Mona and Layla

On the 30th of October, my nana passed away.

This isn't a self pitying, morbid post where I tell everyone about the pain it's caused me and how much I miss her. My nana died at 85 after having two heart attacks, breast cancer and at least one stroke. On top of that, she was diabetic, deaf and had alzhemiers. She needed a break.

So the picture... After I found out, I didn't cry, because it didn't get to me. Losing a parent before grandparents you rarely see puts it into perspective. I wasn't close to my nana, because she lived over 2 and half hours away trips were infrequent and unenjoyable. After Grandad passed away she was - understandably - always very sad. Trips ended in tears of sadness to see us leave.

It made me think. Aside from making cheese and vinegar sandwiches at their house, I had no real memories of my nana; just my nana.

What I drew wasn't a memory. It was something my dad told me a while ago, though he wasn't there; the three people involved have either passed on or are too young to remember. I was a terrible baby who never slept, and screamed all night. One the first nights I stayed over with my nane and grandad, my mum was trying to get me to sleep, but failing. She picked me up, and woke my nana, and said to her "Mona, I can't get my baby to sleep."

Since getting married, the poigniency of my mother going to her own mother-in-law to ask for help strikes a chord. My nana then helped my mum to get me to drift off. I like to think she managed.

So that's the image above. I feel there should be something around the figures, but night skies filled with stars are twee and cheesy. I'll think, though cheese and vinegar sandwichs is one possibility.

Layla is just a rough character I designed for the sake of using a pencil. Named Layla after my favourite cat at the cattery I volunteer at whenever I'm not at work.

Brief character history; Layla - obviously - is part cat, part human. Her parents were both human, her mother working as a vet. While pregnant, she was bitten by a cat infected with cat flu, which mutated the embryo. Scientifically impossible, but so is 98% of what we read and what we watch.

Contrary to stand mutants, didn't throw her out or lock her away. They loved her dearly, though didn't make her suffer the torments of public school and the outside world. Layla's mother homeschooled her daughter while working at the vet surgery, where Layla was soon able to work as her assistant. Also contrary to popular belief, she cannot understand cat language, and doesn't have any special powers over them.

Layla's father worked at sea, and during Layla's late teens his boat was taken by a major pirate gang. Desperate to find him, Layla joined the rival pirate gang, affectionately becoming known as "The Ship's Cat." Once again, popular belief is smashed into the ground as Layla isn't outcasted and given a wide berth by her ship mates. She is popular with all the sailors and crew, hard working and strong in the day and able to drink most of the cabin crew under the table by night.