Campus lost one of its most beloved members on Wednesday evening that previously resided in turtle pond.
The black duck that swam alongside its supposed mate was brutally murdered by a hawk at Coastal Carolina University around 7:45 p.m.
Most may find it silly to be so distraught over a mere duck. Yet, as I sat on a bench and watched a Coastal employee dispose of the body, I wasn’t just upset. I was also reminded of how unsuspected death can be.
How cruel is nature, to swoop down and snatch life away so easily, leaving the living to grieve with the impossible?
Each day on campus, I’d pass turtle pond and look over to the ducks. A black male and a white female, whom I referred to as husband and wife.
I’d often imagine what it must be like to be a duck, floating atop the water and gliding down the pond with ease. Yet, after witnessing the horror of a lover losing its mate, I was reminded that ducks aren’t too different from us.
Sitting helpless after the bloody attack, I watched the female duck. She quacked in desperation and longed for her love who was never to return. I hate knowing that she had to spend the night alone, not to mention the rest of her life.
