6/24/22 Taking a stroll with Tilly and Meg part one

 Happy Friday, and welcome back to another episode of Tonks Talk. Today, the ladies will sit down with Miss Tilly and Meg. Tilly has been the subject of TikTok videos lately, but I'll let you learn about that in the interview.

Remus.

Remus Winston Lupin

Tonks. Hello, everyone, and welcome back for another episode of Tonks Talk. Joining me, as always, is my lovely sister Mina. Happy Friday, sis. How are you?

Mina. Absolutely fabulous, and I am thrilled to be here. I can't wait to talk with our guests.

Tonks. Then, let's get started. Daddy's shadows, Matilda and Meg, are joining us today on the program. Ladies, welcome to the program. I trust the snacks and drinks are sufficient. 

Matilda. They are delicious, and thanks for having us.

Meg. Yes, thank you so much, and thanks for the wonderful snacks. 

Matilda

Mina. Matilda, Do you mind if we call you Tilly?

Tilly. (Smiles  warmly) Not at all. In fact, that's just about all the humans call me, and I love its sound. 

Mina. Mommy and Daddy take their time when assigning nicknames and use them endearingly.

(From the back of the studio, Obi's voice can be heard as he hollers back at Mina.)

Obi. They only sometimes take a little bit of time. It seems like Mommy came up with Little S#!+ for Tonks pretty fast, and I think it only took a couple days before Daddy called you Mina the Menace. 

(Just before Tonks replies, Daddy cuts in.)

Daddy. Okay, let's get back on topic. We will worry about the rest later. First, finish the interview, and then we'll talk. 

(Tonks and Mina look at Obi with a grin as if they can't wait to give him a thrashing after the show.)

Mina. (Turns back towards Tilly as if nothing happened.) Tilly, Why don't we start off with you. Why don't you tell us about yourself?

Tilly. (Nods and smiles back at Mina before replying.) Of course. I'm not sure how old I am, but I am an American Shorthair, and my color is Tabby with white points.

Mina. Absolutely gorgeous. 

Matilda

Tilly. (Blushing.) You are so kind, thank you. 

Mina. Just speaking the truth. So, how long have you lived here, and what brought you to this home? 

Tilly. (Sighs pensively) There is a lot I don't really remember, but I'll tell you what I can. 

(Remus walks up, replenishes the catnip, snacks, and drinks, and sets down some tissue as Tilly continues.)

Tilly. I've lived here for about a year and a half. I believe it was January of 2021 by the human calendar, and I had been out on my own for so long that I don't even remember a past home or humans. I was in the process of starving to death. The winter had been brutal, and I lost a lot of weight. Once I burned through all my reserves, I didn't have as much energy, and hunting became much more difficult as I started to get desperate and clumsy. 

( There are several short gasps heard as Tilly recounts her tale. Realizing how close Tilly had been to starving to death.)

Mina. Did you get trapped by the humans?

Tilly. No, though had they put one out, I'm sure they would have. My health was deteriorating fast. I was wandering and ended up eating birdseed out of some feeders. Daddy saw me and came outside. My senses were so dulled that he was able to walk right up before I realized a human was there. He started saying something, and I took off as fast as possible. He didn't come after me, so I didn't go far. I had to sneak back for more of that food. Even though it was likely not helping, it made me feel like I had something in my stomach. (Tilly wipes her teary eyes with an embarrassing blush.) 

Mina. (Leaning forward and offering a slight pat on Tilly's front shoulder, Mina offers encouragement.) It's ok. Those days are long gone.

Tilly. (Wipes eyes again, then continues.) Thank you, you are so right. Later that evening, when it was dark, I returned to eat the seed and saw that cat food had been left out. I didn't know what to do and was scared it was a trap. I waited until I couldn't anymore and crept up to eat. I was so hungry, and I just couldn't stop. I feared a trap closing around me, but it never happened. Where did the food come from? Was it from that human? Why? I had so many questions, but I was too hungry to care. After eating, I hid back under the house to rest and think.

