this counts as a love letter to the old lady shown in the picture. i named you not knowing "cherie" means dearie or sweetheart in French. although cherry and cherie is not the same, i think it's such a coincidence that i named you cherry. i was craving cherries when you showed up in my backyard in 2018. usually, street cats like you are scared to approach humans but you weren't. you appeared and interacted with me like we've met before. i call it destiny. i was destined to take care of you. and today marks 1 year without you. 1 year. 1 YEAR. you crossed the rainbow bridge last year. it feels like yesterday when i lost you. but when i cry over you, it's not your last moments that come to my mind. it's the happy memories, like when you willingly slept in my arms when i had a fever, when you needed assistance from my dad to get off of the ladder, when you only ate from my hands and not from your bowl and when you loved a kitten like it's your own. and something i can't forget is.. i had a surgery and i was admitted to the hospital for around 2 weeks. you were alone outside. it was monsoon season and it rained day and night there. you didn't run away, you had all rights to run away tho. i know you were so confused and hungry but you stayed in the neighbourhood and waited for us to come back. this showed the amount of trust you had on us. people say cats aren't loyal and that they're selfish but you were the opposite. when i came back, you ran to me. you had a lot to say that day. you talked non stop, you kept bumping your head and body on me and eventually slept on me. i guess you were complaining.. like an old lady haha- so many stories like this but it would take me an eternity to say it all. i wonder how scared you were when your body was shutting down. you looked scared. you didn't want me to see you like that so you hid under the bed that night. you had little to no energy to stand up or even open your mouth to eat. that sound you made when you got the smell of beef... i can't forget it. even with no energy, you held my finger with your paws, you took out your claws without hurting me. hah.. one thing i can promise you is that you'll always be my eternal companion and my soul cat. it was a privilege to be loved by you and thankyou for letting me love you. thankyou for trusting me and tolerating my childishness. you took half of my heart with you to heaven. like they say, you're truly half of my soul. and i wish to have you as my little companion in every lifetime. and seriously, like they say.. it is weird 'cause what do you know mean i'll never get to see you again in this lifetime? and now i've to remember you for longer than i've known you?? what is this stupidity.. why. lastly, i love you. and i'll miss you for the rest of my life. i hope you're happy up there. i hope you still love me. don't miss me though. missing is a bad emotion and i don't want you to have any negative thoughts. just eat your favourite dried anchovies and drink a lot of water <3.