Devi means angel.

I found her over the internet. I was in 10th grade at the time, not a very responsible person. I was not great at taking care of my pets, and so when I requested permission to get a Glider, my parents laughed. There was no way they's ever agree to it. For the next two months, though I had midterms, I spent all my free time on the computer. Eventually, I gave my parents a 10 page report on Sugar Gliders, showing them that I could handle it. To this day I'll never know why I fell so instantly in love. After long talks during which my parents quizzed me on the information from the report, the finnally agreed to allow us to meet Devi. She was living with a woman who lived near my house. Her boyfriend had purchased her as a christmas present, thinking that it was "Sort of like a hamster".

Devi's cage was much too small. she was not eating correctly. he cage was dirty. Her entire life was screaming insults at her owner from inside a dirty, smelly sock. when i met her, she was scared. she climbed inside my shirt and huddled, shaking, next to my skin. She stayed there until I went to bed, and returned the next morning to the same place. She did nothing but eat and sleep. By the next week, I had built her a big cage. At first she wouldn't sleep in it, and clung to the wire, chattering and crying until I took her out. But she got used to it. Soon, I could let her wander my newly glider proofed room. She came when I called her. I had a best friend, and taking care of her was never a task. it was a pleasure. She went everywhere with me. My parents had to check to make sure i didnt take her with me to school. they'd joke because she'd sleep in my bra, and would awaken with a loud frightened chatter if she was disturbed. They called it my "virgin alarm". whenever i had a boy over, they'd laughingly (?) make devi curl up there. then one night, I woke up late. I listened for her, but heard nothing. I was worried. Forgetting my exaustion, I jumped up and opened the cage to make sure everyhting was alright.

At first glance she was fine. but she was cold to the touch and shaking all over. I could not wake her up. She wouldn't respond to even her favorite treats.I didn't know what to do. She fell asleep about 1 AM in my bra, curled up as she had been on that first day. Soon after, i must have drifted of as well, for I woke up in my chair and devi was gone. I didn't know what to think, or feel. I couldn't believe it I burried her in my backyard. I didn't cry until that night, when I was lonley and falling asleep and I realized that she would never be there again. I went out to her grave and cried for hours and hours, then went back in and to sleep. I repeated this for two weeks, and my parents never new until one night i fell asleep out there. I bought Devi flowers, sometimes once a day, sometimes once a week. I pulled of the petals and placed them on her grave. After about a year of this, I planted a rose bush in over her gave, in the decomposing flower petals. The rosebush is still there. I dont let my parents ever cut roses from it. The roses grow there, flourish there, wilt and die there. And the petals fall from the bush to help fertilize new flowers. posted 7/18/02