Warm. She was always warm and cuddly.
Happiness is – a warm surrogate mother.
Soft ears, puppy ears even when she was older.
Playful.
First games
Loving. Very expressive eyes too.
Art of the raised eyebrow
Cheeky at times.
Don’t even think of it Zak!
She was just putting you in your place.
And clever.
Well yes but I did cheat her out of an avocado. Once.
That tail, that full-body-tail-wag and the Kharma smile, with her ears rolled back!
The Kharma smile
Yes, she was always so pleased to see you. 4 minutes or 4 days, it was all the same to her. She was just pleased to have you back.
And she was so gentle with you – tolerant.
Yes, she would always play with me.
And she was the first to play with Roxy and Tia when you didn’t want to know them.
Kharma, Zak and Roxy playing
Well I did find them annoying, at first.
She wasn’t much of a runner.
Stepping out – whilst Kharma was still the quicker of the two.
No but she’d get that look in her eye and flick up her front paws and then she’d try and knock you flying.
Come on, there’s running to be done!
Yes, that was fun. But that last run…
Not your fault my boy. The cancer was already in her leg and made it weak which was why it broke.
Is that why it took so long to heal?
Probably. But in the end it was another tumour that stopped her from eating.
Aww. I’ll miss her. She was such a gentle lady. And well-behaved too!
Gentle Kharma
Yes she was. Those big soft eyes and the ability to fit in anywhere. She could also be very manipulative. Especially with Helen.
Training Helen
She loved you.
Just the two of us
And I her. Before you were around I’d come home and she’d do several circuits of the house at full speed to show her delight. And if I’d left her inside she’d stand on my mother’s dressing table to look out of the window and check if it was really me.
Her claw marks are still there…
When she first arrived she was so nervous. I let her out of her crate in the Land Cruiser and a few minutes later she’d disappeared. Didn’t know how I was going to tell Cheryl.
Out and about in the Tsetsera mountains
Where’d she gone?
Back in her crate in the Land Cruiser! It took her a long time to settle down but then suddenly she just accepted me and I was home and she was my best friend for 7 lovely years.
Kharma in her prime. A good looking and gentle girl.
She didn’t go alone did she?
No my boy. I held her and told her how much I loved her – all the way to the end.
You’ll be there for me too won’t you?
Of course I will. Of course.
Goodbye sweet Kharma, we love you.
My brother, Duncan, and Kharma two days ago.
The last day. The eyes say it all.
I am Zak 