Sassy & the Man Bell.
Sassy, apply named, isn’t allowed outside because when we rescued him as a kitten he had feline leukemia and is susceptible to disease. Sassy not understanding his poor immune system yearns to be free. While spunky and very loving, he will stare out the windows for hours, dreaming of escape.
This morning he planned his daring dash when sleepy eyed sweet Alice slipped through the door to answer the call of hungry birds. Three inches was all he needed. A silent blur from the darkened foyer, and he was out the door.
Which brings us to the Man Bell. If there is danger at Ravenwood of any kind, sweet Alice is suppose to ring the bell and the man comes running. So startled by Sassy’s escape, Alice rang the bell with extra exuberance. Me, groggy, bolting out of bed with no idea of what was wrong, dove down the stairs, leaving my gun behind, but grabbing my boots on the way. On the porch, my emotional bride was waving her arms. “He’s gone, he’s gone.” She didn’t need to tell me who, her fur baby was gone. Telling a woman to calm down...well we all know how great that works . So wearing cowboy boots and boxers, I raced into the dark damp forest, following every path and secret trail. The last passage was through the Fairy Garden. Wet from the morning dew, bare limbs covered in scratches, I spied sweet Alice heading down the trail with her fuzzy baby wrapped in her loving embrace. No scolding, just tender kisses to the top of his head as they passed the beleaguered man.
I will always answer the Man Bell, but this morning I would have been better off staying in bed.
Thoughts
I was born 4 1/2 yrs after World War II ended. My earliest memories were filled with men returning home to their families and reclaiming their lives. My father to be, among them. I remember passing San Francisco Bay and seeing more war ships in a few minutes than we have in our entire navy today. There were soldiers marching in parades for every holiday. And plenty of war surplus. Our beds were covered with olive green wool army blankets. Our silverware was stamped with U.S. on the handle, our plates were metal. It was a time of great pride, men were heroes. We felt good about ourselves. We were united. It was the best time to be a boy growing up, there were role models everywhere. There was hope for a bright future. Our nation’s history was told with deep emotion.
The lesson was, have courage, stand united. People mattered.
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