Dolce's Story Chair: A Bridge Constructed - Part 1

Dolce: Dad!
Dad: Yes Dolce?
Dolce: Mom says that you are going away again.
Dad: Just for a little bit.
Dolce: Well, Baci and I decided that we don't want you to go.
Dad: Do you like your food and your toys?
Dolce: Yes.
Dad: Well I have to go and find a means to pay for all that.
Dolce: So you go away so that you can give us stuff.
Dad: In a manner of speaking, yes.
Dolce: So if I asked for less stuff, you would have to go away less?
Dad: Dolce, Dolce, Dolce.
Dolce: Dad, Dad, Dad.
Dad: How about we sit here in your Story Chair and I tell you another story?
Dolce: Is is more of Scooter McTabby?
Dad: I'm still working on that one. How about a story about a very famous bridge?
Dolce: Sounds kind of lame, Dad.
Dad: How about you listen to the story before you criticize it?
Dolce: I'm a cat. I criticize everything first, then decide if I like it.
Dad: You let your furriends know that we are here at your Story Chair and I will tell you a story about a very important bridge.
Dolce: Okay. EVERYBODY! MY DAD'S TELLING ANOTHER STORY! SO COME OVER TO MY STORY CHAIR!
Dad: Did you have to yell like that?
Dolce: I gots furriends all over the world. If you wants them to come over, I am going to have to yell. BACI! DAD'S TELLING A STORY!
Dad: I know that Baci is not across the world so why did you yell that time?
Dolce: Cause it's fun.

Dulcinea watched as her angelic brother, Antonius, carried a silently sleeping kabble of kittens in his robe away from the center of heaven. She watched as he took them from the birthing grounds of all the kitten souls that God had created to the dark horizon that separated Heaven from Earth. She shook her head at his self appointed task. It will bring him nothing but sorrow and pain, Dulcinea thought. Dulcinea sighed.

It had been many eons since the Great Cast Out. Things had changed on Earth. Humans now ranged across it's fertile breadth, and it was off limits to any Angel that did not have a True Purpose on its firmament. Antonius was one of those Angels who had found a True Purpose; he had chosen to take all of the kittens that were to be born from Heaven to their Earthly mothers. Dulcinea felt a most unangelic emotion, jealously, at Antonius' apparent joy at taking each kitten to Earth. Dulcinea had not yet found a True Purpose to allow her to travel between Heaven and Earth.

She was shaken from her self pity as a group of stern and fierce looking angels moved past her and half-flew, half-ran to the dark horizon. These were Guardian Angels. Another True Purpose that Dulcinea did not feel calling to her.

Dulcinea flew to the nearest edge of the dark horizon that separated Heaven from Earth. This was as far as she could go towards Earth without her own True Purpose. She watched many chosen Angels cross the boundary. She even saw Antonius cross more times than any other. He is going to wear himself out, Dulcinea thought.

As she pondered what true Purpose would let her cross the boundary between Heaven and Earth, Dulcinea thought she heard a small cry coming from the threshold of the boundary. She turned her ears towards the faint sound. It was low and soft; almost pleading in its nature. Dulcinea knew she had to find the source of that sound.

The boundary between Heaven and Earth flickered slightly and lightened to a hazy blue to her angelic eyes. There in the smokey haze was a older Ginger Tom who was favouring his right foreleg. He tried to move towards Dulcinea but something was preventing his passage. Dulcinea reached down and laid her hand apon the cat's head. She was rewarded with a deep throbbing purr and and enthusiastic stretch towards her palm. Dulcinea noticed Antonius returning from Earth.

"Antonius." Dulcinea called to her brother. "There is one of your charges here."

Antonius flew to his sister's side and regarded the old Ginger Tom.

"I remember you." Antonius smiled. "You were given to the little Calico who lived in the Inn."

"How did he get here?" Dulcinea asked.

"I do not know." Antonius replied. "Maybe he followed me when I brought back some of his unwanted brothers and sisters."

"You only bring back the unwanted ones?" Dulcinea asked increduously. "I thought you took all the kittens to Earth and brought back all the lost souls."

Antonius shook his head. "I do take all the kittens to Earth, but I only bring back those who have been forsaken by Mankind."

"What about those who have not been forsaken by humans?" Dulcinea asked.

"They wait to enter Heaven with those who loved them." Antonius responded.

"Where?" Dulcinea asked as she motioned towards the Dark Horizon. "Where do these creatures wait? In this hopeless darkness?"

"I am sorry, Dearest Dulcinea." Antonius responded. "That is not given to me to know. I wish I could help you fathom this riddle, but I have much to do."

Dulcinea looked at the smokey blue haze, the dark horizon and the Ginger Tom that seemed content to lay at her feet and play with the hem of her robe. This was not acceptable, she thought. This Ginger Tom found me by accident; How many others are roaming the boundary and waiting for their humans to join them in Heaven.

Dulcinea reached down and scratched the Ginger Tom beneath his chin. "How long have you walked this Darkening Road, beloved friend?"

The Ginger Tom simply rolled onto his back and continued to play with her hem. Dulcinea's wings straightened and fluffed as her True Purpose dawned on her. She bent down and petted the Ginger Tom once more. Dulcine assured him that she would be back. She flew to the center of Heaven with a request burning within her angelic heart.

Dulcinea sat at the edge of the boundary and played with the Ginger Tom. She had been given her True Purpose, but she did not know how to do it or what was required to fufill it. Several other animals had shown up as she sat and played with the Ginger Tom; a rabbit, a horse, a bird and several rambunctious dogs. It was obivious that there were far more creatures caught in the boundary between Heaven and Earth.

There was a sudden brightening in the dark horizon and a single human appeared at the threshold of Heaven and Earth. Ginger Tom's ears perked up and the pain in his foreleg disappeared as he raced towards the human. The human picked up Ginger Tom and nuzzled him lovingly. Dulcinea felt another pang of jealousy, for as much as Ginger Tom purred and cuddled with her, this was the being that he waited for to take him away from the Boundary and into Heaven. A voice behind Dulcinea starled her.

"I thought he would keep him." Antonius mused. "I saw the potential within him the moment the kittens were born. I'm surprised he didn't keep them all."

"Antonius." Dulcinea turned."How long have you been there?"

"Long enough to watch you play with every creature that dares to leave the darkness of the Boundary." Antonius held out his hand. "Come with me."

Antonius took Dulcinea across the Boundary to Earth. He knew what she asked of God and what his response was and he could see that she now had a True Purpose. He took her to one of his favourite spots on Earth, a vast meadow filled with flowers and grass.

"This is Earth?" Dulcinea asked.

"This is one part of Earth." Antonius responded. "It is one of my favourites."

"Why did you bring me here?"

"You asked God to let you help those creatures waiting for their humans." Antonius replied. " I wanted to show you a small part of Earth to maybe help you with your True Purpose."

"Yes." Dulcinea thought out loud. "This what the creatures waiting at the Boundary of Heaven need."

Dulcinea reached down and tried to grab a handful of the dirt and flowering plants. The soil and plants passed through her angelic fingers. Dulcinea tried again to picked up some of this earthly matter.

"You cannot touch it, Dulcinea." Antonius stated sensing his sister's frustration. "You and I are not of this plane."

"But this is what I need to bring back." Dulcinea pleaded excitedly. "This is what all those creatures need to feel at ease and at peace until their humans come to Heaven."

"I do not know how to help you." Antonius replied. "It is up to you to find a way to bridge this Earthly world with ours."


To be continued...