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(version 1.3)
(Once again,
Bambi has secretly "stolen" this story
from the journals of Guaiguai's human friend. The story goes ...)
"Guaiguai's adventurous spirit almost cost her her life once. This incident
will remain my treasured memory of Guaiguai forever.
I woke up one morning finding Guaiguai not in her
cage. She must have used her head to push the lid away as I did not close
her storage tank cage properly that night! I looked everywhere for Guaiguai
but I couldn't find her. Under the sofa ...nope, toilet ... nope, bedroom
... nope!!! I was very worried that she might fall into a pipe (hamster
likes damp and dark places, don't they) and drown, and thus I went to open
all the pipe coverings and shine a torch light into the pipes. Still no
Guaiguai! Nevertheless, my instincts told me that she had most probably
fallen into the precarious pipes system, and I instructed my family members
not to turn on the tap or use the washing machine in any way. The water
that gush down the pipe would kill her!
Hours passed ..... still no sign of Guaiguai. Is last
night the last time I am seeing her again? Depressed, I sat beside her cage
praying for a miracle. Just then, my brother got home and knew what
happened. Instead of consoling me, he told me that Guaiguai had probably
been eaten by some cat or had already drown by now. (You were really mean
then, bro!). In my anger and sudden feel of loss, I screamed and yelled at
my brother. Just then, from the kitchen, I heard splashing sounds. *splash
splash splash*. I had sat near the kitchen (which was next to the balcony)
since I discovered that Guaiguai was missing and it was only after I
screamed at my brother that I heard the splashing noises. Guaiguai must
have recognised my voice and "signaled" to me from where she was! She was
asking me to save her!
Unbelieving, my mother, who was also at the kitchen
all morning and was also making more (and louder) sounds than me, told me
that she thinks hamsters do not recognise human voices as they do not
have feelings for humans. She also thinks that I am imagining things as she
did not hear the splashing sounds. But I am sure I did. I began to
call "GUAIGUAI, GUAIGUAI" continously and each time, splashing voices were
heard, getting louder and more rapid with each turn. Guaiguai was in the
pipe of the kitchen sink and she recognised my voice! The splattering of
the water was getting so loud that by now, there were no doubts that
everyone can hear them.
Quickly, we opened the covering which leads to the
vertical pipe that the splashing voices was made. My head had to sneak in
all the way into the kitchen cabinet under the tap. Disgusting! But in any
case, the light of the torch caught Guaiguai's face. I was so happy!!!
Guaiguai began to splash water madly when her eyes saw the beam from the
torch. I kept calling out her name to let her know I am going to rescue her
soon. With my upper body into the kitchen cabinet, I lowered my left hand
into the pipe. It felt slimy and wet. I really feel lucky then to be a thin
person, if not, my hand wouldn't have fit into the long and narrow pipe! As
I lowered my whole arm into the pipe, I realised that I still couldn't
reach Guaiguai. The pipe is too high! I kept shouting for Guaiguai and
seeing (or smelling?) my hand, she began to get more and more hyperactive.
I kept stretching my fingers as far as I could and the farthest I got was
to Guaiguai's whiskers and fur. I keep touching Guaiguai's whiskers hoping
that she will know my hand is there. "Jump Guaiguai, Jump", I hoped. To my
surprise, Guaiguai stretched out her 2 hands into my hands and dragged
herself up. She had strong arms! Finally she's cupped in my hands and I
slowly brought her up to level ground. Guaiguai was rescued!!!!!
After Guaiguai was rescued, I gave her some of her
fave food but she seems to be in a total state of shock to eat anything.
She just sat very still in my hand for one whole hour, unlike her usual
self, refusing to eat or move. It was most worrying. I guessed
spending the night at the pipes must had been a terrifying experience for
her! She only regained her usual active self at night. It took me two days
to completely eliminate that awful stench of the pipes from her furry body.
She must have been pretty traumatized that she smelled so bad too!
(Hamsters love to keep clean!).
I think this incident is a miracle and miracles do happen in
small (literally, in this case) places of our lives. From this
incident, I really do feel that Guaiguai share a friendship, or at least a
bond. This incident had also made me feel close to Guaiguai. I
disagree that hamsters are less intelligent animals and they do not have
feelings for humans. Hamsters are smart relative to their size :).
Now that Guaiguai is no longer in my life, how much I missed her.
Hope she is now safe and happy at Hamster heaven.
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