Mister DJINN

THREE-and-a-HALFMONTHS on – and again in Austin, Texas...

Its a strange thing to have been driving the same car – a Dodge Charger – (in which Mr. Djinn and I had done an 8500 mile trip around the 'States in 2013) – and to be now doing a North > South 3500 or so mile trip without him beside me...

There have been moments when I "felt" him – and then looked to – of course – find an empty passenger seat where once not so long ago he would have been sleeping his way through the miles...

.. And then, once more in Austin – where we had lived for 15 months – to walk the same tracks in the small park by the Stacy Swimming Pool which we had trodden together everyday for his "constitutional" – and not have him eagerly pulling at his lead, sniffing every smell on offer.

Losing a dog – any pet – is just so hard... And I still miss him terribly.

MAY 18th 2015

It has been a month since Mr.Djinn has left this World to explore a new dimension – or wherever it is that our energies go once they have changed from this dynamic to another...

This page is to celebrate the life of an animal who was – for me, at least – a wonderful companion.

Was he different and better than anyone else's loved pet..?

Intrinsically – "no"...

However, he was EVERYTHING – to ME...

.. And it is also true that many people who met and knew him have a good memory of his personality, his friendliness and his staunchness of Spirit as a "character" and companion.

Thank YOU for allowing me to share his Life and Times with you.

.. And if I record him as a "Teacher", it is because – as with most pets – they teach us the truth behind what UNCONDITIONAL LOVE really means.

.. Something that we so aptly and readily forget to apply to our own kind.

Please feel free to comment-on and forwards this story to whoever you might imagine could recognise within this history something of the love and loss they may have felt as a result of their own experience with a pet...

Let it be a witness to just how much we may be spiritually enriched by sharing our lives with an animal who rewards our love for them by an even greater and selfless dedication.

Blessings and Peace..

39)

THE FINAL DAYS …. And THE LAST.

Mail sent to all those who knew Mr.Djinn at one point or another.
“…

My friend and old companion – whom you either knew directly, or otherwise – "Mr.Djinn " – died in my arms at 12.20 yesterday ...
Though he had stopped breathing, his heart beat on for a full minute afterwards.

An "Ol Southern Rebel Boy" to the end, it was appropriate that he wore his "Colours".

Mr. Djinn – inveterate traveller of over three continents – was most sadly helped to pass away this 18th April 2015 after a brief but terminal illness whose only long-term consequence would have been more pain and an undignified end.

I had known 24 hours before his passing that the Vet would arrive at midday – and so, on my way back in the car after that appointment at the clinic – with him lying beside me – I found myself starting a mental countdown of “lasts”…

– … His last car trip... .

– … His last sunset...

– … His last dinner...

– … His last night at my side…

– … His last dawn...

– … His last breakfast...

– … His last lay out on the grass in the early Spring sunshine...

– … and finally, as I held him in my arms and hummed into the back of his ear – his last breath.

This last morning, on rising, he could no longer p*e.

The tumour on his spleen and the heavy haematome around his kidneys – along with a grossly-engorged and polyp-affected prostate – had finally stopped the flow.

He had been pi***ng blood these last six days: not a bright red but rather the more malignant brown of something “dirty” and evil that needed to be expelled.

…And – finally – could not.

So try as he would, nothing came out – and he was visibly in pain.

• When the vet arrived, he recognised her and there was a pathetic irony in the way he trustingly greeted her – rummaging in her back-pack as she went to extract the super-strong barbiturate that was to facilitate his passage into the nihility of the imminent Void.

We lay together outside on the grass – the fresh smell of Spring all around.

Daisies and buttercups, the cherry blossoms and other burgeoning growths – all lending a gentle fragrance to the mid-of-day: whilst birds twittered, a woodpecker knocked on a tree nearby – and the lazy hum of Spring-awakened bees bumbled around in the background.

It was utterly peaceful – and so poignant as to squeeze my heart with pain.

I had called him over: he was so weak – he could hardly walk.
It was more of a mis-coordinated totter that finally brought him the last few feet to be by my side.

I lay him down and cradled his thin body next to mine – he had lost 25% of his weight during the last 10 days.

He licked my hand and looked at me with a tiredness that I felt deep in his bones.

The vet came from behind and gave him a quick soporific in the roll of skin at the back of his neck.

I continued to murmur vibrations into the top of his head.
Being deaf, he could not hear – but could sense these comfortings.

Gradually – within a minute – his head lowered and he started to fall asleep.

