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Dear Reader,
* Be sure enter this month's Chocolate Chip Cookie Giveaway! Go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/Cookie031815.html
Today's column continues from Monday. If you missed part one, you can find it here: http://dearreader.typepad.com/dear/2015/03/dear-reader-column-03-23-15.html
When my granddaughter Bailey and I arrived at the Hospice House to visit my friend Blaize, I didn't mention the Rudy sighting to Blaize and she didn't mention it either, until Bailey and I were getting ready to leave. "When you go, be sure to look in the room at the end of the hall. If the door is open, you'll probably see Rudy sitting in the chair. I feel so blessed that Rudy has come to be with me."
I looked over at Blaize's son, who was sitting in the room, expecting him to give me a look of confirmation that his mother was imagining things. But he didn't. "Yes, he said, "It's true. I've seen Rudy myself."
This was too strange to even ask Blaize or her son all the questions running through my mind. Does the person in the other room, at the end of the hall, see Rudy? Don't they think it's strange that a cat they don't know, a cat who died six months ago, is sitting in a chair in their room? If the patient gets company and they need the chair, does Rudy gracefully hop down and offer his seat? Why isn't the staff buzzing, talking about the dead cat who's walking the halls of the Hospice House? Why isn't a reporter here writing a story for the 6 o'clock news? Am I the only one who feels like they're in the Twilight Zone? But I didn't say any of those things, because it was apparent that Rudy coming to spend time with Blaize meant a lot to her, and was bringing her a sense of peace.
So my granddaughter and I simply said goodbye. But when we were standing in the hallway, I did turn and look towards the room at the end of the hall, and there was Rudy sitting in the chair. "Holy Cat," I whispered to my granddaughter. Chills went through my body. I put my hand up to cover my mouth and quietly whispered, "Bailey, turn and look towards the room at the end of the hall."
Bailey saw Rudy, too. She looked at me, I looked at Bailey and we were frozen in the middle of the hallway. We looked again and again, and again. Brave Bailey started walking towards the room, but I stopped her. "We can't just walk into somebody's room."
It all felt too bizarre. We walked out of the Hospice House and sat in the car unable to say much of anything. I saw Rudy, Bailey saw Rudy; we were stunned, and it took awhile before I felt calm enough to drive home.
When my husband and I adopted Rudy from the shelter, he was there because someone left him alone in their apartment when they moved. So it doesn't surprise me that Rudy wanted to make sure my friend Blaize didn't feel alone as she was preparing to move on.
Thank you Rudy, for bringing such peace to my friend Blaize.
Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.
Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]
* This month's Penguin Classics book is A PRINCE OF SWINDLERS, by Guy Boothby. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqQ1AFE3FA722E&c=CLASSICS
AUTHORBUZZ: HAPPINESS FOR BEGINNERS (Fiction) by Katherine Center
I'm so excited to share my new book with you! Something really magical happened when I wrote it. This story utterly came to life in my head. I fell in love with the characters, how they talk to each other, make mistakes, and find ways to be brave--and I fell in love with the wilderness setting, too. I hope you enjoy it--and that it takes hold of you in all those good ways that the books we love can.
Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on HAPPINESS FOR BEGINNERS to find out more about the book and the author, Katherine Center. Send her an email, she'd love to hear from you.
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