The Wall

Tom gently picked Jasper off the wall, as he did Jasper purred contently in his arms and looked up into Tom’s eyes.

A thousand memories flooded into Tom’s mind.

He couldn’t remember exactly when he became aware of Jasper. He was just always there. His earliest memory was of reaching for him and Jasper jumping away. He remembered as he got older pushing his toy cars along the floor and Jasper trying to get them with his paw.

Jasper was always there at bedtime and would snuggle down beside him.

When Tom started school, Jasper took to sitting on the wall, patiently waiting for his return. The first thing Tom always did was pick up him up and stroke him.

As Tom got older he would confide to Tom all his stories and worries. When Tom was 13 he got a girlfriend she would visit sometimes. They would sit on the sofa eating pizza, watching TV and Jasper would sit silently watching them, waiting for the girl to go so that Tom was all his again.

A few more years went past and Tom went off to university. One day he got a call from his dad saying he needed to come home for a few days.

Tom’s dad picked him up and as they arrived at the house there was Jasper sat on the wall. He needed help the last few years to get there, so Tom’s dad had built some steps.

As Tom got out the car he walked slowly to the wall and Jasper on seeing his beloved master shakily stood up and purred loudly. Tom looked up and saw his mother looking through the window, tears gently rolling down. He picked Jasper in his arms and went in.

That night they shared the bed together. In the early hours Tom woke and turned to look at Jasper. Jasper blinked, gave out a sigh like a gentle breeze and went to sleep never to wake. Eighteen years of friendship, love and joy had gone by.

The wall is empty now, no one sits there but everytime Tom looks at it he sees his beloved, never forgotten Jasper.

Written by Elinor Perason