Rusty

          Lydie was a sensitive girl. She would spend much of her time
          playing with a deck of cards. It was a memory game.
          She would try to match up the cards with their faces down.
          Lydie liked to whistle too. Sometimes she would whistle when
          the breeze passed her by. Her whistling became so in tune with
          with the flow of the breeze that it seemed to her she was whistling
          up the wind.

          Lydie's best friend was her dog Rusty. Her father had brought the
          dog home from the pound. Rusty had one blue eye and one red eye.
          He was very protective of Lydie. She could talk to Rusty for hours and
          the dog would patiently listen. One night there was a terrible thunder storm
          and Lydie brought Rusty into her bedroom. The dog sat patiently with
          her in bed. She began to whistle to sooth her nerves and Rusty asked
          her why she was whistling.

          Lydie jumped back from the dog. "How can you speak?" she whimpered.
          Rusty told her that she could hear his voice inside of him.
          The girl shook her head. This was impossible. But, Rusty continued to
          explain that he had been an alderman and had raised a family in his past
          life as a Scientologist. Lydie was very confused, but the dog's voice
          was clear as a bell in her head. "Are you being punished?" she asked.
          The dog shook his head no.

          Rusty did not know why he had been reborn in a dog.
          But, he did know that Lydie had been his wife. The girl ran from
          her room as lightning flashed about the apartment. Rusty followed her
          to the kitchen, consoling her that they had been in love.
          Somehow, she knew this was true. Lydie kissed Rusty and felt a feeling
          she had never felt before. The girl returned to her bed with Rusty.
          She had brought a glass of water to drink and a biscuit for Rusty.
          The storm shook the room and Lydie embraced her dog as a wife.
          She knew it was love and they were husband and wife.

          The following day Lydie sat at the dinner table in the kitchen with her
          poppa and momma and Rusty curled at her feet.
          "I heard you running about last night with the dog." her father remarked.
          Lydie giggled and gave some of her toast to Rusty.
          "You must be a big girl and stay in your room at night." her mother said
          and kissed Lydie on her forehead.
          Lydie swallowed her orange juice with a smile,
          "I was just playing with Rusty."
          "Well, try not to wake the house. We need our rest." her mother answered
          and kissed poppa.
          Lydie nodded and kissed Rusty.


          Reflections: What is this twilight of spirits and flesh?
                            Can anyone say where one begins and another ends?


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