② Letter from the Victim of the Earthquake in November, 2011
I am very happy that you will draw a painting for our beloved Rinne and Asami.
On March 11, both Rinne and Asami vanished in front of us with Tsunami.
(… Rinne was a stray cat. Asami was put into a bag and abandoned, and my friend saved her. As she already had had 10 abandoned cats, I got Asami with Rinne as my family members12 years ago.)
They had been weird a week before the earthquake. When Asami went to the upper closet, Rinne used to follow her. But when I called Rinne, she answered and came back to me.
However, it was different at the time of the great earthquake. I was sewing on a sewing machine just before the earthquake. Rinne got into my clothing as usual, but after a period of time, she put her hand on my shoulder, stared at me, licked me on the cheek, and jumped from me. As I thought she was supposed to stay with me more, I asked Rinne, “What’s with you, Rinne? Are you satisfied today?” Then she stared at me again and answered meow. She turned to look at me twice and started to move to the upper closet. Asami had already been in the upper closet.
At that time, the big shake occurred and I called Rinne and Asami. They always answered to me, but I never heard their voices. They stayed close to me and did not run away in the past earthquakes. They stayed at my feet or on my lap during a shake, however, they did not appear while I was calling them during that earthquake.
I was urged to evacuate by my neighbor and my son, and I could survive.
My house was entirely swept up by Tsunami and everything was disappeared. I hoped Rinne and Asami evacuated after we went away. I looked for them but I could not meet them again.
Even now, I cannot forget big round eyes staring at me when Rinne lastly turned to look at me and her face when she stared at me and gently licked me on the cheek.
I am comforting a little at present when I express my thought in writing.
Many people and animals who were living as pets passed away.
I could not cry at the evacuation center or in front of others.
Since I moved in a temporary housing, I cried with my son and called my friend who knew both Rinne an Asami well to talk about them in tears. I have calmed down a bit, but I am tearing when I think of them … |
