Homemade Literature

Waiting for the Popster

To avoid confusing the reader, the telling of this chronicle demands explanation. It is about four dogs … real dogs … and one cat that lived, loved, and passed on while in the care of one human person with several names. Three of us enjoyed the love and care of Mom/Mama, another human as well. Buddy was the human brother to Skippy and me. Dad, who was the father figure to Blackie and Brandi, evolved into Mulan’s playmate,“The Popster.” Blackie and Brandi’s Mom became Mama for Mulan.

To share the lives of these family members, I must put aside my smelling and stalking skills and resort to borrowing the language and thought patterns of humans. Why, you may ask?

I am Jerry, your narrator, and I am neither dog nor human. I was Buddy’s feline playmate during the early 1940’s and the first of Buddy’s animal family to arrive here in Rainbow Valley.

Perhaps this place is a way station to heaven. Maybe it doesn’t exist at all, but don’t tell that to the countless creatures frolicking among the trees, streams, and meadows. If the Rainbow Valley isn’t real, it should be. The poem attributed to M. A. Preston says it best.

Jerry

Circa 1941-1944

Rainbow Bridge

Just this side of heaven lays the Rainbow Bridge,

When a beloved pet dies, it goes to the Rainbow Bridge. It makes friends with other animals and frolics over rolling hills and peaceful, lush meadows of green.

Our pets do not thirst or hunger. The old and sick are made young once more, the maimed and ill become healed and strong. They are as healthy and playful as we remember them in days gone by.

Though happy and content they still miss someone very special, someone they had to leave behind.

Together, the animals chase and play, but the day comes when a pet will suddenly stop and look into the distance… bright eyes intent, eager body quivering. Suddenly recognizing you, your pet bounds quickly across the green fields and into your embrace. You celebrate in joyous reunion. You will never again separate. Happy tears and kisses are warm and plenty; your hands caress the face you missed. You look once more into the loving eyes of your pet and know you never really parted. You realize that though out of sight, your love had been remembered.

And now, you cross the Rainbow Bridge together…

M. A. Preston

Jerry

I have no known birth date. As a tiny kitten, I came to live with Buddy and his family during the human calendar year of 1941. After the young woman, Ellie, brought me home, I met the old woman, Mama, and the old man, Uncle Dud.

I viewed humans as smelly and worrisome. I missed my mom and littermates. The rambling old house provided numerous hiding places, but I soon discovered that allowing the young human to rub my back was a small price to pay for the endless supply of warm milk and other rewards. Over time, I eased into the human world and accepted my plight.

Eventually, I trusted Buddy to the extent that I spent most of my indoor time in his presence. Buddy’s family allowed me to go outside and explore, but I never forgot who warmed my milk. A respectful plea on my part prompted the humans to let me in or out as needed.

Even though we lived in the town of Naples, open fields surrounded our house on three sides. Not only did the space under the house provide a myriad of hunting opportunities, a barn nestled in one corner of our land, and a dark, damp storm cellar lay under a hump in our front yard. The Daingerfield highway ran in front of the house. While not many cars came by during WWII, it represented a hazard for me and, later, Skippy.

Three trees grew in the front yard as well. One was an ancient Magnolia tree. Another was a struggling Chinaberry. A dead trunk remained, but good-sized trees grew from the roots and provided the berries that Buddy liked to throw. The family planted a pin oak sapling between the other two. It grew into a giant tree. Unfortunately, a freak storm uprooted it after 50 years. It fell and crushed the house. Or so I am told.

Over the first year, I grew into a mature male cat. I roamed the fields that surrounded the house in search of small animals and females in estrous. An old barn offered the best stalking.

The neighborhood yielded numerous feline contemporaries. Unfortunately for me, our house became a gathering place. We did the usual cat stuff by yelling at each other, but when a female came in season, it got ugly. I was young, strong, and in dire need. In such cases, it was last cat standing, and that was most often me. Not only did it get vicious, it got loud. Humans don’t enjoy cat noise. I paid the price.

One day after an extensive cat session the night before, Uncle Dud approached me. Being the trusting soul that I was, I allowed him to pick me up. The next thing I knew, he flipped me over and closed his legs on my hindquarters. I yelled bloody murder and then experienced the worst pain imaginable. When he finished, he freed me and, I headed for the barn.

The sun came up several times before I returned to the house. I began to miss Buddy and the plentiful food. Soon, it was back to business as usual except that when the other cats came around, I had no interest in the frolicking.

