As I came out of sleep, I could hear the soft tingling of a tiny bell. I searched around my room to find the source of the delicate sound. After several minutes of unsuccessful searching I concluded the sound of the tinkling bell was the residual of a dream.
The next night I was woken around three am with the same sound of the tinkling bell. I sat up and looked around in the darkness to again see if I could find the source. Once again I was unsuccessful. Every night for the next three nights I was woken by this sweet sound of a twinkling. Every night I would get up and search, not only inside but outside. My imagination had me believe it was a being from another world ringing a tiny bell. I even thought it may be an angel trying to get my attention.
On afternoon I lay down and take a nap. After a few moments of lying still I heard the sweet tinkling sound. I stayed still and listened for a long time. Tinkle, tinkle I heard. All of a sudden I felt a small shaking on my bed. My heart started beating fast. I sat up. There at the foot of my bed sat a youthful long haired black cat. It was wearing a collar with a tiny bell attached.
Ah huh! The tinkling bell!
This sweet creature looked at me as if surveying me. It walked on my bed exploring all the soft and hard spots. It walked over my legs several times and eventually brushed against my arms. It allowed me to pet its long soft fur. From a distance it appeared pure black but close up it had brownish red stripes on a black background. It reminded me of a black jaguar.
I got up, went to the cupboard and opened a can of sockeye salmon. We shared dinner and a conversation. "How did you get in here?" I asked, "The doors and windows are all closed".
The cat talked to me in cat language. It loved to talk and went on and on about what I do not know.
I decided the cat was a gift from heaven and named it Christobelle.
Christobelle followed me around the remainder of that day. I opened the doors and the windows and showed her how to get out so she could leave anytime. . Christobelle slept over that night, curled up on my bed. The tiny bell tinkled endlessly.
There were many Farrell cats in the area but Christobelle must have an owner as she had a collar with the bell. Likely the owner put on the bell to scare off the birds
I the next morning I began to searching for Christobelle's owner. I created posters with pictures of Christobelle and posted them all over the neighbourhood. Over the next few days Christobelle was my constant companion. She followed me everywhere, even into my car. It loved the car. She talked and she talked as if telling me stories. Stories, I did not understand but they seemed very important to her.
A week went by and no one responded to the posters.
One afternoon the doorbell rang. I opened the door. There stood a young girl of about ten. She had short unevenly cropped brown hair and the widest of hazel eyes.
"Have you seen my cat?" She asked.
I pointed to Christobelle sleeping on her favourite chair. "Twilight!” she cried.
She ran over to Christobelle/Twilight and picked her/him up. She gave the cat a lecture about running away from home.
I was silently amused at myself. I thought the cat was a girl. I had never checked out the sex.
Holding Twilight close to her chest, the little girl thanked me and apologized for Twilight's bad behaviour. I reassured her all was good and Twilight was welcome to visit anytime. I was sad that Christobelle was leaving but glad the little girl had found her "Twilight".
In the middle of the night I was woken by the sound of the tinkling bell. I got up and opened the sliding door and there was Twilight. He walked right in and immediately started talking and talking. He strode over to his favourite chair and curled up, still talking.
I had not asked the little girl where she lived. I did not even know her name.
In the next few days Twilight again followed me around. We talked and shared dinner. I hoped the little girl would come back to get her cat but was also very fond of this creature.
The doorbell did ring and the little girl once again asked if I had seen her cat. Twilight is sleeping on my bed I told her. I went and fetched him.
This time I asked the little girl her name and where she lived. "Samantha," she told me. "I live just behind you". She pointed to an apartment across the cul-de-sac. I live with my mom and my sister and brother. My brother is mean to me and my sister doesn't like cats. My mom is never home. Off she went with Twilight held tightly in her arms.
Twilight repeatedly visited me. Sometimes I took Twilight home and sometimes Samantha came to fetch him.