At this point, the Vet inserted a catheter in his fore -paw – to which he barely reacted – and then slowly injected the master dose that would finally send him off...

Almost immediately he went into a deep, deep unconsciousness – and over the next five minutes, I heard and felt his breathing become more-and-more heavy – whilst his heart began to slow beneath my palm – occasionally and sometimes giving a quick flutter – as I held him by the chest to me for a last embrace.

Wearing his favourite “Stars & Bars” neck scarf, depleted as he had become, he was still a stubborn fighter to the very end – the Vet was almost about to give him another dose when he simply stopped being alive.

No breath.

No heartbeat.

No “sense” of being “part of this dimension”…

The passage of Life is an extraordinary and ponderous, yet ephemeral circumstance of which to be a witness.

One moment there is a PRESENCE.

The next there is only an ABSENCE.

And it’s all so FAST…

Mr. Djinn – who had been so amazingly full of life, love, happiness and companionship – no longer “was”: the empty shell of his completely slack body now weighed heavily in my arms – whilst a terrible feeling of guilt that I was a murderer swallowed my whole being and I drowned in the wracking tears that suddenly flowed past the breath caught in my throat.

The Vet left me – and I stayed with my now dead friend for the next half hour or so as my grief tore me apart like I would never have believed possible.

The Mountains – their deeply-etched profile looking down from beneath a cerulean sky – along with all the budding life that danced the vitality of its cadence all around me, listened with indifference.

Mr.Djinn WAS...

.. and then suddenly, he simply WASN’T.

… And it didn’t seem to make any difference to anyone other than myself.

He now lies buried at the bottom of the garden set within 5000 sq/m of countryside overlooked by the peaks that surround the mediaeval village of SOSPEL – above Menton, and in the Alpes Maritime, South of France – where I have a home away from the artificiality of Monaco.

Most of this last year – having come full circle and back to Europe from the USA – and before that the UAE – had been spent in this location – or, alternatively – every other week for a few days, in Monaco, where he was spoiled rotten…

To have a companion like this for almost a quarter of one’s life and who has always been around – being ever a co-celebrant for the good times as well as an emotional support for those more trying moments – creates a huge “hole” when such a Spirit moves on…

The loss of such a well-entrenched and twinned Soul is like an amputation of some part within one’s psyche…

Not everyone becomes so attached to their pets – and indeed, many people seem to be able to get over their loss “when its time” with a greater facility than others.

• Mr Djinn was for me an anchor during a whole part of my life when there was much movement and some difficult moments…
His contribution to both my sanity and happiness – as well as that of the people who came to know him, will never be forgotten, nor underestimated.

He is already so very deeply missed and will ever be a part of me.

To Mr.Djinn: Rest in the Peace of Nature – my faithful, loving companion and selfless friend.

• CONDOLENCES and RECOGNITION

• (USA – LA, Ca)
Lisa and I can't express with word what we feel right now - either for the sadness of your loss or how much you mean to us.
We will keep you and Djinn in our hearts and minds, and pray only the best for you and our beloved Djinn.
With Great Affection,
Ed & Lisa

• (Australia – Sydney)
Oh C… What a sad day it must have been.
He was such a great companion for you and was a truly gentle Soul.
He lived a remarkable life and I still clearly remember the first tine I saw him up the back of
I too had a good cry with you... What a legend of a dog.
Great pics and despite everything he looks the same to me. I'm also glad he has a lovely spot underneath the mountains. A lovely place to retire to.
A

• (FRANCE – Paris)
What sad news you send, I am very sorry for the pass away of your dear Mr Djinn.
A very powerful and emotional account of your last moments with him, it broke my heart to read it, but I am also very thankful you found the force to share the story with us, the tender heart and the empathy raising from such moments are to be cherished.
I felt your pain and I am so sorry for the loss of your great friend. May he be carried to safe dimensions and may his memory be with you forever, as the sweet and wonderful friend that he was, after your broken heart will see the light again.
Take the time to mourn him, if this is what your heart asks for, I am sure no words can replace the need to cry.
Our deepest sympaties, dear C, we send you our condolences,
May he rest in peace.
Ancuta and Claes

• (FRANCE – Paris)
Je t’envoies toutes mes sympathies profonds pour le passage de ton “Old Boy”.
Il a été bien aimé et il nous manquera.
René