One thing that stands out during the remainder of my brief life was the rocking chair. The humans didn’t have fur for warmth, so they made fires. The two places in the house for fire were the kitchen stove and the fireplace. The old woman used a rocking chair in the latter room. One day, I was taking a nap near the fireplace, and my tail made its way under the rocker of the chair. A rock back by the chair’s occupant caused me great pain and anxiety. It was not something I will forget.

It is hard to say how many years I lived. Probably, two or three. I am not certain why I passed, but, in those days, unscrupulous humans put out poison for animals that displeased them. I can only say that I could come and go from the old house where we lived whenever I wanted. I had plenty to eat, and Buddy made my life pleasant. I came to love him. So when my former life ended, I came here to the Rainbow Valley to wait for him.

I retain my first impressions of this place. The pain I experienced when leaving the other world evolved into me sitting under a tree in the Rainbow Valley. I felt great. None of the anxieties of the old world came with me. I felt a gentle breeze. I observed trees, hills, and a variety of formerly domesticated animals sharing the landscape. I could see dogs, cats, horses, a few rabbits, squirrels, and raccoons, and birds. Some were in clusters, others roamed around at their leisure. While I should have been anxious because of the large dogs, I felt no fear. All the animals intermingled and appeared to communicate with each other. A small Persian cat walked up, and to my surprise, I heard words inside my head. “Welcome to the Rainbow Valley. My name is Princess. I am waiting for Rosy to come and get me. What is your name?”

I didn’t know what to do, but gradually thoughts became words, and I was able to answer. “My name is Jerry. I just got here. Can you tell me about this place?”

“There is not much to tell. All the animals you see had a special human in their lives before they came here. This is a waiting place. As you will see during the passage of time, when their humans leave the other place, they come here and rejoin their animal family members.”

I didn’t know what to think. “Goodness. Do you mean to say that Buddy, my special human, will come for me, and we will spend eternity together?”

Princess stretched and licked her paws. “I think you’ve got it. Some of us have other family members that come along, and we usually stick together. How old was your human when you left?”

“I don’t know how old he was, but he was a young. He might have several more animal family members before he comes here, because animals just don’t live as long as humans.”

“Jerry, you will be here for awhile. Feel free to get acquainted with any of the other animals. There is no conflict here. No hunger. No pain. We live in an almost perfect world. The only thing missing is our humans. Nothing takes the place of my Rosy.”

“Thanks Princess. I don’t feel a bit anxious about this place. I might as well look up the biggest, meanest dog I can find and make a new friend.”

“Jerry, you are going to like it here. See you later.”

*****

There is no sense of time here, but none of my early friends remains. A human woman came for Princess, and other humans came for all the rest. That tells me Buddy lives a long life as proven by the ones that came later. Skippy came first, then Blackie, Brandi, and Mulan. This story is not about me, but about them.

The first of Buddy’s animal family members was more like a brother. Skippy arrived during the middle of the 1940’s. I found him sitting by a stream looking bewildered. Here is Skippy’ story as told in his own thoughts:

Skippy

Circa 1944-1949

In an instant, the pain disappeared, and Skippy found himself standing by a clear, flowing stream. Animals covered the landscape, including some that would have made him anxious had he been in the other world. However, he could detect no conflict of any kind. He sat and observed for a while. Then, a brindle and white cat strolled up and began talking in his head. Skippy could understand his thoughts.

*****

“Hi there. My senses tell me that you just arrived, and that you came from Buddy’s world,” I said to the new arrival.

Skippy struggled at first, but then managed to answer my thoughts with his own. “Yes. My name is Skippy. I lived with Buddy in the other place. How did you know?”

“My name is Jerry. I am not sure how I know, but I do. You and I lived in the same human house only at different times. Can you tell me anything about Buddy? I sure do miss him. Was he full grown when you left?”

Skippy relaxed and answered. “He grew much larger while I lived with him. He was gone a lot, and he didn’t have much time for me as he grew older, but I knew that he still loved me. The best time of my day was when he rubbed my coat and talked to me. The other pack members fed me and let me in and out when I wanted. Since I had a thick coat, only the coldest nights of the winter bothered me, but I spent most nights indoors sleeping on a rug.”

I lay down and said, “We call this Rainbow Valley. I am waiting for Buddy to come get me, just as you are. He is our human, but he is not finished with the other place yet.”

“Buddy will come get us?”

I licked my paw. “Sure he will. When you get accustomed to this place, you will notice folks like you and me come and go. When their human finishes with the old place, they come here, pick them up, and cross the Rainbow Bridge.”

