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Registered: 09-30-07
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I hope those of you who read this through will find some comfort in the words of this story about Flower. It is my Tribute to her and the only way I could think of to deal with my own sorrow and say goodbye.
This is a stronger revision of my original which was posted on the Memorial Page.
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The burrow was cool and damp as Flower, leader of the 40 strong band of meerkats known as the Whiskers, pushed her way into the darkness. Moments before, a dreaded Cape Cobra had slipped inside before her and now, all she could think about was saving her pups. Only a few weeks old, they lay defenseless in one of the chambers, sleeping peacefully with their babysitters Spud and Sophie, unaware of the horror moving towards them. Outside, at the burrow's entrance, her family was doing its best to drive the monster out by mobbing and threatening spit calls, but with little success. A true leader always leads by example - her mother had taught her that - so she would find the snake and kill it.
Now thoughts, like words, especially heartfelt ones, are never lost and Flower's thoughts were caught by the wind that lifted them high above her desert home, across oceans and mountain ranges, up into the heavens - higher still - until they reached a place known as the Rainbow Bridge. Home to all animals, wild and tame, it is a wonderous, beautiful place. Here broken bodies are made whole again and everyone lives peacefully with everyone else as they wait patiently to be joined by others of their families or by humans who have loved them.
Francis, or Brown Robe as the creatures affectionately called him, was a caretaker there and as always he was busy working in one of the many gardens, when he heard Flower's thoughts.
He had met meerkats before. Highly social, extremely curious, they struggled to survive in some of the harshest desert regions of Africa, particularly the Kalahari Desert. Perhaps it was their size - they were just 12 inches high even when standing on their hind legs or maybe it was their strong loyalties to one another and their leaders that touched him - but they held a special place in his heart. And this one, he knew, was Very Special - not just to her own kind, but to humans who studied her and millions of others who watched her story unfold every week on television. Wise leader, devoted mother, courageous general, she represented everything good in her species and more. He would go to her.
When he found the little meerkat, she was deep in the burrow and the snake was dangerously close by. "Flower," he spoke her name softly so as not to frighten her. She stared into the darkness, hearing only the voice in her head. "Listen to me. You must go back. Now! You will die if you don't."
"I can't", the brave part of her answered back. "I have to save my children."
"You will suffer terribly," Francis said. "Don't you see your death will be such a tragedy?"
Flower's eyes were large and full of fear, but again the brave part of her answered firmly, "I MUST save my family."
In his heart, Francis knew Flower would never relent. It wasn't in her nature to abandon her pups and save herself anymore than it was to kill her daughters' pups when there had been too many mouths to feed and food was scarce. This is who she was. This is what made her so special and loved by many, including himself and others at The Bridge.
Francis shook his head. He did not want to do this. Finally he spoke. "Your children will be safe, Flower. Now go, fulfill your destiny."
Driven by her own frantic urgency, Flower courageously crawled forward, deeper into the burrow. All of her senses - hearing, sight, touch and smell - were on high alert. Then, as she cautiously picked her way around a bend the powerful, unmistakable scent of the Cobra overwhelmed her. Motionless and silent, the deadly predator had taken refuge in a sleeping chamber directly ahead.
The Cobra had caught the scent and heat of Flower, too. Trapped, with no place for either of them to go in the cramped confines of the burrow, it lunged to strike at her - and missed! Quickly, Flower launched into an attack of her own and finding her mark, savagely tore into the snake's soft flesh with her sharp teeth. Writhing in pain, the Cobra lashed out a second time. Suddenly, Flower felt a piercing, hot stab to her head! Its intensity caught her off guard and she toppled backwards, landing on her side. Uncertain what had just happened, she lay quiet and still in the darkness.
A short while later - she really didn't know how long - Flower limped back out of the burrow into the sunlight. She felt sick and disoriented. From her horribly swollen face, Francis knew the snake had delivered a fatal bite. He watched as members of her family rushed to inhale her scent and comfort her. Looking stunned, Zaphod, her loyal partner and long time mate, immediately moved in close beside her, while little Axle, the newly rescued pup abandoned by their enemy the Zappa, stood apart - helpless and alone.
Each time an animal dies, whether it be wild or tame, somewhere - tears are shed. For centuries, Francis and the other caretakers had gathered those tears, making them into stars which they scattered upon the night sky. He knew Flower's star was going to be the brightest yet, pushing itself to show first at sunset and being the last to leave the heavens at dawn. Her family would never forget which one was hers.
