Fezziwig

Browsing through my laptop files, I came across this photo of my first and only dog, Fezziwig (1999-2002). It was not my intention to get a dog back then; I was actually on the verge of buying my house at Pyrgos, when a family called to say that they had found 2 abandoned puppies and persuaded me to adopt one, now that I was moving to my house. At that time, we had just finished the production of Premiere's A Christmas Carol, so I duly named my new pet Fezziwig, after Ebeneezer Scrooge's employer.

Fezzi was a very clever and faithful dog. She was also stubborn, incredibly disobedient and very spoiled. But she quickly became a much-loved part of our extended family. Especially, grandma became very fond of her, often cooking a proper Armenian meal for 'Fezzig' before feeding the rest of us human 'igs'. During her short life, she (Fezzi, not my grandma) survived poisoning, lung infection, a fall from my truck (while I was speeding around a corner), and a summer camp with tons of children jumping all over her! Alas, she died suddenly and unexpectedly in my arms on March 11, 2002.

Once every few months, something triggers my memory and I miss Fezzi. However, the two-legged companion I have now more than makes up for any void she may have left. When I asked Anna recently whether she thought it would have been nice if Fezzi were still around, she reminded me of her asthma reaction to animals, but also echoed the words of another princess: "Well, I think three would have made our marriage a bit too crowded."