I continued. “How did you like living in that old house?”

“It was fine,” said Skippy. “I spent most of my time outside guarding my territory. Those cars that drove by made me crazy.

I stretched and asked, “Did you ever catch any mice in the barn?”

“I wasn’t much interested in mice. I chased a few rabbits, but don’t know that I ever caught one. Since we appear to have plenty of time, I will tell you about my time with Buddy, the young woman, the old woman, and the old man.”

“Great,” I said, as I made myself comfortable on the soft grass. “Details, I need details.”

Skippy asked, “You lived with Buddy before me?”

I said, “Yep, I sure did. Then, I ate something that burned my stomach. Next thing I know, I’m here in Rainbow Valley. I was in the prime of my life. Buddy loved me, and I loved him. He always had time to rub my back and talk to me. I miss him.”

Skippy answered. “Yeah. Me too, and I just got here.”

*****

My first memories are of my mama’s warm belly, her sweet milk, and tussling with my siblings. A time came when Mama decided that we needed to sink or swim on our own, and we lost paradise. Soon afterwards, a nice woman, who smelled of lilac powder, picked me up and took me to her home. That is where I first met Buddy. He was a young human and spent time making me comfortable with the surroundings.

We lived in a big white house filled with the sounds of rustling creatures and interesting smells. As I grew up, I guarded a spacious territory surrounding the house on three sides complete with a barn, a Jersey cow, and the freedom to explore for as long as I wanted. A busy highway ran in front of the house, which presented frustrations for me when automobiles drove past and paid no attention to my barking. Not only did I have to deal with the cars, but also a crippled boy rode a goat-pulled cart past my house on occasion. I just about went nuts every time.

The old house presented a cool, dark underside where I often lay during the blistering days of summer. Whether I stayed indoors or out depended on what I wanted. If I was outside and wanted in, I called for someone to open the door. I stayed indoors for as long as I wanted. In winter, that was most of the time. In summer, not so much.

From the beginning, I spent most of my time with Buddy when he was home. He left in the mornings and returned in the afternoon. When I sensed him coming down the trail, I ran to meet him. He always talked to me and gave me a rub. From the earliest days of our time together, he talked to me a lot. I didn’t always know exactly what he said, but his voice was soothing and pleasant. I loved him dearly.

I had about the best life ever. I slept whenever I liked, explored under the house, ran in the fields, barked at passing people, and played with Buddy when he was home.

The only time I ever growled at Buddy came after I got too close to a passing car, and it ran over me. I dragged myself off the road. Buddy ran to help me, but I was insane with fear and pain. I growled at him, and he had the good sense to let me deal with the situation on my own.

I limped around for a few days and managed to survive that brush with death. My health returned and life returned to normal until a newcomer built his house on part of my territory. I let him know my displeasure by barking at him whenever he showed his face. You can imagine my surprise one day when he tossed a piece of meat in my direction. Not one to let my anger stand in the way of good food, I gobbled it down and resumed voicing my disapproval.

Soon, my insides began to burn. By the time I got back to our house, the pain was excruciating. It went on and on, until I couldn’t see anymore. Soon, I lost track of that world and found myself here in Rainbow Valley.

It was an idyllic wonderland filled with dogs and cats of all descriptions. In the background, I felt thoughts and garbled language in my head.

The weather was perfect in the valley. Conditions were not crowded. We went where we wished and stayed for as long as we liked. Since there were no nights, the passage of time was difficult to manage. Soon, I stopped thinking about it. Fortunately, we animal children communicated with our minds in Rainbow Valley. There were conversations going on constantly as we shared bits of our lives before we journeyed here.

We were all aware of the absence of our humans. We loved him or her in our own way, and they loved us in return. While existence in Rainbow Valley is about as perfect as it could get, we all lived for the day when our human makes the passage and finds us here.

Time passed. I made dog friends and traded Buddy stories with Jerry. He was a nice creature for a cat. For whatever reason, I never got tired of my existence. Just like he said, humans appeared and took one of our numbers to another place. They were always glad to see each other.

I rose and looked off into the distance. “I see some of my cat friends over there. I will let you get acquainted with a few of your own kind and check back with you later. We can exchange Buddy stories.”

Skippy asked, “Before you go, did some other humans live in the house with you and Buddy?”

I paused. “There was this nice lady who fed me most of the time. The only problem with her was that she picked me up by my front legs which hurt a lot.”

