Fiction

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Reunited

”There you go, old girl," I declared opening the gate. An enormous pachyderm lumbered through the opening with a joyous infant that could have been a poster child for obesity hanging on to her tail for dear life. After her encounter with the alligator the infant was determined to never let her mom out of sight again. They headed straight to the mud bath; no delay, no questions asked, no invitation needed. People pay good bucks to be dunked or wrapped in wet dirt; these guys get it for free, twenty four hours a day on demand. Several other long nosed relatives stampeded over to greet the newcomer, trumpeting
enthusiastically. Other groups of animals trotted about, intermingling in ways they wouldn’t have done before they arrived here, frolicking in the sun, splashing in the water, rolling in mud, swinging from trees. No sentry on duty to alert to danger, as that would never again be a possibility. I recognized several primates, no; they just looked like guys I used to date! Just kidding. No really, they did resemble...no, I better stop that. I could get in trouble for just considering dating. Dating is not allowed. I must remember that!
 
On my side of the fence, in the courtyard, dogs and cats who were awaiting their owners were interacting playfully. Kittens, puppies, old dogs and old cats, though I couldn't tell them apart. The elderly had all been checked out by the Vet and were acting like kids, well like puppies and kittens again; licking areas that they hadn't been able to reach in years. Some of the mammals were seeing and hearing things they hadn't seen in years, delighted that some things never change!
 
I glanced down the road and saw a new admission running from the office. Running and tripping over himself, doing cartwheels and looking to see if anyone was as impressed as he was with his antics. Leaping and prancing, barking and yapping. He was obviously pleased with his visit at the vets. Pleased? He was nothing but a mass of shaking, furry, drooling delight. He had been too long in arriving, his sixteen year old composition of minerals (commonly referred to as a body) had been rearranged to perfection. Cataracts had been removed, his ears had been unstopped, and his joints had been re-lubed. Talk about a lube job; those knees and hips were going wild!  His kidneys had been replaced and were working again, after all what fun was there in passing a fire hydrant, or tree, or shoe, without leaving your calling card! Or, without getting whacked on the head with a rolled up newspaper, ( We don’t get newspapers here anyway). What a Vet! What skilled hands! 
 
In the midst of his exhilaration he stopped leaving skid marks in the grass. His ears went up. His tail wagged with more gusto; how was that possible? He wagged his rear appendage with such vigor it could shoot an airplane into orbit!  I could tell, (only because I’ve seen this scene unfold daily, hourly, etc, etc) that he was delighted about something. Some scent, some recognition, some forgotten memory forcing itself on him. His nose twitched, his head turned from side to side with sensory overload. He was determined to pin point the familiar aroma. There! There they were; a black and white Shitz Su and a brown shepherd/chow mix, quarrying at the base of a large tree, dirt flying everywhere, no one to stop them. Were they looking for China? If so, they’d never get to it from here! By the way, that chow really got around, half the dogs here were part chow, someone should see to getting that guy neutered, or keeping him in a crate!

The Shitz Su, Nikki, and shepherd, Shep, (Yeah, I know the name lacked originality but, hey, I didn’t name him!) stopped in their task, mid paw. The dirt settled. They too smelled something vaguely identifiable from their past. Their ears stood at attention also, as they slowly turned their heads. Eyes met eyes, met eyes. Tongues fell out, well, not literally but they did hang down to their chests, something mine won‘t do even though I wish it could, especially when I spill ice cream on myself! Twelve feet boosted all three dogs into the same direction. I shrank backwards in anticipation of the inevitable head on head on head collision, covering my face with my hands.

Nothing. Uncovering my eyes I wasn’t disappointed as I watched the three friends tumbling and tumbling, nipping and nipping. Don’t even ask me to reveal what their tongues and noses were doing! I’ll just say that it’s only impure to the impure in heart! Oh, I never get tired of watching old buddies reunite.

Excellent. The bell is ringing for pick up. Someone is here for their pet or pets. It’s about time; we need to make room for the next load of incoming. No complaints here, we’re a fully functioning No Kill animal shelter. Probably the best one in the universe.

There She was, looking disoriented. All these dogs, cats, gerbils, hamsters and other hairy soul mates coexisting peacefully in this gargantuan, animal friendly, pet park. It takes the mind some time to comprehend what the eye is seeing. To believe in the impossible, the long hoped for. She was fearful to let her guard down for one moment, terrified there had been a mistake made. No mistake. Not here. Not on this side of the rainbow!

I approached her with confidence of the outcome, and a deep-rooted smile on my heart. This also was something I would never weary of; seeing the jubilation that was about to break forth. I retrieved the receipt from her trembling out stretched hands. Fantastic. I knew just where these guys were. Placing two fingers in my mouth, stretching it to the maximum, I let the loudest, merriest sound burst forth from my lungs.

Joyful pandemonium is the only description available for what ensued. The three newly unified pals stopped slobbering over each other and raced forward, the other animals parting politely to let them through, hardly able to contain their anticipation that the next pick up would be for them. The girl jumped up and down in excitement, yelling their names over and over again. She never in her wildest dreams thought those names would ever leave her lips again. And here they were racing towards her, closer, closer. Bang. A tangle of bodies landed on the ground. As I said before I’d never tire of this scene; Thank heavens, since this is only the zillionth time to day I’ve witnessed a happily ecstatic get together. (Yes, the zillionth, I know how to count. No really, don’t look at me like that, I really mean the zillionth!)

I’m not supposed to be able to cry, so don’t tell my superior about the tears of ecstasy flooding my face. I’d be laughed out of the barracks I share with ten thousand other angels that live on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge. The bridge where deceased pets and their owners come together again and cross on over to the gates of Heaven. After all, it really wouldn’t be heaven without our soul mates, now would it?

Luke 12:6
genesis 9:14-17
genesis 1:20-25
psalm 50:9-11
job 12:7-10
psalm 136:25

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