The desert was still and strangely hushed. Not even a small breeze came to stir the tall, dry grass or ruffle the hills of brown sand. As temperatures climbed, little puffs of heat shimmered in the air while the sun burned in the blue, cloudless sky.
Francis knelt beside Flower, who had somehow managed to drag herself a little ways away from her family and was lying at the entrance of a nearby bolt hole. His sorrow deepened even more when he heard her powerful heart, beating fierce and strong, desperately trying to fight the Cobra's poison now ravaging every part of her body. She wanted so badly to live and she was waging her last, best battle.
"Flower, let me help you," Francis spoke. "I will take you to the Rainbow Bridge. I will take you Home." Her sad, pain-ridden eyes burned into his own. "I am home," the part of her that was brave told him. "Look over there and you will see my family close by. This is home."
Not wanting to add to her distress, he tried a different approach. "Flower, we all have to stop running sometime." Again, those eyes locked into his own and again the part of her that was brave, answered. "I know that, but not yet. There is much I need to do. I need to care for my babies and little Axle so they become strong members of the Whiskers and heal wounds that were made when I divided the family. Then, I must find a better home for all of us with better foraging grounds."
"But you are suffering dreadfully and are in great distress," Francis choked. Again, those eyes searching deep into his own. She sighed.
"It is true, but you forget, I suffered much in my life before this. Starvation, loss of our Manor, my children dying, disease, predators - life in the desert is very painful; very hard. But nothing - absolutely nothing - can compare to the pain of losing my family!
Flower fought back the urge to close her eyes and rest. Axle, who had come to sit beside her, watched her - uncertain what to do and looking very frightened. She wanted to comfort him - at least say his name - but she couldn't.
Her devotion moved Francis even deeper in his grief, but he couldn't undo what had been done. All he could do was ease her mind and help her understand that there was one more sacrifice that needed to be made - one more thing that she, Flower, must do. "I have someone with me who may be able to help you better than I," he said. "He is here with me as are others who have known and loved you."
As Flower drifted back and forth between worlds of dreams and reality, she thought to herself, why does Death have to be so hard - so final? Why must there be such loss? Such hurt and suffering? Having just recently reunited her family back to super strength, this was to have been the start of her greatest reign.
"The stronger the Spirit, the greater the Suffering," a gentle voice replied. Wait! She knew that voice - had missed it for so long. It was kind, dear Shakespeare, her son, and he was lying close beside her in the warm sand. Lifting her head a little, she could see her daughter Tosca and Carlos were also near as were her pups Len, Squiggy and Blossom. A peculiar kind of happiness washed over her then, erasing all the pain. Suddenly she understood the thing she must do - the ultimate, selfless sacrifice that Life demanded of all. She needed to go on now without the Whiskers and they without her - so they could live and be strong once more.
Summoning her last tiny bit of energy, she reached for the paw Shakespeare offered her. Feeling strange and light, she looked around her one last time. For 7 years this desert had been her home. Her fur had smelled of its grasses and warm sun and her paws had dug in its sands for tasty beetles. She had had many children here. She had defeated many enemies. She took in the scent of growing things and life living beneath the sand. She watched the clouds chasing each other in the blue, blue sky.
Then she looked at the faces of her family - trying to memorize each and every one. Especially the face of Zaphod. She would miss them - all of them - but him most of all. Strong, loyal and proud, he had been a good partner and had come to her and the family's rescue many times. Always, even when she hadn't wanted him too, he had kept her close.
"What will happen to them?" she asked.
"They will go on," Shakespeare assured her. "They will never be as strong as when you led them, but the Whiskers will remain. Maybe one day you will come to them again - it happens you know - different but the same. Each of them has something of you inside them - your heart, your magnificent spirit, your wisdom, your courage." Shakespeare smiled at her. "They will not forget you, Flower, or the wonderful legacy you're leaving them. I promise. In time all the desert will sing your song and tell your story. Axle, whose life you spared, will see to it."
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This is very sad but true everyone will miss Flower i'm always drawling Pictures Of Cartoons But today i didn't want to insted i did a picture of Flower not looking at any pictures of her and it turned out Beautiful just like her, when i seen that she died i cryed so hard the desert has lost it's most beautiful Rose ever.