• (Russia – Astrakhan)
You have my condolences on the death of your friend and companion Djinn . What can I say to comfort you? I know, how you miss him, how his presence is missing to you .
But you have to come to terms with this loss, you should not be selfish. Nothing lasts forever in this world. The “Genie” was old and sick.
You do not know how he suffered from pain every day.
I think that "somewhere" in the "other world" will be better to him, will not to be disturbed by pain and he will be happy in his "paradise".
He was a happy dog. He had a loving and caring owner. He died in your hands, and not alone.
You should not blame yourself. You just helped move him to another world.
To say that time heals. It will take a period of time, and then the pain of loss will subside.
But the memory of your friend and companion will always be with you.
You will always remember the happy times when you were together.
And while you will remember him - he will live !!!
Take heart.... I'm so sorry that Djinn died.
Marina

• (USA – Austin, Tx.)
I'm so sorry for you Bro.
Every dog that I've ever had has died in my arms, and for me a dog's death is more difficult to deal with than a human's.
The kind of absolutely pure loyalty, honesty, and love that comes from our four-legged friends just doesn't exist in humans.
You've made the years that he had the best that they could be.
Just be grateful that the two of you were fortunate enough to have become friends on your journeys, and were able to enjoy that time that there has been to have adventures together.
I dread the day that I arrive at that point with T and A, but I think about it often, almost every day.... that's why my fridge is always full of hot dogs available on demand..!
Condolences,
Steve

• (USA – NY / Bulgaria)
(…)
I am so sorry to hear about Djinn...it is very sad and it made me cry... and he still looks good on the photos you took.
I am really sorry, that must be very hard for you.
Look at it this way - he had a great life and the greatest friend in you!
His soul is happy.
Sylvy

• (USA – Montana)
I am sorry for the void and empty feeling which will likely linger for a long time- One I know all to well.
May Djinn be in light and Peace ...
Kindly-
Sands

• (GERMANY – Munich)
I am sad to hear that good, old Mr.Djinn has died.
He has been a real dog and probably one in the same league as Constance – that has long passed away.
Fifteen years of age for this breed is quite old: shows that you have taken very good care of him.
I am very glad to see that he rests with view into the mountains – that would be my location as well.
Hope that your sorrow will not last too long.
(…)
Thank you a lot for sharing many beautiful pictures.
Florian

• (USA – Austin…)
I'm so sorry to hear that Djinn passed away.
No doubt it's been very difficult for you.
I'll hug my own “Keela” even tighter today.
Tanya

• (RUSSAI – Khabarovsk)
I am very much sorry to hear so bad news...
Djinn was a lovely and cute dog ....
He spent with you a happy dog's life....
Olga.

• (USA – Austin, Tx…)
Thank you for sharing the accounts of your time with Djinn.
You know that we understand the relationship between a dog and his person is a bond like no other.
If Djinn in his spirit form contemplates his time on earth he will no doubt regard himself as incredibly fortunate to have been the recipient of such a devoted companion's pure love.
You feel your friend's presence because he is still with you. He hasn't stopped existing, he has transitioned.
Just because we perceive "death" to be the end of the road, doesn't make it true. Pure love never dies, the bond between Djinn and yourself exists for eternity.
I'm thinking of you often and sending you my happiest thoughts. . . don't let them pile up unused! They are meant for gluttonous consumption to help fill the holes dug by grief. I guess you could say I'm sending you the equivalent of the yummy HEB oatmeal raisin cookies in thought, calorie free!
Love, Hugs,
Amy

• (UAE – South Africa)
Dearest C…
It was a privilege to know your beautiful and funny boy.
Rest peacefully, Djinn, and know that you are loved.
No words can take your pain away, C, but please know that I am thinking of you and will light a candle for Dearest Mr.Djinn.
With love
Riza

• (LIBAN & OMAN – Beyrouth / Mascate)
Très Cher Ami
Je voudrais t'exprimer les sentiments que je partage avec toi pour la perte d'un si précieux compagnon.
N'oublies pas que nous sommes toujours la pour t'apporter ne serait-ce qu'une partie de la présence que cet être disparu te rend si triste: nous serons toujours la, et moi en premier, pour te prouver que tu mérites tout notre amour et notre affection.
Je t'embrasses très fort
Edgar

