Sleep sweetly Little One - 21/1/2010

Four years have passed since you took yourself off to The Bridge, waking me during the night to say goodbye. This is what I wrote about you last year and will probably write each year because I cannot think of anything else to say but to repeat it. Because these words are engraved on my heart and in my soul.

You were not that old, were you. You were not ill, were you. You were not suffering, were you.

You just came to bed that night, cuddled up to me - and I do not know why but I put your blankie over you because I thought you might be cold.

And for some unknown reason at 4.30am I woke and put my hand under you, under the duvet because you were sleeping on top of the duvet - and you did not move. So I put a hand out and on top of you and you were warm and soft but I could not feel you breathing and could not feel your heart beating.

So I got a torch and shone it on you and as I did I watched the light go out of your beautiful eyes.

You woke me to say goodbye.

And I keep your picture as the wallpaper on my computer - the first photograph I took of you as I did not have a camera until then.

Sleep sweetly my Little One. Run free and wait for us.

Awww, so sad

She was such an easy little dog. Never any problem except that she was an escape artist and on the few occasions she managed it the only person who she would let pick her up and bring her home was Menachem - the youngest of the three brothers of my neighbour who have now been living in a very special and wonderful residential home for the last twelve years now. My rent, little as it is, goes towards the fees for them.

But she really was easy. Accepted Pereg when I brought her home although she did get rather peeved with her when Pereg grew - and grew!

And I miss her. My Little One. My Lexi.

Run free Little One. x

Run free sweet Lexi xx

Run free Lexi x

Run free Little One .... always with you in your heart

Run free with all our playmates at the Bridge.

I do not mention her name much - just call her Little One. She was about 5½ kilos so not really that little but she was soft and fluffy and was so good when I showered her. Got that written down somewhere - must find it.

She came from somewhere on the Moshav when I was living at my previous home here - had never been inside before then but was house trained within a couple of days. If she needed to go in the night she would pee over the drain hole in the shower room or poo in the doorway of it so that I could see it.

When I moved here, my then landlord Rav David z"l [my neighbour's faher] always said "ain c'mo Lexi"- nothing like Lexi. And Menachem who was over 40 but with the mental age of a two year old loved her. He would just walk in and ask if she had water - he did not really speak much and when the Home bring "the boys" as we call them back for a few hours visit, he will not come back now. The other two, Yossi and Avram are older - I think Yossi is well over 50 now - he comes and goes straight out to direct traffic! Avram kicks off his shoes and goes walkabout for a few hours.

When I bought Xanadu I geve the Home in Jerusalem The Rucker, my previous electric wheelchair - it is a wonderful place which cares for live in children to adults like "The Boys" and also helps outreach - not just Jews but also Arabs - they are all treated as family.

Sad story of too close intermarriage on Djerba. Seven sons, three of whom are Yossi, Avram and Menachem, and one daughter - my neighbour - who I love and call her my little sister but she is not the brightest spark sometimes. Az ma - so what. I love her.

She was a pretty girl.
A sad but lovely story.

You will not understand this but it is the letter Rav David z"l wrote about six months before he died - it is not legal but it is as far as my neighbour and her other brothers are concerned.

It basically gave me a contract for life on my home.