Skippy nodded his head. “She did me the same way. She meant well, but just didn’t know how to pick up dogs and cats. There was this old human man and a woman as well. She didn’t care much for me.”

“Me either. Well, see you later.”

Skippy watched me amble away. The intermittent breeze ruffled my red and white coat as I sat beneath a large tree of undetermined origin. There was no shade since there was no sun. The sky reflected various shades of blue, which was one of the few anomalies in the patterns of life here.

*****

Blackie

1965 - 1978

A small, black dog appeared in the valley and I sensed that he was one of us. I walked over to greet him with Skippy not far behind.

“I’m Jerry. This is Skippy. We are waiting for Buddy. He was your human as well.”

The little dog relaxed and sat on his haunches. “My name is Blackie. I don’t know anything about any Buddy. My human was Dad. We lived in a white brick house with a nice back yard.”

Skippy cocked his head to one side, and said, “I suppose Buddy changed his name. What do you think, Jerry?”

I licked my paw and said, “I don’t understand much about humans and their names. I go by smell, just like you do.”

Skippy replied, “I know Blackie is one of ours, so Buddy must have changed his name.”

Blackie said, “I had several humans in my house. Mom and Dad were the grown-ups. Mike and Mark were the little humans. Mom kept my bowls full of food and water. I slept with one of the little humans, but when it came time to watch the box, I sat with Dad. He always told me I was a good boy. He knew how to rub my back just right. I loved them all, but Dad was my human. He will be the one to pick me up.”

Skippy lay down and said, “Why don’t you tell us about your life with Dad.”

“Okay. I can begin by saying that I am a poodock. That means that my mama was a dachshund and my daddy was a poodle. It appears that my litter was an accident.”

I almost got off on the wrong foot when Mom and Dad came to get me. They put me on the floor of the car, and being quite small, I managed to find a good spot under the car seat. When the car stopped moving, they kept asking me to come out, but I didn’t understand their language very well, so I just stayed put. Finally, Dad dragged me out, and we went in my new house. The little humans were glad to see me, and we began to play.

As the days passed, my teeth began to hurt so I needed to chew on whatever was available. Mom was not always pleased with my choices. She bought me some chew toys, but the furniture usually tasted better. After a while, my teeth stopped hurting, and I didn’t need to chew anymore.

Nancy insisted that I do my business outside the house, so I learned to go to the door and bark when I needed to go. I was smart, so that was no problem. I could usually understand what the humans wanted me to do, and I wanted to please them.

The years passed, the little humans grew larger, and I developed a muscle problem. When I got sick, I couldn’t chew very well. Nancy took me to the doctor, and he suggested that she feed me human baby food. That worked fine until the disease grew dormant. Unfortunately, it always came back.

One day, Nancy took me to the doctor, and he told her that I was very sick. She was sad when he stuck me with a needle. It didn’t hurt at all, and I came to Rainbow Land right away.

I purred. “I sure remember my Mama. She was so nice and warm. There were some other little cats, but I never saw them again after I went to live with Buddy.”

Blackie said, “I remember my Mama as well. There were some other little pups that shared Mama’s milk and played with me when I was little. Like you, I never saw them after Dad and Mom picked me up.”

Skippy asked, “What was Dad like?”

Blackie said, “He was just the greatest. He always had time for me. He played ball, held me, and let me sit with him in his chair. He knew how to treat his doggie children to let them know he loved them.”

I asked, “Did the other humans play with you?”

“Mom took care of me. She took me to the doctor when I got sick which was pretty often. I had a human disease called muscular dystrophy. Don’t ask em what it means. I just know that it would come and go. When I had an attack, I couldn’t eat. My jaws wouldn’t work. Mom would get me human baby food, which I liked. She made sure I had plenty to eat. The little humans played with me when they were home, but I spent a lot of time at home alone. My humans were busy.”

Skippy rose from the ground as a large dog approached. “Hey Spike. I see your human hasn’t arrived yet.”

The big dog said, “We’ve both been here a long time Skippy, but the humans always come sooner or later. I wondered if you wanted to take a stroll down to the river.”

“Sound good,” said Skippy. He turned to Blackie and me. “I will see you guys later. Be on the lookout for any more of our people.”

Nancy & Blackie

Blackie asked, “Does it ever rain around here?” Then, he noticed that I had left to be with my cat friends. He lay down for a short time, and then decided that he needed to meet some new animals. He approached a female German shepherd and said, “Hi there. My name is Blackie. Have you been around here long?”

