PLAYING POSSUM

One of the earliest entries posted here concerned our backyard opossum Eduardo (Link), who used to visit us most nights in Tuxedo Park, partaking of the food we would place on the back terrace for the feral cats whom we could not persuade to join us indoors.  Light-shy but confident of his place in the world and his right to be fed, Eduardo was a beloved semi-companion. 

When we moved full-time to Pennsylvania seven years ago, we mostly lost contact with Eduardo.  A friend continued to leave food for the animals in Tuxedo Park, but we were here in Berwyn, beginning our long era of semi-confusion. 

Two days ago, the Saturday before Easter, we decided to have a drink on our back terrace before preparing dinner.  It was warm-chilly and we wanted to see the sky turn purple from the top of Signal Hill.  Caroline was getting deep into Chinese Astrology by Paul Carus and I was reading The Ivan Moffat File when I felt a presence.

On the flat below the terrace, beyond and through the iron rail I saw Edouardo walking very slowly, deliberately and confidently across the property in the direction of the covered-over swimming pool, which has now become a tadpole farm, birdbath and animal reservoir. Now an adult and much larger, he has retained his highly intelligent face and serious, committed countenance.  If you placed a pair of spectacles on him, he would look exactly like a children’s story-book character. 

Caroline is usually the one pointing out these marvels to me and  I often fail to appreciate them, tending to be annoyed by the interruptions and annoying in my inconsiderate, incurious responses.  This time I was the one breaking into her thoughts, but she understood the imperative and the miracle.

A few minutes later, sated and quenched, Eduardo walked seriously past again on his way to wherever it is he calls home on our land.  I don’t know when he rejoined our family or whether  he ever left us.  As I said, we’ve been semi-confused.

George Jones: Playing Possum (Link)

Dedicated to Tom Clark, the first person outside our family who appreciated Edouardo.