Late one evening the doorbell rang. It was Samantha; tears were streaming down her face. "Have you seen my cat?" I pointed to his chair. Samantha went over and picked up Twilight and said, "One Tin Soldier".
One Tin Soldier? I was concerned about her tears, "Are you alright, Samantha?"
Samantha asked if she could stay with me for a while. I invited her in. I offered her milk and juice. She asked for tea. We had tea and Samantha choose arrowroot cookies from my cupboard. We sat as if having High Tea and Samantha became the hostess. She made sure the tea cups were always full and the cookies were replenished.
Samantha told me her story. She spent much time alone. She sometimes listened to the people on TV talk about God. She goes to the woods and talks to the birds and the squirrels and finds and feeds the stray cats. She had to find her own clothes to wear, and she recently learned to use a washing machine. Now she had clean clothes to wear. She wanted to be a cheerleader, but no one could drive her. She did not really have any friends at school, so she daydreamed a lot. She told me the teachers rarely paid much attention to her, but she did her work the best she could. It was the story of a sad struggling but resilient child.
I had my own tears hearing her story. A reflection of my own childhood story.
Samantha looked at me as if looking at my soul. In a very adult voice Samantha told me, "When I am feeling sad and alone I hold Twilight and sing a song my mother taught me. My Mom is a Marine."
"Would you like to hear my song?" Samantha asked.
I encouraged her, "Yes, Samantha. I would love to hear your song."
Samantha took Twilight in her arms and stood a few feet from me. She looked so strong and proud. In her sweet small voice Samantha sang in its entirety, "One Tin Soldier".
Listen, children, to a story
That was written long ago,
'Bout a kingdom on a mountain
And the valley-folk below.
On the mountain was a treasure
Buried deep beneath the stone,
And the valley-people swore
They'd have it for their very own.
Go ahead and hate your neighbor,
Go ahead and cheat a friend.
Do it in the name of Heaven,
You can justify it in the end.
There won't be any trumpets blowing
Come the judgement day,
On the bloody morning after....
One tin soldier rides away.
So the people of the valley
Sent a message up the hill,
Asking for the buried treasure,
Tons of gold for which they'd kill.
Came an answer from the kingdom,
"With our brothers we will share
All the secrets of our mountain,
All the riches buried there."
Go ahead and hate your neighbor,
Go ahead and cheat a friend.
Do it in the name of Heaven,
You can justify it in the end.
There won't be any trumpets blowing
Come the judgement day,
On the bloody morning after....
One tin soldier rides away.
Now the valley cried with anger,
"Mount your horses! Draw your sword!"
And they killed the mountain-people,
So they won their just reward.
Now they stood beside the treasure,
On the mountain, dark and red.
Turned the stone and looked beneath it...
"Peace on Earth" was all it said.
Go ahead and hate your neighbor,
Go ahead and cheat a friend.
Do it in the name of Heaven,
You can justify it in the end.
There won't be any trumpets blowing
Come the judgement day,
On the bloody morning after....
One tin soldier rides away.
Go ahead and hate your neighbor,
Go ahead and cheat a friend.
Do it in the name of Heaven,
You can justify it in the end.
There won't be any trumpets blowing
Come the judgement day,
On the bloody morning after....
One tin soldier rides away.
When she was done she placed Twilight in my arms.
"I think Twilight likes you a lot. You should keep him."
I tried to protest but could not find the words.
"When you are feeling sad and alone just hold him close and sing One Tin Soldier."
Samantha walked out the door telling me, “Everything is alright now.”
I was finished my contract in Crescent City, California and was returning to Vancouver, BC. Twilight loved the car but I was uncertain how he would do on the long trip. I got him a cage and harness. Took him to the Veterinarian and got his shots and travelling papers.
We travelled the usual 12 hour drive in 22 hours. Twilight needing to constantly stop to check out all the rest spots. He never stopped talking all the way.
When we got to Vancouver he made friends with my young grandson.
And the story of Twilight .. the magical cat goes on.