“I am Mechen. It’s hard to say how long I’ve been here. My human was Kurt. I had several litters of puppies while I lived with him. He took good care of me and my little ones. One day I got sick and soon ended up here. I found that Kurt already had some animal children here, so I got to know them. We are waiting together. How about you?”

Blackie noticed a colorful parrot sailing through the air, then, he turned to Mechen. “I just got here. Two of my human’s animal children were already here. They are Jerry and Skippy.”

“Sure,” said Mechen. “I know those guys. Jerry is a big cat, and Skippy is the one with the nice coat.”

Brandi

1977 - 1994

Since Blackie brought so much joy to the members of our family, we voted immediately to obtain another canine family member. Mom and I went to a kennel in a neighboring town to get a feel for the process. We stopped to observe a pair of Chihuahuas trying their utmost to climb up the side of their container to us. Then, a small bundle of fur proceeded to walk up their backs and demanded our attention. That was how we met Pucci’s Bambino, who became our beloved Brandi.

We learned from the owner that she was there on consignment. Her first owner decided that a pet did not fit her lifestyle, so she set out to find Brandi a new home. Her bloodline was impressive. We had no experience with Lhasa Apsos but soon found that the breed fitted our needs quite well. They do not bark or shed. They posses acute hearing, and, historically, fill the role of indoor watchdogs. We could expect her to remain under fifteen pounds. She was perfect.

Since our sons were both away at college, Brandi had the run of the house. She proved to be an affectionate, intelligent, and beautiful creature who blended perfectly into our lives -- Dad

*****

Pain is my companion. After seventeen years of canine bliss, my idyllic life slowly turned miserable. My exquisite hearing is gone. I can barely see. I have no control over my body. I can’t climb the little stair that Dad made for me to get up on the bed. Agony fills my every step. Mom is taking me to the doctor today. Maybe he can give me some relief.

And he did. Mom held me when he gave me a shot and the suffering faded away. I feel so different. I feel a breeze. That is strange. Look … look, is that a tree. I can see so well. Is that a cricket I hear chirping? I feel good as new. Maybe I am. Is that a cat out there? Is he coming this way? Who are those two dogs with him? Will they bite me? Where is Mom?

The large, handsome cat spoke inside my head. Hi There. My name is Jerry. You just came from your former life with our human. I called him Buddy. What did you call him?

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I think I was hearing it. It’s like the words are inside my head. This cat is really weird. He doesn’t appear to be afraid of me at all. The other two dogs are not chasing him. What is happening here?

Just relax. You can tell me what you think when you get accustomed to the language. Do you have a name?

I struggled, but the thoughts became words. My name is Brandi. Mom said I had very good bloodlines, whatever that means. I just got here. What is going on?

Jerry lay down and spoke. You spent your life with two humans, Mom and Dad. I spent mine with the one you call Dad. So did Skippy. He is the big dude behind me. Blackie lived with Mom and Dad as well. I haven’t met Mom, but I can’t wait.

Skippy strolled to the front and said, Did Dad go to school and climb trees? Buddy did. We spent a lot of time in his reading room and exploring in the barn. Does Dad have a reading room?

I looked at Skippy. He was so handsome. His coat was red and white. Dad had a reading room. It was upstairs. When Mom went to work, we spent all day up there. Sometimes, I wouldn’t see Dad for several days, then, he would be home all the time. Several times during the day, he would take time out from his work and play with me. I was so lucky to have Dad and Mom. I had them for a long time.

Blackie looked at the others and said, Did you live in the white brick house? That was my home. I loved that place.

I lived there for a while, but then we moved to a cold place. Mom and Dad called it Denver. I will never forget the first time I saw snow. Dad took me out into the back yard to do my business. When I stepped in that white stuff, my toes froze. I kept lifting one foot, then the other. Finally, I figured out that if I hurried, I could go back into our warm house.

Skippy asked, What did you do in Denver?

We went for walks. No one went for walks in our neighborhood, but Mom and Dad liked exercise. When the weather was warm, we began walking in the neighborhood. Before we left, a lot of humans walked with their dogs. One day, a mean little dog down the street decided to bite me when we walked by. I don’t know how to fight, so I began crying and asked Dad to pick me up. He did and kicked that mean little dog. He yelped and didn’t hurt me anymore.

Skippy perked up and said, I used to fight. Didn’t you fight, Jerry?

Yes I did. But after Uncle Dud finished with me, the fight was gone. I am not sure what going for a walk means.

