CATZILLA: Farewell Helios My Cat Friend From NS Amoranto Park

Farewell Helios My Cat Friend
From NS Amoranto Park

 

Published on 5 June 2022, 11:59 PM

This cat I named Helios was a friend from the NS Amoranto Park near our home. This will be my first time ever, to make a proper tribute to another fallen friend, whom I believe I saw dead sometime around 2018 outside the park.

First two photos from 25 March 2017, 10:23 PM. Kakauwe ko from Manila Bay, and I was very active doing photowalks there at the time. When I went home from Manila Bay, I decided to stop by muna sa park. Nakita ko this kitten hiding behind the bush. I saw him observing me and was a little shy but curious. Ang cute niya tignan hinding behind the branches like this. I'm not sure of his age, but probably at 3 months old at the time.

Next four photos from 8 April 2017, 5:14 to 5:24 PM. The folks at the park I know were around me and having a little chat when this kitty came to me again. Nasa taas siya ng mango tree (wala na) at the time, and he recognized me since our first encounter! Bumaba agad siya when I waved and called him, and that time, he was friendlier and more touchy. 

7 September 2017, 5:24 PM, first glimpae of Tiger, my first rescue cat. May photowalk ako doon and this kitten was loudly crying nonstop the whole afternoon since I arrived sa area. While waiting for the sunset to come, I thought of locating the kitten, which was near the statue behind the bush of Spider Lilies. Noong una hindi ko maintindihan marking niya. Was she black? Tabby? May konting brown streaks. Ano kaya ito. 

Ito si Tiger, lumabas na from the bush 

She looked abandoned so I thought of babysitting her temporarily and cradling her for a while, film the sunset, then ibalik siya and go home. So I cradled her on my left arm, hindi ko siya binitiwan even while filming and taking this sunset photo. Natutulog lang sa left arm ko si Tiger when I took this shot, hindi ko siya gusto gisingin. The only time ginising ko siya at binaba from my arm is to put her in the paper bag while packingn up to commute home. Sunset photo from 7 September 2017, 6:11 PM. 

Okay, si Tiger is another story for another time. My parents were strongly against taking her in since madumi daw siya and we only had one cat (new cat owners kami at the time), so they rejected Tiger. Pinaglaban ko siya for days and the drama at home never stopped. The evening of 23 September 2017, I was feeling erratic, suicidal and down dahil sa drama with Tiger. Lumayas muna ako sa bahay and thought to sleep overnight sa park. So ito ulit si Helios the cat. By this time it has been 6 months since we first met in March. Malaki na siya at the time. Binata na. It was comforting to see him there and he kept me company all night until umuwe ako ng 6am and he went his way. That was the last time I saw him. EVER. The last photo from 24 September 2017, 12:55 AM. 

Around 2019, may nakita akong patay na pusa sa likod ng jeep outside the park, Mayon corner Malindang. I could not distinguish the coat since maputik, so it was an assumption. But nakasideway yung face ng cat and the pointy profile looked similar to him. Fast forward to sometime around early 2020 at the beginning of lockdown, along Kanlaon across the church ay parang nakita ko siya. Doon sa ihawan area na maraming pusa. The cat somehow resembled him, and kakaiba ang titig niya sa akin, as if kilala niya ako. Hindi ko lang talaga ma distinguish yung marking kung siya nga. But he looked surprised seeing me walking his way. Hindi naman tumakbo pero parang kilala niya nga ako. Hindi naman siya lumapit. I assumed it was him and hindi na ako kilala, or it was some other cat and wala na nga talaga si friend Helios ko. I think it was likely na si Helios nga yung patay na pusa na nakita ko noon. I decided na gawin itong post as a proper tribute to my friend.

Helios, palagi kita naaalala even if we only met three times and for the brief friendship. Thank you always, lalo na for keeping me company. I miss you din friend! =(

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