Hachi is a 2009 film about a dog named, what else, Hachi. He is an Akita puppy who is lost and picked up in a train station by college professor Parker Wilson, played by Richard Gere. Soon after the adoption, not only would Hachi walk Wilson to the train station to get to work in the morning, he would wait for his master to come home at the same station in the evening too. They do this for many years until Wilson’s sudden death. But that doesn’t stop Hachi’s routine. He continues to do that every day, rain, shine or snow for another ten years, until Hachi’s own demise relieves him of the ritual — the long wait.

The film, although taking place in the United States, is based on a very similar true story between a dog and his owner in Japan. The real Hachi died in March 1935, 9 years and 9 months after his owner’s death.

That was the sound-bite biography of an exceptional canine. Now the feline part of today’s story, with the ending still unfolding.

Mimi is a cat that my friend BA lost three months ago. I wrote about the heart-wrenching incident on March 13th, with the title of Missing Mimi.

Mimi came home to visit this week!

According to BA, out of the blue Mimi was calling her at the back door, which was a glass sliding door with a pet opening that BA had custom-built for Mimi. The pet door was locked after Mimi’s disappearance. Upon her entry, Mimi was just as close and comfortable with BA and her daughter as if she never left. She even sat on the same special chair as was her wont. She stayed inside the house to snack, rest and frolic, and she went outside to play just like before.

Mimi seemed well fed and was clean and happy. It was clear that she wasn’t hurt by other animals or by vehicles when she was a no-show all that time.

She did not come back to BA’s house that night, however. Although a bit disappointed, at least BA now knew that Mimi was safe and well, and that’s really all she cared about. Mimi may come and visit again. Who knows? Cats have their own minds and they have their own lives to live too. Maybe she has a permanent companion somewhere. Maybe she’ll even bring him home to meet her human parents someday.

Between the real Japanese professor, Hidesaburo Ueno, and the real Hachi, we see a pattern of hyper-connection, love, loyalty and dedication. However, what goes on between Mimi and BA seems to be a relationship of close, yet somewhat aloof affection. Reading these two stories together, doesn’t it seem to just about cover a big part of human-to-human feelings too? It also begs the question: Do love and affection, and other emotions, transcend species? Are animals, especially intelligent creatures like dogs and cats, really that different from homo sapiens, other than that we can’t speak their dialects?

*** The End ***

 

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