Skippy retorted. Me either.

Brandi continued, Another time, a large dog picked a fight with another big dog … a lab I think, and “wham” the lab had the other dog on his back. Two women were walking the big dogs, and they couldn’t control them. Finally, they stopped fighting and went in opposite directions. I saw lots of neat things on our walks.

Since no one seemed to mind, I sat down near Jerry and continued my story. I played a trick on Dad almost every day when he was home. You see, my hearing is very good even for a dog. I could hear Mom’s car from a block away when she came home from work. When I heard it, I would go over and stand at the window to wait. Dad was always surprised when she came driving up. He would say, “How did you know she was almost home?”

Blackie asked, Did you live in Denver when you came here?

Heavens no. We moved from Denver to Memphis, then to Richardson, Texas. We covered a lot of ground in seventeen years. We were still taking walks in Richardson until I couldn’t make it anymore. My life was the absolute best until, gradually, my body began to fail. Mom and Dad never gave up on me. They took me to the doctor, until he couldn’t help anymore.

Blackie licked Brandi’s face and said, we have a great life here. No one is trying to hurt anyone else. There are many animal friends here waiting for their humans. We know that Mom and Dad will come when they are ready. I have seen it happen time and time again.

Brandi said, until that time comes, I feel good about living here. Do we have plenty of food?

Jerry retorted. Not necessary. We don’t get hungry. We don’t get cold. We never hurt. We just hang out and wait.

Mulan

2000 - 2014

Skippy sat on his haunches observing the newcomer. Like all of the others before her, he gave her space to observe the new surroundings. He could not read her at this point, but noted that her front legs bowed abnormally, and her small, dark eyes crossed ever so slightly. He could tell she was one of those Oriental breeds whose hair would flow to the ground if left unattended. Her well-groomed pelt would remain so for eternity since the inhabitants of Rainbow Land did not grow hair. With the exception of those minor blemishes, the little lady was a show stopper. She moved with style and grace, and appeared determined to take her new surroundings in stride. There was no idle chatter from this one.

Skippy was about three times the size of the neophyte. He strolled up to the little white creature and nuzzled her neck. She did her best to ignore him.

You don’t have to worry about anything here. You will never be hungry or cold or have any reason to fear. We are in the same pack. I am Skippy, and I wait for Buddy. You wait for him as well.

The small, white female nailed him with her most ferocious stare. My name is Mulan, and I am not afraid of anything. I don’t know about any Buddy. I wait for the Popster. He is huge, and he lets me do anything I want.

Skippy countered with a thought of his own. Everyone can do whatever they want while we are here. Buddy was a young boy when I left the human world. He spent a lot of time with me playing fetch with his ball. I had the run of the neighborhood until this mean neighbor look part of my territory and put his house on it. I barked at him sometimes. He may have done something to make me leave Buddy before my time.

A small black animal came up and sat down. Hi, Mulan. I am Blackie. I wait for Dad. He let me sit with him while he watched TV back in the day. Skippy and I are pals from way back. I slept with Dad’s sons. I got sick and had to eat baby food, but Mom took care of me until I came here.

Mulan shifted her gaze to Blackie. You are not much bigger than me. I haven’t seen many dogs as small as us. Then she turned to a gray and white dog with large, luminous eyes. Mulan asked, how do you fit into this puzzle? Which one of these guys are you waiting for?

The beautiful creature rose and moved closer to the rest of her pack. I am Brandi. I wait for Dad. My insight tells me that Buddy, Dad, and the Popster are the same person. I stayed with Dad and Mom for 17 years, and finally wore out. I couldn’t control my body and was no fun to anyone. I am happy to be here, young and healthy, waiting for my humans to join us.

Mulan spoke. Brandi, I believe you are right. The Popster was an old man when I left. He made me promise not to leave without him, but I couldn’t wait. He sat with me that entire last night. I hurt so bad. I cried and he cried. I was happy when he took me to the vet who sent me here.

Brandi responded. Mom took me to the vet that last time. Dad was out of town, but I am not sure he could have taken me if he had been there. Anyway, when he gets here, we won’t ever have to worry about separation again forever and ever. We have lots of time. Why don’t you tell us about your life with the Popster and Nana.

Mulan licked a dainty paw and said, Sure! Why not.

Jerry said in an authoritative voice, I need to impose a departure from our usual format at this time. Both Nana and the Popster wrote the story of how they came to be in Mulan’s life. Shall we hear from them? I will tell the story of Mulan, Nana, and the Popster.