• (FRANCE – Alpes Maritimes)
MR DJINN était vraiment un chien spécial que nous avons aimé de suite et qui dégageait quelque chose de difficile à expliquer...
Si la télepathie existe je dirais que c'était de cet ordre là...
Il a été, je pense, heureux jusqu'au dernier souffle – et rendu heureux également ceux qui l'ont "fréquenté ", tellement il rayonnait de sérénité.
Nous te remerçions de nous permettre de partager ta tristesse à travers ces lignes et photos de Mr Djinn...
Nous n'aurons certainement pas les mots pour soulager ta douleur mais nous la comprenons et la respectons sincèrement...
Que Mr Djinn repose en paix et que son souvenir qui, lui, ne s'éteindra pas, t'apporte sérénité et réconfort...
Nous t'accompagnons...
Michel et Jocelyne

• (Ukraine – Michaelayev / Monaco)
Please accept my very sincere condolences for your big lose of such a great friend!!
Alex

• (UAE – Dubai)
Sorry to see this C - but at least you did spend a lot of time together and both benefited from the experience.
Hope you're well, Buddy.
Nick

• (HOLLAND / FRANCE – Provence)
Yes, that's life: going towards Death.
I must not think my little Tiger isn't there anymore.
Bon courage,
Frits.

• (USA – Germany)
There are no words anyone can say.
You know I'm grieving for you from the bottom of my heart.
Reading your note made me feel so many things.... I wept.
I wept for you, for Mr.Djinn, I wept for loss that we are all forced to feel at some time in our lives.... some more than others.
I wished you were closer so I could drive over and just sit with you.... until you felt a bit of comfort.
It seems as if our lives have run some parallels and it’s been a challenging couple of years for us.
I remember last summer.... when you told me you were taking Djinn home for peace.
You asked me how you could possibly come up with the strength when his last days arrived and when to know its time.
I told you that you would find the strength .... you have no other choice.... especially since they rely wholly you on you; you’re their whole world ....mother, father, brother, best friend....everything.
I know it doesn't matter but .... you did a beautiful job.... for your Djinn.
He looked quite handsome in his colors and I'm certain he felt handsome.
Thank you so very much for the photos you sent I appreciate you sharing them with me.... Again, C, I'm here, whenever you are ready to talk. I can't tell you how heart broken I am that you lost your best friend.
Always , with love, and of course kisses, yours,
Catherine

• (AUSTRALIA – Adelaide)
My Dear Friend
It reminds me of the day our dear Morgan died so long ago: keep strong – talk soon
Po

• (FRANCE – Burgundy)
I share your pain.
My old Leonberg went two years ago, she waited for me to get back from a trip, came to say goodbye when I got through the gate and then lay down and gently went quite painlessly. Two weeks later I was offered a puppy, cross between Bauceron and Cane Corso, who has filled what would have been a massive gap.
She is a mixture of high tensile steel and India rubber prone to sleeping in on the bed and with a strange gift of silently appearing from nowhere whenever the children are approached by someone she has not met.
My life has always been measured by the passage of hounds, some wayward, always utterly more dependable than any person.
They arrive out of the blue and then leave having always left an indelible mark.
When I go I would like to find them all waiting for me!
Best to you
Krishna

• (UK / UAE – Dubai)
I could not bring myself to reply yesterday, I was and still am overcome with grief for the loss of Mr.Djinn.
I can count the number of dogs I have become friends with on the fingers of one hand, they are few and far between, not because I dislike dogs, no, I love all creatures great and small, but Djinn was one of those special dogs that was always friendly, always happy to see me. I too shall miss the old boy.
He left this world in a beautiful place in the arms of a great person who loved him dearly.
He lies in a lovely spot, I’m glad for that.
Cliff

• (ITALY / AUSTRALIA – Sydney)
So sorry about your loss.
Take care. Ciao,
Max

• (USA – San Diego)
Thanks for sharing C.
I know he’ll be missed.
Sorry that I was so slammed that last you buzzed me. Let's catch up soon.
Jared

• (MONACO)
(…)
I am sorry you had to make the decision, but you must not feel guilty.
This is a negative position which makes you feel miserable unnecessarily.
You must acknowledge that you had no choice, and saved him some suffering or anxiety, as animals probably know when their last moment is coming.
He has been a very lucky dog, loved and cared for as well as a human being; In fact some humans are never treated that well in their lives.
(…)
I was very upset when I woke up Saturday at mid-day, as my first thought was for him, and of course I hoped that it had gone as smoothly as possible.
I did like him very much, as he was a really nice dog, even though a bit too big for the flat… We were becoming more and more good friends; creating our own little routine. Thank you for the photos.
E.

