My birthday presents were two hamsters, Speedy and Gonzales, my father told me they are husband and wife, but I didn’t have then the means to check it.
We moved them to a rectangular glass aquarium covered with a matching metal panel which we moved when we fed Speedy and Gonzales with fresh carrots and special bars for hamsters, we placed fresh hay mixed with white sand, it seemed our hamsters felt at home, their only toy was a red spinning wheel, Speedy was the spinning wheel master he used to take few bites from a carrot, then he spent half an hour spinning, during which the wheel produced a squeaking sound, after his spinning sessions he used to stay still, sniffing the air till the next bite and the next spinning.
Gonzales was more home-based, she was hardly spinning she was dragging her carrot to their tiny wooden cottage, where she spent most of her days, it was natural for us to refer to Speedy as him and to Gonzales as her
At that time, we adopted a cat that used to hang out near the Orthopedic department which was led by my father, we used to live in the doctor’s compound in Kaplan hospital, one day a big black cat with sparkling green eyes accompanied my father on his way back home and from that day on he was officially adopted and given the name Horshahor the translation from Hebrew is Black Hole.
Horshahor was a very curious cat, he used to hurry to the hamster’s aquarium when he heard the squeaking wheel he was nodding his head like approving each cycle of Speedy’s training. In time there was a balance between Speedy and Horshahor, Speedy started cycling, Horshahor immediately became his observer, when Speedy ceased pedaling, Horshahor turned away, during all that time I could notice only Gonzales’s nose, sniffing the air, the rest of her body was hidden in the cottage.
One night I dreamed I heard the squeaking, Speedy wasn’t cycling at night, he used to go to sleep early and rise early but this night I dreamed he was cycling, the squeaking became louder and louder, it was like Speedy was running in full speed, this squeaking was a distraction I wasn’t used to, I ll wake up and stop this noise, but with this thought, I realized I was awake and that the first rays of light marked a new day, I brushed my teethes and turned to the hamster’s aquarium, it took me few seconds before I screamed.
Both my parents hurried to my room we watched together the most bizarre sight, Horshahor removed the metal plate, entered the aquarium, and was sitting still on the hay watching very closely Speedy’s efforts to increase its speed, it seemed Speedy is running for his life, the closer Horshahor nose was to the spinning wheel the faster he cycled, Horshahor was observing the spinning wheel as always but this time from very close angel
I thought I heard the squeaks when I went to sleep, but I was too tired to check
Is it possible the poor thing was paddling all night, asked my mother, she hurried to lift Horshahor from the aquarium, Horshahor seemed offended he exited my room with a long protesting yell and with his tail between his legs.
The moment Horshahor was evacuated from the aquarium Speedy ceased paddling, when the wheel stopped, Speedy fell on the hay with no further movements.
He is dead, said my father
But he was paddling till now, I said maybe he is resting
No, he is dead, the fear gave him extra powers but he was consuming all the energy in his small body, I will buy you another hamster
I don t want another hamster, I cried, I want Speedy
Well, said my father, Speedy has left his body but the lessons he gave us are still here
What lessons?
If someone is watching you closely, he is not necessarily your enemy
Better spin out of pleasure than out of fear
Sometimes it is better to imitate your wife
