The Big Ragu

The first time I noticed it was last summer when my last remaining aunt passed away five days after leaving a party at my apartment. All my aunt had talked about was meeting Carmine and then after she did, she went into the hospital that night and passed away five days later. When I got home after receiving the news from my cousin, I cried when I saw Carmine because I was thinking how much it meant to her to have met him.  As I cried, Carmine licked my face. I thought nothing of it.

Earlier in the year my long-term relationship had ended so when the occasional bouts of tears would come, Carmine would lick my face. Regardless of where he was in my apartment or what he was doing, he would come over to me and lick my face. If I stubbed my toe so hard that tears came to my eyes…..Carmine would lick my face. 

I started to pay attention. And I noticed that as he matured, he was even more attentive to me and my emotions. Even if he was passed out snoozing and he heard a slight whimper coming from me, he would get up and stick his head into me nose first as if to say “Chin up like this Ma.” The consistency of his reaction fascinated me and still does.

So whether I cry over a death, a stubbed toe, a memory of times passed, or a line so funny that it brings tears to my eyes, Carmine is there to dry my tears.  Last week I had laryngitis caused by a dry hacking cough.  At first, the sound of my voice made Carmine look at me with his head cocking from side to side. After about three days of coughing, I got one of those horrible tickles and started hacking. Carmine woke up from his side of the couch and started to lick my face just like he did when I cried.  As the severity of the cough worsened, so did Carmine’s licking again as if to say “Feel better Ma!!”

So I’ve come to the conclusion that he’s finally getting in tune with me.  And going back to a blog from last summer where I wondered if he would protect me if I was in danger:  I think I now know the answer.