21
Amy
My earliest memories include animals. When I was about three, Mother bought my brother and me a cream-colored rabbit for a pet. I expected the rabbit to play with a ball, but of course there is no way a rabbit can fetch a ball. Sometimes we were rough with the rabbit. I liked to carry the rabbit like a toy, and it often scratched me with its back claws. After several nasty scratches, Mother gave the rabbit to Teena’s parents, who raised rabbits. Now I had no pet.
The next pet we had were goldfish. They were not my style of pet. I wanted a pet I could play with. After awhile the fish died, I suppose because I poured glue in the fish bowl. Anyway, once again no pet.
Then we had a tropical fish tank. A child who came to visit us turned up the heater on the tank. My mother did not know this and all the fish were boiled. More dead fish, but at least it was not my fault.
Later my parents decided to get a black puppy. John named the puppy Bobo, a word I could say. I played with Bobo, but got bored. We had Bobo for several weeks, but Mother was afraid I would hurt the puppy as I hugged it so hard or dropped it when I no longer wanted to hold it. She could not watch me and the puppy all the time, so Bobo was given to an older lady. Then Mother said, “No more pets!”
Amy with her beloved first Kitty, given to her by her father.
This conversation took place in the kitchen. Of course I did not hear it, because I was in another room, but Mother told it to me later. She said one day when I was about four, my dad came home for lunch and asked her to come to the garage. He was waiting for her there, standing like Napoleon with one hand inside his coat. When he pulled out his hand, he held a kitten. He asked my mother, “Would Amy like this?” The cat was crying.
Mother was not sure about another pet, but she knew I would love to have one. John of course, could hear the cat, and he was excited when dad brought it into the house. “A cat. Dad has a cat,” he cried. Mother said she told John to be quiet, that the cat was a surprise for Amy, but that was not necessary. I could not hear them.
I was in the living room watching TV and did not see my dad come into the room. I felt a thump, thump on the floor. I turned. My father had stomped his foot to get my attention. He kneeled and showed me a kitten. The cat was wet, because it was raining outside. Father told me he heard a cat meow when he threw boxes into the trash bin behind the grocery store and discovered the kitten.
My mother was not excited about another pet, but I was so thrilled when I saw the most beautiful silver tabby kitten. I cuddled and cradled him like a sweet baby in my arms. The kitten was not supposed to stay with us long; my father only brought him home because the weather was wet and cold.
John asked what I would name it, and I said, “Kitty.” I played with Kitty all that day. I loved him. He was my style of pet, one who could play and who loved to be held.
Kitty never bit or scratched me, and if I dropped him, he always landed on his feet, not hurt. After a few days my parents decided that I could keep Kitty. I was so happy. He became mine.
From that day, I have always had cats as pets. They are so fluffy and peaceful to look at when having a catnap or fun to watch and play with. I say, “Cats rule.”
Most of the time I played with John in our house and yard. In our neighborhood were many children, but most of them were boys. I was lucky: next door to me was a girl, Sue, who was my age. She was hearing, but we played together like any girls our age would. She was the only hearing child on my street I had for a friend. We got along well as we had things in common. Usually we played games or with our dolls. Sue also had a cat, and we often petted our cats together. She came to my birthday parties, and I went to hers. When we were older, we rode our bikes to the Riverside swimming pool, which was not very far from our homes. We also went to summer camp together.
How did we communicate? I’m not sure how it started, but she used sign with me. A child usually picks up sign fast and is able to express themselves through gestures better than adults do. Of course, I taught her some sign language. Sue and I never really had a communication problem.
Amy and Sue Snyder in our backyard. Best of friends.
Strange, but there was another deaf girl in our neighborhood. Her name was Samantha. She was more hard of hearing than deaf like me. She was two years younger than me and went to public school. She did not sign as much as Sue, possibly because her parents encouraged her not to sign. I find it ironic I didn’t play with her often compared to my hearing friend. Sue was more fun than Samantha. Sue and I were childhood friends until I was eleven, when there was a tornado in our area, and she moved to a different neighborhood.
At first I would still see her sometimes when I came home for the weekend, but since I only had two days at home, I preferred to be with my family and cat. Sadly, our friendship faded away. Sue was my first and only hearing childhood friend. She was a fun, and I enjoyed hanging around with her.