Remembering Mischa
Posted Sunday, March 30, 2024
Many years ago, when Jerry and I were married to each other in our youthful 20s, our first pet together was a black rat named Mischa. I didn't find her in a dark alleyway, but rather in a clean and reputable pet store in Taylorsville, Utah.
Jerry recently found a photo of Mischa, taken in April 1983:
Mischa was a sweet, gentle creature. She used to love curling herself into my hip-length black hair, and sleeping on my shoulder. Her favorite meal was scrambled eggs, which I cooked in a small dish in the microwave.
Unbeknownst to me at the time, rats tend to have a short lifespan. They can endure from anywhere between two to four years. Unfortunately, Mischa didn't make it to her second birthday. I was devastated at the time, but made sure she had a proper burial in our backyard.
Some years later when I was thinking of a title for the seventh book in the Short Tales Collection, I came up with Foofer & the Magic Mischa. While the character in the book was a squirrel, the name came from my very fond remembrances of Mischa the rat.
Tags:
Photos & Other Images