Bunny has an upper respiratory infection, or ‘snuffles’ as it is known. His eyes water and he sneezes repeatedly. He won’t die from it, but it flares up from time to time. I took him to the vets for a check up. When I asked the vet if it’s because I left him alone for Christmas, the vet replied quick-as-a-flash “Yes, This is YOUR FAULT”. He didn’t pause for a beat for effect and then laugh as I was hoping. He meant it.
So, I went to the pet shop to stock up on things that might bring bunny cheer, and thereby encourage his immune system to fight back.
I also like to visit the pet shop to look at the young bunnies for sale. A large brown lionhead, that looked like a muppet, was sprawled in a cardboard tube yawning. I cooed at it but it ignored me. As I moved away a woman and a young boy stepped up in my place to consider the lionhead. “..It’ll poo everywhere and you’ll have to clean it up.” she warned. After a thoughtful pause the boy offered, “No, you will”. She sighed and thought better than to respond.
At the far end of the shop a tall lanky man marched past me but turned and issued a warm greeting, as if we were familiar. I liked the look of him. His spiky beard fell across his face at odd angles, like confused iron filings. He was collecting bags of brightly coloured aquarium gravel from a van outside, and stacking them underneath a glass tank displaying assorted aquatic plants for sale.
As he passed the cashier, an unusually bashful and giggly young man also bearded, he playfully chastised him for failing to complete even a week of New Year resolutions. The cashier laughed and rolled his eyes in an exaggerated cartoony fashion.
I wondered if they were unlikely lovers, or at the very least if some flirting were occuring.
I smiled at the cashier and begun to unload my basket selection of ‘breakfast biscuits’, chew toys, throw logs, wicker balls and herbal suplements
As the cashier filled the bag with toy after toy I suddently I felt the need to justify my lavish purchases and by way of excuse explained “I forgot to buy him anything for Christmas, and he’s not had anything special for months. I’m hoping this makes up for it.”. The cashier smiled and made a sympathetic face but as the re-stocking man walked behind me he chuckled lightly and whispered with false gravity “How do you sleep at night?”