Sometime ago, I’d started a war on University Place, NW in Washington, DC. You can read about here. Anyway, this is about a year old at this point, but I thought I would include it for posterity. And because I’m really really really missing Nala today (and Cassie, too).
It is with a heavy heart and a great sadness that I write to you today. It has been some time since the Ministry of Important Things released an Important Communiqué regarding the on-going University Place Wars.
So let me get right to the point: last week, Northern UP scored a blow against our crack team, The Black Dog Brigade, fatally wounding Nala, Major General of the Black Dog Brigade and primary liaison with the Squirrel Squadron run by Lt. Major Minnow of the University Place Alley District, Southern Command.
“She was an excellent leader: fair, clever, and always ready to go for a walk” said Peter Murphy, 2nd Lt. General, BDB, over coffee and dog food. “It’s going to be very difficult to continue our campaign of Shock and Crock against those who’s very existence is a threat to our way of life.” The sadness that hung in the air around 2564 was thick. Many at camp 5282 were too sad to eat, and walks were cut short by the crippling intensity of the grief. 2nd Maj. General Cassie issued a statement saying that she did not know what to do. “She was a guiding light for me – even though I would bite her the moment the leashes came out, I couldn’t help but follow her commanding lead. Really the biting was just an OCD thing – you’re not going to print that are you?” When reminded that it was her statement that she printed, she smiled and went for her Kong Toy to see if we would play with her.
Among other things, Nala had been credited with helping the Secretary of the Inside Left get over several bad relationship endings and various ups and downs with the world at large. In a recent memoir published just before her death, Nala had said, “It was really nothing that any other good dog wouldn’t have done; I just saw he was sad and went and sat with him, sometimes licking his face.” She was also instrumental in helping to bridge gaps between the Cats and the Dogs, bringing the two species closer than ever before to full partnership when she bonded with Mrs. Mouser and helped to raise her kittens in 1997.
Born in 1995, she had just turned 13 years old at the time of her death. Rescued by a young man named Joshua, that himself needed rescuing, they traveled extensively together, criss-crossing Amerika north to south and east to west several times. Full of energy and rebellion, she exemplified all that the Inside Left Secretary advocated. Many feel that much of the content from his ideas came directly from the Maj. Gen. herself. While never receiving full credit for ground breaking philosophical achievements, she never the less continued to live the way she wanted to, without the need of anyone’s permission and secure in her own freedom, despite living in a world that required leashes and collars.
She will be missed greatly and we know she’s swimming for a ball somewhere. I love you Nala.