This is a patch of sod outside the Second Cup on Spadina & Harbord. I walk my dog by this corner everyday. Sometimes he'll pee on the tree there. He likes to do that. Other times, I'll link his leash to a small fence while I get coffee inside.
One day, back in October, we found a dead mouse near his pee tree. It wasn't smashed or slit. It looked to be in perfectly good health. But, there it was: laid out, eyes wide open, gazing blankly up into the world.
I wondered if the mouse had mistakenly eaten poison thinking that he was getting a nice muffin or tea biscuit? Or did he die from old age? Do mice die from old age?
My dog, Phoenix, sniffed out the rotting carcass and tried to fetch it. I yanked back on his leash, fearing that he might get sick.
This pattern continued for the next 6 months. Each day, we'd walk by the same corner. Phoenix would sniff him out and I would yank back on his leash. Sometimes, he'd pee on the tree, too.
We saw it decompose, get attacked by flies, get buried by snow, get frozen, get thawed, and then get frozen again. Over time it became less and less recognizable. The head, the feet, the whiskers--all gone. It became a matted little piece of fur with a twisted string of a tail. But, in spite of the elements, this little mouse was resilient. It wouldn't go away. I came to respect this little mouse.
I often wondered if someone would come and discard it. I even contemplated kicking it toward the door and seeing if someone would finally pick it up and throw it away. It was like I was watching myself on one of those "bystander effect" experiments. You know, the ones where experimenters find that people are less likely to accept responsibility for something if they think others will take charge of it?
Today we walked by the same corner and it was gone. Phoenix didn't sniff it out. He didn't try to pee on the tree, either.
I'm glad someone removed it. It's probably unsanitary or something. But, I'm also sad to see our little furry friend gone.
I wondered if the mouse had mistakenly eaten poison thinking that he was getting a nice muffin or tea biscuit? Or did he die from old age? Do mice die from old age?
My dog, Phoenix, sniffed out the rotting carcass and tried to fetch it. I yanked back on his leash, fearing that he might get sick.
This pattern continued for the next 6 months. Each day, we'd walk by the same corner. Phoenix would sniff him out and I would yank back on his leash. Sometimes, he'd pee on the tree, too.
We saw it decompose, get attacked by flies, get buried by snow, get frozen, get thawed, and then get frozen again. Over time it became less and less recognizable. The head, the feet, the whiskers--all gone. It became a matted little piece of fur with a twisted string of a tail. But, in spite of the elements, this little mouse was resilient. It wouldn't go away. I came to respect this little mouse.
Today we walked by the same corner and it was gone. Phoenix didn't sniff it out. He didn't try to pee on the tree, either.
I'm glad someone removed it. It's probably unsanitary or something. But, I'm also sad to see our little furry friend gone.
I used to have something similar to this little mouse of yours. There was an apartment building next to the Gladstone Cafe on Queen and Dufferin. I went on the 29 Dufferin bus to go to Dundas street but I feel asleep and ended up at Queen street. I was in high school (Grade 10). I remember being depressed, feeling as if I had no significance or worth. A form of teen angst. In my state, I went into a small street. There was a construction site. The construction site was dusty. The road, though, was clean with little pebbles from the debris. There was a rocky cliff, which divided the road from the train tracks. There were no people or vehicles. Only a large building.
ReplyDeleteI sat there lamenting over school, life and family. I sat there for three hours. I would laugh to try to feel happier. I would cry when I needed. When night fell, I realized no one had ever passed by me. The only thing that was there was an incomplete apartment building.
I wondered how long this building had been here. I wondered when the building would be finished and who would live in the area?
I came to the building spot for about two years. I went to the site about once a week. I would sit there watching the sunset. Cars would pass by occasionally. I wondered how it must have looked to the people in the car. A teenager sitting in an area that was uninhabited. I often wondered how people would respond if I did something out of the ordinary. Would they drive faster? Would they call the police?
I began to personify the building. The building became a friend that never had to speak but was always there. The building was not changed for a year. I remember making snowballs to throw. I remember lying on the cold road. I remember hiding under the building when the sun was too hot.
One day in the summer of grade 11, I saw a fence erected around the apartment. Construction workers were at the site. I sat by a rock cliff and watched the construction workers till I was asked to leave. I visited the apartment when there were less people around. Eventually, the entire area was sealed off. A few years later, I revisited the building. I wanted a place of solitude devoid of life. At this time, the building was inhabited. Cars are parked on the side walk. I heard music from the upper floors.
I realized that the site was filled with life. It finally had a purpose and worth. But, I still miss the solitude that I had once received.
Cool story! Thanks for sharing...I guess we all sorta find odd comforts in cities...Hope you find a new spot to chill at!
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