• (USA – Austin, Tx)
So sorry to hear that Brother, one of the hardest things to do is lose a four legged friend. Oddly enough you popped into my thoughts this morning, before I got this, was going to send you an email after I finished hacking up the 2 huge limbs that came down in a nasty storm last night.
Hope all is well other wise.
Greg

• (UAE – Dubai / Germany )
Thank you very much for sharing your experience with Djinn during his last few hours.
The way you expressed yourself in your writing does show how much he meant to you.
Its just one of those coincidences but my wife lost her father on April 16th who past away in (…) and all we have done over the past two days was reflecting on our time with him when he lived with us over her in Dubai for a couple of years.
If anyone close to you leaves it creates a void and nothing will ever replace that feeling.
I believe that I knew Djinn because he was around when I visited you at your home here in Dubai and I know that he was close to you.
Didn't realize that he was you companion for so many years but do understand your feelings
because we had a German Shepherd at home when I grew up and I remember that my brothers and I were devastated when his time came.
Looking at the provided pictures, you truly found a wonderful resting place for him and I can only hope that you will find the time to visit regularly.
Wolfgang

• (INDIA – Hyderabad)
Very moving.
Very vivid.
Djinn will love the obituary.
I have shared your mail with few dog lover friends of mine too...
Luv,
Manoj

• (FRANCE – Moselle)
Je comprends que ton AMI a 4 pattes est mort ....ta tristesse doit etre grande car il a fait du chemin avec toi.
Nous compatissons d'autant plus que le mois dernier le "carlin "d'(…) est mort; ils ont été fort peiné car il tenait compagnie pendant la dialyse (…)
Bon courage a toi C, et au plaisir de te lire.
Bises de nous deux
Andre et Annette

• (SOUTH AFRICA – Capetown)
I'm sad to learn about your loss.
Trust the fond memories will make the loss ever so slightly more tolerable.
Truly better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.
Take care
Your friend
Nicol

• (USA – Houston, Texas)
My heart goes out to you, C. I know how much you loved him.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful tribute to Mr. Djinn, the pictures, and your poetic account of things.
I had a pet for 19 years and had a similar obligation. It still hurts.
Hugs and prayers for you.
Roy

• (KOWAIT / UAE – Dubai)
So sorry for you loss.
Only time will help.
Loads of light and love
Keep in touch
Best wishes
Salome

• (FRANCE – Cannes)
So sorry to hear these sad news, mon Cher! And how splendidly written, a spectacular tribute to Mr Djinn!
I have passed it to Claire, who sends her heartful compassion.
You have mine too.
Pierre

• (UK)
I am so sorry for your loss, nothing is ever really lost, but that is not at all how it seems.
You have my total sympathy, I always weep a different colour of tears when a creature friend dies, they are a little like the rain, the tears and the friend.
Much love
Guy

• (SWEDEN – Stockholm)
I'm so sorry to hear about Djinn. He was such a great companion for you.
I don't know what else to say.
I hope you're doing as well as you can during this difficult time.
Big hug,
Sonia

• (FRANCE – Nice)
Both beautiful and sad.
Such a companion I've yet to have.
We shall lift our glass to Djinn when we next meet.
Vaughn

• (USA – Austin, Tx)
Many regrets…
Don

• (USA– NY)
So sorry for your loss.
Rod

• (USA – NY)
Mr.Djinn completely changed my perception of PitBulls.
He was an amazing character and one who so gently brought light and love into my life for the brief time that I knew him.
He will be missed and I am so sorry for your loss and pain.
Much love,
Cal

• (USA – Denver, Co)
I am typing this with tears in my eyes; that you and he have to go thru this.
I am so very sorry.
I am glad that he has you to be with him thru this tho, and that he will be comfortable. Please know that we will be with you both, I am lighting a candle after this email and we will think about you often thru it all….
I do hope we get to see you soon.
Much aloha,
Dennis

• (UKRAINE – Vinnitsa)
Dear, C,
Take my condolences.
Of course Mr. Djinn has become a full member of your family for such a long period as he stayed with you.
Dog's devotion is a legendary thing.
It is not easy to lose such friends.
Oksana

37)

Almost four weeks on…

There is really nothing to say or add…

I “feel” him with me still – and he is a “younger”, “lighter” dog – like when he was just a couple of years old.

… And also I feel that he is content.

Luckily the memory of his last week – when he was in pain and fading – are starting to be replaced by this “lighter Essence of Being” who is somehow “there” – wherever he used to be when with me: on my bed, at my side, or beneath my feet and under my desk; in the car next to me; even sitting on the grass or the terrace, gazing out over the field to the mountains…

I no longer feel his presence where I buried him – so I know he has transmogrified.

