The Turkey Thief and Me

The Turkey Thief came into my life in January 2010. It was a rather unexpected meeting, I must say. I wasn’t the one to find him. The ex-boyfriend did and it all took place in Malacca. The Turkey Thief was rescued and was soon on his way to meet me. It was love at first sight for me and I think for him too. He was tiny – no bigger than the palm of my hand and he had such expressive eyes that gazed right into the ebbs of my soul. He followed me all around all the time – probably because I was the one with the ever ready cuddles and belly rubs. Most certainly it was also because I was the one who had taken over the job of feeding him. The Turkey Thief was a magical creature. Whatever food you set before him disappeared almost instantly! And how he grew. He had the silliest face ever and was keen to please and secure his place in our home.

He wormed his way from the outside of our house to the inside, almost instantly. The next step was to sit at the bottom of the stairs and stare in despair when I walked upstairs to bed. I caved and he made it to the door of my bedroom. I tried to leave him just outside my bedroom door  but you could see his little shadow moving about seeking a way in. The action was frantic. Again, I caved. I let him in and gave him a bed on a recliner at the end of my bed. He’d curl into a ball, content, and go to sleep. And there he remained until there was a devastating incident in my life. The Turkey Thief took his final step then and got on to my bed and ensured he was right there to comfort me with his warm, furry presence in the midst of my heartbreak. The Turkey Thief has since then made my bed his and over the last few years, there have been many tussles for the pillow, the sheets and space. The Turkey Thief is an occupying force. Once he gets some space, he never gives it back. “Take what you can, give nothing back!” I swear he agrees with Jack Sparrow on this! That’s what he has done with my heart.

Before he became the Turkey Thief, he was also the cake thief. Yes…one day he ate enough chocolate cake for 30 people. How he managed to open that kitchen door remains a mystery to me. The Turkey Thief has serious skills! I was in a panic knowing chocolate could harm him. He slept in bliss, smacking his lips the entire night through, where he was obviously dreaming of and relishing his life of crime. For the Turkey Thief, crime paid well!

The Turkey Thief was also a bird catcher. A slight confusion over his function, I suppose. Thankfully he was made to release his captives – his mouth did not make too convincing a hiding place especially when the birds’ feathers stuck out from it. The Turkey Thief watched in dismay every time the birds were set free. He would have his revenge with them by stealing an entire Christmas turkey in the end. He waited most patiently to exact his revenge. I said it before and will say it again: for the Turkey Thief, crime paid well!

The Turkey Thief was and still is an expert at stealing socks. He has no need for them at all. All he does is toss them and sometimes he hides them. He’s quite an expert at hiding them! Some have never turned up again – lost in the abyss that the Turkey Thief undoubtedly tossed them into. Some of them have turned up eventually. He was less careful with those ones. One more thing that the Turkey Thief does quite convincingly is demand attention. He tries to nudge my phone out of my hands when he feels it’s depriving him of his share of attention. Try working on my laptop and he somehow finds a way to sit on it so that I look at him instead of the screen. He positions himself in a way that tells you where he wants to be rubbed or how he wants to be cuddled. The Turkey Thief has his own mind.

When caught in the act of mischief making or when he is discovered to have been the source of mischief, the Turkey Thief adopts excellent strategies. The first strategy is to make a play for sympathy. This is done by walking in slow motion with his tail between his legs and his eyes looking ever so forlorn. The entirety of his actions cry “Forgive me! I’m so sorry!” It makes you feel as if you’re the heartless villain for finding fault with him. In the background, you can almost hear stringed instruments playing. The Turkey Thief is at his best when employing this strategy. Sometimes, the Turkey Thief deploys a different strategy, known as the “Pretend” ploy. What happens in this instance is the Turkey Thief acts as if nothing has happened, even when confronted with damning proof of his naughtiness. He prances around, licks your fingers and wags his tail so very playfully. He never admits that there’s a problem and he never understands what the whole trouble is. The Turkey Thief is good. The other strategy is called “Sleep”. Here the Turkey Thief sleeps through the reading of the riot act. The look of sheer bliss spread across his face is priceless. The Turkey Thief can sleep through anything he wants to.

However, the Turkey Thief isn’t always in need of being told off. He is mostly well-behaved and more often than not is absolutely charming! He can be superb company. The Turkey Thief knows how to be gentle when I’m sporting an injury. At those times, he knows how not to tug at or bounce off me. He’s so perfectly behaved then, he’s almost a different creature. Whenever I have a bad cough or am wheezing, the Turkey Thief tries to stop my coughing by pushing up against my back. He doesn’t stop trying to help that way. He’s tireless then. Another endearing thing about the Turkey Thief are his demonstrations of joy and happiness. There are times he prances and times he frolics. He darts about, runs around in mad circles or goes wild with joy. He jumps, skips and runs – in turns. He wags a tail that never seems to lack for energy. He gives me his full attention and his eyes are full of expressions that melt my heart. His lower lip quivers and he’s licks galore. He comes to me for hugs, puts his head on my lap or snuggles up to me rather lovingly. The Turkey Thief also enjoys smelling flowers – it’s a sign that all is well in the world, as it usually happens when we go on walks.

So many observations about my Turkey Thief. But the most startling one for me is this: the Turkey Thief relies on me completely, trusts fully in my timing and is content with my presence even if it’s a bad weathered day and we’re stuck indoors or if he’s not getting loads of treats or surprises. He’s just content with my presence. When I leave to go to work or for a social engagement, his sadness is apparent. He hates me leaving him. There is much sadness in his eyes. He sighs as I get ready to leave. Dad says he longs for my return and waits for me most faithfully. He’s waiting to receive me. He’s overjoyed when my outings include him and he tries really hard to please me in his own little way. He greets me with sheer joy – there’s no mistake in that.He waits for me to feed him – no matter what time I get home. He waits. And when I arrive – he’s thrilled. The demonstration of contentment doesn’t escape me.

My darling Turkey Thief is showing me a wonderful lesson here. He shows me the exact posture I should adopt with Jesus, my Lord and Saviour. In fact, I who have been blessed with the ability to express myself in far more superior fashion compared to my beloved Turkey Thief should show Jesus far more joy and contentment as His presence graces my life. I’m far too often governed by circumstances and forget the magnificent splendor of His being and the ultimate blessing granted. I’m often lacking contentment in the face of His gift of salvation. When I’m asking for something, I’m not always content to wait for Jesus’ timing. How unlike the Turkey Thief’s exemplary patience. I’m ashamed of this – when I compare myself to the Turkey Thief. I need to learn to wait for and rely on Jesus as my Turkey Thief waits for and relies on me. There’s much joy to be derived from the kind of contentment the Turkey Thief displays. As I realize this, I recognize that the Turkey Thief has been to be a pretty good teacher. The Turkey Thief has skills.

Patches darling, you are my one and only Turkey Thief and I do thank God for you. Here’s to more exploits from you!