This afternoon our beloved Puff the guinea pig met an untimely demise in our backyard. When I looked out the window and saw her lying in her cage on the grass, I could immediately tell that something was wrong. Unfortunately, I was right. I was actually surprised at how upset I felt, and the poor boys were extremely sad as well. Puff was a very gentle guinea pig, and she would sit for long periods of time on the boys' laps without running away, scratching, or biting. Anders was particularly taken with her, and he would usually visit with Puff before and after school. During our last trip to the States, Anders constantly mentioned how much he missed his guinea pigs. I let Anders select the burial site, and he chose a spot directly under the big tree where the guinea pigs spent most of their days. The boys, our guard, and I held a little funeral for Puff, and we filled her grave with flowers, bamboo leaves, and fresh parsley. We also planted a pink and green plant over her grave. Anders then wrote "Puff's Garden" on a large flat stone that he placed under the tree.Yes, we are in the Congo - Right during the initial commotion and trauma of finding Puff's body, one of the guards from the neighboring plots asked me through our fence if he could have her body to eat!!! OK, now I know that would be the practical thing to do, but really?! Our beloved pet?!
