Tomato's Farewell -- Page Two

June, 1998

"Do you think there really is something on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge?" I asked Tammy.

"I don't know for sure, Boss. But if there is a Great Cat, then every cat would have to be part of the Great Cat. And the same would be true for dogs, and everyone else, too. And when you go back to the Great Cat, you take everything that you did, and everything that you learned, back there with you. It all becomes part of the Great Cat again. So nothing is ever lost."

"What do you think I'll be taking back with me when I go?"

"Everything you found out about in your investigations: all the things you learned about the Egyptian Cat Goddess and about the cat who created the universe. And your new opera, Tristan und Curly, and your movie, 2001, A Spay Odyssey. And your famous report on How to Get to Best Friends for People Who Can't Figure Out Directions. And everything else you found out.

"Once you're there, you might even be able to get things ready for Best Friends Guardian Angels when it's their turn to cross over."

"You think so?" I wondered.

"Wasn't that why you started your reports?" asked Tammy. "So that more people could become Guardian Angels by helping the animals."

. . . I'd almost forgotten. There are so many Guardian Angels now. But back when I began writing, there were hardly any. Just a lot of sick animals who needed help. And I was one of them.

I'd been found in a big trash bin as a little kitten and I could barely breathe. I had chronic sneezles. In fact, I still have to have yucky medicine every day so I don't sneeze too much.

Then I became an investigative reporter and I began finding out about all the other animals who needed yucky medicine, too. Then more and more people started becoming Guardian Angels, and then we were able to build the Best Friends Clinic.

After that came Benton's House for the cats who can't get around properly by themselves. I had a whole staff of cats by then, so we all moved into a nice new office in Benton's House . . .

"I'd never really thought of it that way," I said to Tammy. "I guess I've got quite a lot to take back to the Great Cat, after all. But I still want to stay in touch with all our Guardian Angels somehow."

"You can still talk to them, Boss," Tammy replied. "You just won't be doing it on paper any more. Once you're part of the Great Cat again, you'll be with them whenever they think about you. You might even be able to reach them through their own cats at home. Come to think of it," she added, thoughtfully, "once you're part of the Great Cat, it'll be like you're a guardian angel yourself."

"Me? An angel?"

"A real angel, Boss," said Tammy, smiling, as she wandered off to play with her toys.

Page Three: Later that day, the PTB took me over to intensive care at the TLC Cat Club.