Moose ...

 ‘I have to figure out how they do this.  They always know when one comes, and then they are with Andrew, but I’m not sure ...  oof!!’

“Looking for me Sweetheart?”  The angel settled Miai on his lap, and looked sternly (at least he hoped he looked stern, but he wasn’t very good at it to be truthful) at Misty, who was rolling on her back at his feet, laughing like you’d never believe.  

“I ...” (she giggled) “Can’t help it!”.  More kitty laughter. “Now you know what it is to be “Andrewed”!!

Miai looked down at Misty at the angel’s feet, and back up to his sweet face.  “You knew I couldn’t find you so you snatched me” she asked?

“Snatched.  That’s a good one!  Yes, he did.  He’s done it to all of us one time or another.”  Misty sobered up a little and added “You’ll get used to it, and besides, it’s really quite handy.”  She sat up, and studiously licked a paw.

“Um, Mr. Angel sir? There’s a kitty where I was from, and um, I think it was his time, but I don’t know how to find him.  Is that anything you can help with?”

Andrew glared at Misty again,  silently telling her to be still.  “Yes, Moose is here, he hasn’t awakened yet.  He’s in the same patch of clover you were sleeping in, over by the Creek.  See?”

Miai turned to look, and sure enough, there he was, snoozing in the sun light as cats love to do.  

“Do I go to him?” She asked ... not sure how all this worked yet.  “I mean, I don’t want him to wake up and not know where he is.”

Andrew set her down at his feet, scooped up Misty, and said “Yes, I think he would like that.  You can take him to the Creek.”

Miai trotted off to where Moose lay sleeping.  Carefully, so as not to startle him too much, she licked his ear, and purred.  

“Ummmmm,” he said, purring his response.  He opened one eye to see who it could possibly be, and upon seeing Miai, opened the other one and sat up.  “Miai!!  It’s so good to see you!! But ... didn’t you,  um ... “

“Yes Moose, I died.  I came here just like you have, and woke up in the same clover.  You really must go take a drink at the Creek ... it’s water like none other you’ve ever had ... and then we’ll go see Andrew, andhe’llexplainitalland ....”

Her words ran together in her excitement, but doing as he was told, he stood, stretched out as long as he could reach, then padded silently to the Creek for his first taste of eternal life.  “Ummm! This IS good!”  Having had his fill, he turned to her, and asked “Now what. I’ve got a lot of questions.”

“And I don’t have even half the answers, believe me, so that’s why Andrew is here. You’ll like him.  Be sure to be mindful of his pockets!”

Moose padded along softly beside her, wondering if Miai had totally lost her mind. Good grief.  Angels? Pockets? Creeks?  As they reached the seated angel, the kitty already on his lap hopped off, and not really sure how, Moose found HIMSELF on that lap

“Hello young man! And Welcome!”  Andrew stroked the silky fur, and scratched behind Moose’s ears in just-the-right-spot ... and offered an appropriate kitty treat. 

‘She’s right about those pockets’ he thought ... ‘need to pay attention to those ...’   “So, who ARE you, and where AM I and what’s going on?”

In the beginning, when the Creator made everything you see, He started with the firmament and the heavens, the light and the dark, the sun and the moon, the dry land and the waters, and all that Man knows.  When he made the animals,  some have longer life spans than others, but most are much shorter than Man’s.  A long time ago, He got really angry at the poor way Man managed all that He had made, and in a fit of rage, washed everything he had made off of the earth.  He told a man named Noah to make a big boat, and put in it his family, and two of every living thing on earth at that time..”

“How did he wash it all off” asked Misty, not having heard this part of the story ...

“He made it rain. Days and days of rain.  Nothing could be seen out of the portholes of the big boat except water. Stormy water.  And when it was all over, and safe for them to come out of the boat, He made a beautiful rainbow of every color in the spectrum, as a sign that He’d never do that again, and that all who believed would one day be together with Him and His son, and the angels, and all of the host of Heaven.

“When even a tiny bird falls, He knows, and brings it here to Heaven.  Those who come cross over the Rainbow Bridge, accepting all that He planned for every living thing, and living forever more in His Kingdom of Heaven.”

“I think I only heard half of this,” Misty said to Miai, “it’s a lot to hear all at once.  We learn about it all every day, and even when wild life comes.  We die, we come here, wake up, drink from Crystal Creek (that flows from the River of Life beyond the big beautiful gates), and there’s room for everyone, and no one is hurt or unhappy ... and ...”

Moose wasn’t sure he was down with all this. “What happens to Vanessa without me?” He wasn’t sure he liked how all this sounded.

“She will be fine.  She’ll cry at times, but we will teach you how to visit her in her mind.  You need to encourage her to find another kitty who needs a home and love.  And one day, when her length of days on earth comes to an end, she will make her journey here too.  You’ll be united with her again, and live forever in Heaven.”  Misty puffed out her chest, proud of herself explaining all she had come to understand.  

Andrew offered treats again.  Moose was thoughtful.  Truth be told, he DID feel better than he did before he woke up.  He felt young and strong again, and noticed that Miai looked better than she ever had.  He looked up at Andrew. “So, what next?”

“If you are ready, we’ll go the Bridge. But you hafta jump off!”  Miai was getting the hang of things!

Andrew rose, holding Moose in his arms, with Misty and Miai close to his gown, and vanished ...

“Here they come! They’re on the Bridge!!”  Pepper, Mouse and Mousie, Maggie and Molly, the Clan, all chattering excitedly to greet the newcomer. Miai and Misty jumped down from the Bridge and stood with the others.  Andrew set Moose down on the shimmering Bridge, leaving him to fulfill his destiny as the others had.

“I gotta jump off” he asked?

“Yep!  We all did!  Well, some of the littler ones just rolled off onto Maggie or Molly for a softer landing, but you’ll be fine!”

With a last look behind him, where there was no longer anything to see, Moose closed his eyes and hopped off the Bridge to the waiting animals below.  

Misty and Miai slipped away silently and went to the edge of the meadow. “Mama? Be sure to tell Vanessa that Moose is here with us.  We’ll teach him what he needs to learn ... and, um Mama? It’s really beautiful here!  And there are even Flamingos!!!!”

As Andrew faded from sight, eavesdropping as he always did at this point, one could hear angel chuckles. “Flamingos??!

Rose Scott

©️01/2021