Whispers from the Rainbow Bridge

It's my job to wake Mama up every morning so she can feed us. Sometimes it takes extreme measures, like attacking her feeties under the covers.

Yesterday morning, she didn't sound mad when I did that. She rolled over, turned her back on me, and was crying.

I suddenly wasn't hungry anymore. I was scared. Mama never acted like that before.

What do I do? My tail twitched in confusion.

"Go to her," a voice purred in my head. A scratched my ear to see what it was, but the voice continued. "To the right shoulder. It's torn beneath the skin. There's always a cold ache there."

I walked carefully up the bed, then brushed my whiskers against her cheek as I laid against her shoulder.

"Tell her we love her," came the purr again. I looked at the big window at the foot of the bed. In the sunbeams sat an inky black cat, a striped tabby, and a pair of Meezers that looked a lot like me.

I blinked--realized Mama had raised her head and was looking in the same direction. Her face all wet with tears. She looked surprised, then laid her hand on my shoulders and pressed her cheek against mine.

"I think she knows," I whispered back to them.

Gonna eat a little black headed rat dog

Where is South Carolina, anyway? Mom sent my dollyfriend away to SC so she could get hair. If I had known Bramble needed hair, I'd have given her some of mine. Poor little Bramble, she got her arm chewed off by a rat-dog. I heard Mom say that. Nobody messes with MY Bramble. Going to go find that rat-dog and kick his bum. HA!

What is this weekend thing?

I want my dinner when it gets light, so I'll be nice and full for my nap. They don't get up til the sun's way high in the sky. What are they complaining about me making messes. If they don't feed me, I can't go back to sleep and I ain't got nuttin to do. Hoomans. What is this weekend thing all about anyhow???

WHO SHRUNK THE MAMA???

She's all tiny and small?

She's huge usually, cept when she gives me her shoulder to ride on. But, she's all little now. She's as far away as she seems to me.

WHO SHRUNK THE MAMA???? (ROWL, ROWL, ROWL) I'm gonna get em. Nobody messes with my Mama, but me and that's late at night when she's ignoring me, sleeping.

WHO THE HELL SHRUNK MY MAMA!!!!!! (RRRRRRROWLLLLL)

I'm gonna get them, just as soon as I get down from this chest.

THUMP!

There she is--like she's supposed to be, sleeping on her bed. She's rolling over, ignoring me.

MAMA--come play! Gotta grab those feets under the covers to wake her up!

Whoops---now she's mad. Time to go under the bed.