I suppose that eventually when he is satisfied that I am at peace with his having gone, his Vibration will move on – to perhaps be absorbed either in part or in whole by a new Life/Soul form…

1)

• THE EARLY DAYS – January 2000…

Born in Romania sometime in December 1999, “Mr. Djinn” – and the rest of his brothers and sisters – had been found by a dear friend in a shop called “King of Birds”: along the Pet Street of Satwa, Dubai, UAE.

This person, knowing that I had recently lost the companionship of my former PitBull – a beautiful Australian called "Zen"– whilst he had been travelling from London, via Bangkok, to Sydney and in circumstances that were still unclear – knew that I was pining.

So she had left a bottle of wine at my front door with a note saying that I should go and see…

I decided to visit the shop with my Son, and on being asked, the shopkeeper accepted to close the door to his premises so as to allow all of the puppies to crawl all over me – whilst I sat on the floor being basically inactive.

One puppy, somewhat more determined than all the others, plonked himself down on my lap and – after briefly seeing-off his attention-seeking siblings – calmly went to sleep.

I had been “chosen”…

At the time of his promotion to this new family, he was estimated to be from 6 > 7 weeks old.

The Dubai Municipality registered him under the Red Dot Plaque # 8554 and – because of the negative attitude towards PitBulls, he had been imported as a “Labrador/Boxer Cross” – a definition which remained with him for the rest of his life.

Fortunately, this also facilitated both his acceptance for export from the UAE to Dallas, Texas USA, from Dubai – by Air, via EMIRATES AIRLINES – as well as later on with AIR FRANCE, back from Houston, Tx, to Paris, France.

2)

PUPPY LIFE

• When he first arrived at the villa, he was so small…

Some of these early photographs show his size with relation to my old BMW motorcycle – as he sat questioningly on the seat…
Puppies are always SO endearing – and he was no exception: sometimes owning the most quizzical expressions that were just totally enchanting.

Watching a new life develop itself through the simple acts of everyday self-discovery, is a humbling experience.

Whether it’s the interaction that occurs whilst exploring the flittering amazement of a butterfly, the pricking interdiction of a thorn whist sniffing at a rose, the self-indulgencing and totally-focused activity involved in chewing on an old shoe – whatever: the enchantment of being able to witness the novel innocence of a fresh and unformed Spirit as it discovers its environment, is worth every second of its passage.

Looking at a puppy, with all its gangly enthusiasms – as it learns to exist and function – through the mature and somewhat jaded perception of a well-worn and gently frayed personal optic, cannot help but re-evoke the long-lost feelings and ghosted memories of the years so long ago when the sap of youth once also coursed so hotly through one’s veins…

One should always have “youth” around one’s self: precisely as a reminder that everything one believes to be set in stone is actually as transient as a sunbeam’s sudden blaze through the heavy, roiling cotton of storm-grey clouds.

… And just as eternally uplifting in the immediacy of its glorious relief.

3)

SETTLING-IN….

• At that time – being just passed the turn of the new Millennium – the winter weather in the Emirates had been beautifully mild and so I was sleeping my nights in a hammock on the verandah of the villa in which I lived.

Djinn slept in the crook of my arm – and other than a couple of unfortunate accidents whilst he was learning the “house rules” concerning where to do his various businesses, that winter and early spring confirmed the closeness of a bond that was to exist throughout both of our life together.

Other than when I was travelling, Djinn’s place was always at my feet – whether when asleep, or working at my desk.

Except when he decided to go for a small walkabout to check on what was happening in the kitchen with the maid, or with anyone else either in residence in the house, or simply passing-through.

All his life he knew when I would be going away – on some assignment or other.

To stop me, he would simply plonk himself down in the suitcase – and give me a certain look.

He never lost that habit and even into old age would “nest” himself into whatever suitcase was being prepared.

Moving him out of it was always hard – and rubbed-in the “guilt” which he managed to lay-on so well through this passive form of objection.

Alternatively, he would sit himself across the pathway in the garden that led towards the front gate – and wait.

Eitherway, it was always a heart-wrenching experience to know that he knew I was leaving – for a time.

PitBulls are remarkably social animals – as well as being also very “pack-oriented”: they recognise a single “master” and from the moment that bond has been established, it is for Life.

Mr.Djinn was my second PitBull – and I have never had even the slightest regret at having had either of them…