I didn’t want to go in a car. I hated the vet. But I had no choice. Limp and hardly breathing, I could only lie in TammyLee’s arms as Max quickly locked the house door, got in and revved the engine, the wheels scrunching on gravel.
‘Focus on the healer,’ said my angel, and I held Roxanne in my mind.
‘Who are you phoning?’ Max asked sharply, as TammyLee tapped at her mobile in the car. ‘Damn these bloody traffic lights, they’re always bloody well red. Come on. Come on.’
Cats do believe in miracles. I’d forgotten about them. But one was happening right now in the back of Max’s speeding car.
‘Roxanne,’ said TammyLee.
She was phoning Roxanne. My angel was right! I’d sent out the call in my thoughts, and it must have arrived.
I heard Roxanne’s voice come through the phone. A mobile phone is a bit crude, but it’s the nearest thing humans have to real telepathy.
‘Penny from Cat’s Protection gave me your number,’ explained TammyLee, half talking, half crying. ‘Do you remember a tabby-and-white fluffy cat? Tallulah?
‘Of course! Beautiful Tallulah. I’m tuning into her right now.’ replied Roxanne. ‘What’s happened?’
‘These EVIL boys got hold of her and threw her … threw her …’ TammyLee couldn’t speak for the sobs of rage gusting through her as she remembered my ordeal.
‘Take a deep breath,’ said Roxanne.
‘In the river,’ TammyLee said. ‘We’re taking her to the vet right now. But it’s more than that, Roxanne … it … it’s deep emotional stuff … the hell of being bullied … and, God knows, I should understand THAT.’ She took another gulp of air.
‘Can we not have another drama when I’m driving?’ Max asked wearily.
‘She’s my best friend,’ explained TammyLee, ignoring Max. ‘She didn’t do anything. We got her out and dried her off, but I’m frightened they’ve hurt her in some other way … b … broken her back or something terrible … she hasn’t walked or put her tail up, and she’s gone limp.’
‘I’m not getting that,’ said Roxanne. ‘I’m sensing she’s bruised and shocked … see what the vet has to say and I’ll come over when you’ve got her home. Where do you live?’
‘Oh, thanks, Roxanne. River Cottage, just off the big roundabout by the park. Thanks, you’re a star!’
The next thing I knew was the smell of the vet’s place, the wailing of cats in cages in the waiting room, the cold of the table they put me on. The fear and the silence while he examined me with gentle hands, pulling each paw, checking my tail, squeezing my sore tummy. When he did that, it hurt and I heard myself let out a long mewling cry.
‘She’s bruised,’ he said. ‘Her legs are OK but she doesn’t want to stand up, does she? We’ll do a scan.’
While he was running the scanner over me, I could feel Roxanne coaxing me back from where I still hovered, gazing longingly into the spirit world.
‘I think she’s basically OK,’ the vet said, ‘but shock can affect cats very badly … worse than a human. I’ll give her a mild sedative and she’ll sleep for a few hours. Take her home and keep her warm.’
I opened my eyes then and saw TammyLee’s anxious face, and the glint of her bangles as she stroked me gently under the chin.
I remembered how much I loved her and I was so pleased to see her there, looking after me, that I managed a purr-meow.
‘Magic puss cat,’ she said, and smiled at me.
I was back.
The long sleep did me good, and, when I awoke, I found myself back on the bed with the rainbow scarf wound around me, and TammyLee was bringing Roxanne into the bedroom.
The two girls sat one each side of me and I felt as if the sun itself had come into the room. I wanted to love them both, so I stood up, stretched, and wove my way to and fro between them, rubbing my head against them, my tail brushing their bare arms.
‘She’s much better,’ said TammyLee. ‘Listen to her purring. Maybe she doesn’t need healing now.’
‘We’ll see,’ said Roxanne, and she picked me up and held me against her heart. ‘Sometimes, animals want to talk to me. I can hear their voices by telepathy.’
‘Can you? Wow! What do you want me to do?’
‘Just be here … and listen. If she wants me to, I’ll tell you what she’s saying. Please be very still and quiet.’
As before, Roxanne closed her eyes and talked to me in a language I understood: telepathy. First, we talked about the boys dropping me in the river and whether I hated them for it.
‘She’s telling me about the boys,’ said Roxanne out loud, ‘and we’re forgiving them.’
‘I shan’t,’ said TammyLee, and her eyes burned. ‘I’ll never forgive them. Never.’
‘Animals do,’ said Roxanne. ‘They forgive us and forgive us, no matter how many mistakes we make.’
‘But those evil jerks don’t deserve forgiveness.’
‘But you do. You deserve to do the forgiving. It heals you. You are letting go of a burden,’ said Roxanne.
TammyLee looked confused.‘No one’s ever said that to me before,’ she said, frowning. ‘I can’t get my head round it.’
‘It’s your heart that needs to forgive, not your head,’ said Roxanne, in a quiet, hypnotic voice. ‘Your heart is full of love and light. There’s no room in it for hatred and blame.’
‘So … how do you do it?’