Perhaps it Was the Name

But at the time, the name seemed appropriate.

Lucky.

Hatched from an unexpected egg, and he survived being in the same tank as his huge, predatory mother.

So “Lucky” seemed like a valid name. 

I’d read that it’s very difficult to raise baby anoles in captivity.  Very tricky.  They’re complicated, these cold-blooded creatures.

But things seemed to be going well.

Until they weren’t.

Lucky passed away last night.  So tiny.  Poor little thing.  Not so lucky, after all.

I wish I was strong enough to hug the sadness out of Alex. 

I know.  He will be fine.  Kids are resilient.  Actually he even suggested, in a whisper, that maybe we could get another lizard or a frog, and give it to Julia as a surprise.  She’s never had one of her very own.  And that way the tank wouldn’t be empty.

I took the reptile books out of Alex’s backpack.  He carries a few books around so that he can read in the morning before class starts.  I left him the library book about moose and another book about night creatures. 

And I put a little travel pack of tissues in there, too.

Just in case.

~~~

Lucky will be buried today, after school, in the boat garden, in the vicinity of Dinoraptasaurus’s grave. 

Now I have to find a tiny little casket.  The Land o’ Lakes butter box is way too big.

Comments

[Sprogblogger]

Ach, I'm sorry. It's always hard when little things die, and harder yet when kids' hearts are involved.

[Kat]

aww, hugs to all of you...

[Lynne]

oh how sad. [[hugs]] all round .. :(

[ralph]

alex: i can tell you that where ever lucky is, all my ferrets who have died are taking care of him. i'm sure they are having a great time, lucky teaching my ferrets how to act like a lizzard, and my old ferrets teaching lucky how to play like a ferret.
i'm sorry you lost lucky. hugs to you.

[Ruth Ann Ryan]

So sad. Sometimes I think kids bounce back faster than we do. I'll say "do you remember 'Oscar' the turtle or 'Whitey' the mouse & they'll say I forgot, then maybe remember because I want them to. This always triggers one of those do you remember when conversations.
Our caskets were those sliding matchboxes....the type kitchen & camping matches used to come in, maybe they still do.

[judith]

Awww, I'm sorry. I'll send pictures of our new kitten and maybe a video. Have Alex and Julia think up a name for us? Maybe that will take their mind off things for a few minutes.

[Karla]

sliding matchboxes are good. and a few special words.