and gave Rook Grr.

Rook said, 'Grr.' I could have wept.

But I'm just a bit confused by the mindset of those people. Grr is quite clearly well loved, they were in the shop a while and could have handed him in but instead they chose to take him. I'm not angry about it, just a little bit sad that someone's life should take them in a direction where, when given the chance to do a good thing, they would chose not to**.




*this is a better narrative image, in truth I limped as quickly as possible cos my feet really hurt.
** Though n the positive side, Grr escapes in shops a lot and is usually brought straight back by someone smiling and laughing. I thank them and tell them they should probably bleach their hands now.