This is the sad but true story of an extraordinary friend and companion.  He
was the cutest furry face I had ever seen, being my first ferret and all.
He was company to me during those lonely nights by myself.  You see I was
living in a small apartment abount 100 miles away from home.  It was the
summer before my last year of college and I was working a summer intern job
in another state.  I'm 21 and have never lived away from my family or our
farm, until that summer.
 
I've always been known for my pets or my babies as I called them.  I've had
all kinds of pets...dogs, cats, fish, rabbits, and even a baby turtle.  But
I couldn't bring my dog or cat or anything but my fish to my apartment.  So
I decided I would get a companion, something new and different.  I wanted a
ferret.  So I drove 2 and 1/2 hours one Saturday to the state capital and
bought a ferret and a cage.  It was the neatest experience I had ever had.
I never imagined how much joy the little guy brought into my life.
 
Now my parents knew something was up when I didn't come home Friday night
like I usually did.  Instead I drove all the way home with my new baby and
braced myself for the lecture and the butt-chewing I was about to get for
bringing home another critter.  But I was shocked when the little guy
captivated my parents just as he had captivated me.  I took him back to my
apartment Sunday night along with my clean clothes, I only had two more
weeks of living up there in that horrible place with no friends, nothing to
do....But that's where Bandit made things better.  By Monday night we had
litter training down and we were working on ankle biting.  Friday when I
came home at lunch to pack up my stuff for our departure at 5pm, I found my
world torn apart.  A fire had destroyed all my possesions including my best
friend of not even a week.
 
Here's to you my friend, I love and will miss you always.
[Posted in FML issue 1659]