Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

Elle flew to South Africa yesterday to spend a week in a luxury game lodge courtesy of one her patrons, leaving me in Bulawayo, a city which resembles a lost civilisation, with a dog on 'suicide watch'. (Can’t help thinking I pulled the short straw here).

Poor Mr B is traumatised by Elle’s departure and has slipped into a ‘black dog’ depression. I took him for his walk this morning at a nearby dam but on getting out of the car, he simply slipped underneath and refused to budge. All matter of inducements and entreaties fell upon his pointed ears but to no avail. It was only when I started the car, that he decided that being abandoned twice, was more than he could bear.

He spent the rest of day in my bedroom, head on paws, staring into space, occasionally getting up, to investigate any noises which might signal Elle's return. I feel really sorry for him and have tried to comfort him as much as possible with hugs and reassuring ‘doggy’ talk. But he just looks through me, like some war veteran with a thousand yard stare. While no dog psychologist, this is the worse case of co-dependency I have ever seen. Before she left, Elle suggested, my time spent alone with him would be a good opportunity to bond with him. She mentioned nothing about counselling for separation anxiety.

Talking of anxiety, I’m getting twinges myself. I last heard from Elle at 4pm yesterday at Johannesburg airport when she texted me to say, she was about to board her flight to Botswana. (The game lodge where she is staying is close to Gaberone, even though it is in South Africa). Have heard nothing since. I suspect her cell phone has died (it was dying yesterday and I can’t get through now). She said she would text me once she arrived. I’m sure she is ok but it would reassuring to know.

Lara, Ian's wife, (the couple I'm staying with in Bulawayo), asked me today, how Elle will cope when Mr B departs for the ‘great stick in the sky’, given their inseparability. Devastated is probably not the word but Elle knows, given Mr B’s age (eight and a half) that time will probably be in the next few years and has to an extent rationalised this tragic but inevitable event. This question gave me some cause for some thought though. What if something happened to Elle first and I’m left with Mr B? I’m really not sure how we would both cope. The thought of looking after a clinically depressed dog for several years, is well…a depressing thought.

PS Internet failure and power cuts have prevented me from writing a regular blog for the past few days. Being Zimbabwe, this is likely to continue. Please bear with me.