A Short Thread in Memory of Twitchy Pete...

...for many years I’ve worked in care. I learned, many years ago, the importance of “professional distance”. After working with my first client for a couple of years I had to take an important decision in his behalf. I knew that to choose the right option would hurt him...

...so it was difficult. But, I did the right thing, he was hurt but, in the end, everything was good again. It was hard to make such a decision because I’d allowed myself to become his friend as well as his support worker. Big mistake but easily made when you’re a rookie...

...I continued my career, back in Blighty & now here in France, and although I genuinely like all my clients I keep my distance emotionally. Some of my colleagues, I’m sure, think I’m cold hearted when I don’t need the counselling or time off after a client’s death but I’m not...

...Earlier this year I was given a new client. A lovely lady with a house full of cat’s, photos of all the dogs she’s ever owned on the sideboard, a yard full of chickens and a coop full of pigeons...

...twice a week I feed the pigeons and fill up the selection of old saucepans that litter the floor of their coop with fresh water. Over the months I’ve grown to quite enjoy this. Five lovely pigeons, one who scuttles around my feet as I fulfil my twice weekly task...

...I began to name them. Derek is the one that scuttles around my feet, Beryl and Sydney are the two that eye me suspiciously from the corner, Finbar has a limp and Pete. Pete sits on his perch twitches like he has Tourette’s syndrome...

...Today, there were only four. Pete was missing. Worried I’d left the door ajar I searched for him but to no avail. I made my way back to the house to inform Madame that I had let one of her beloved pets escape...

“Non, Monsieur, pas de soucis! Il est la, dans the marmite”, she said, pointing to the worktop. For those who don’t speak French, I’ll translate:

“No, sir. No problem. He’s there, in the pot”.

Twitchy Pete was her bloody dinner.

I’ll never get close to another fucking pigeon.