(There is complete silence in the studio when Tilly pauses. Then, after several seconds, she continues.)

Tilly. When I woke from the best sleep I had had in ages, I snuck to where I could see outside, and I was absolutely shocked to see a fresh bowl of food. My mind was screaming danger, but I had to risk it. I watched for ages, finally snuck to the food bowl, and ate. I ate as fast as I could, hoping to not get caught. Once finished, I hid back under the house. Later that day, I heard a vehicle pull up and some doors closed. That's when it dawned on me. These humans must have jobs. That's why I wasn't caught. If I only went out at night and during the early part of the day after they left, I figured I would be safe and not get caught. 

Mina. (Clearly caught up in the story, Mina can't contain herself.) Seems very clear that the humans knew you were there. What happened next? 

Tilly. This routine went on for several days and seemed safe, but I never knew humans had days off from work. So you can imagine my surprise after hearing the humans leave that I was face to face with one. Once I listened to the car leave, I rushed out to get to that food before something else would eat it. While eating, there came a voice from behind me. When I turned to look, Daddy was standing a short distance away.  

Mina. (Excitedly) What did you do next? 

Tilly. I froze. I had no idea where to run. I was prepared to bolt, but he didn't come to me. He just stayed back and talked to me. Then he turned and went back inside. I was so confused. Later that evening, I went outside to check the food bowl, which was full and started eating. This was when I heard a woman's voice come from the doorway of a small building. When I looked, I could see a woman sitting at the door. She was waiting and watching for me. Dread came over me. Twice now, I had been caught. Was the food poisoned? Are they going to shoot me? I was prepared, but all that happened was that the lady started talking to me gently. Then she went back inside. I was so confused but returned to my hiding spot. I didn't know it then, but on that day, I met my new Mommy and Daddy. After a few weeks of watching Mommy and Daddy, I figured it was probably safe to be out in the open if they were also outside. 

Mina. How did you finally become family?

Tilly. The lady (Mommy) came out daily just to talk to me. Daddy mostly stayed back and talked, but he gave me a lot of space. One evening, when Mommy was outside. She had some treats and kept offering them to me. Mommy would set them down for me, and each time they were a little closer to her, I didn't think anything of it because She never attempted to reach or grab me. After a while, I felt comfortable sitting close, and I'm not sure who did what, but one time, while getting up, we touched. I thought I had been tricked and caught, but it wasn't so. I looked at Mommy, and she seemed as surprised as I was. This confused me even more, but I still felt safe around her, so I continued to sit or lie close to her when she was outside. One evening, while I was beside Mommy, she reached over and stroked my back. (A gasp can be heard from somewhere in the room.) I didn't remember ever being touched like that, but I wanted more, and she was willing to provide it. I remained cautious, but I started to trust Mommy, and we became friends. 

Mina. (wiping eyes) That is so amazing. When did you finally meet Daddy?

Tilly. That took a while. I didn't know it then, but Daddy had what the humans call a stroke. This meant he was home every day for a time. Daddy spent much of those days outside, and he would talk to me whenever he saw me, so I felt he was harmless to me. Every day, Daddy would walk on a trail, and finally, my curiosity got the better of me. I followed him as he walked through the pastures and into the woods. I had been out there and couldn't figure out why he would go there, so naturally, I had to follow. One day, while I was following Daddy's trail, I was sniffing to see which way he was going, and I heard his voice from off to my left. When I turned to look, I saw Daddy sitting on a log, looking at me. Clearly, he had known I had been following. I was either weak and clumsy, or he had been expecting it. 

(Tonks gives a knowing smile, as does Mina.)

Mina. Knowing Daddy, he must have seen you following before. 

Tilly

Tilly. I found out later, once we finally became friends, that the birds had been giving my presence away, so he had known it since the first time. Another thing I hadn't known at the time was that this was the start of our walks, which we still do almost daily. So, that log Daddy was sitting on has also become one of our unique spots for hanging out.

Mina. Those walks which you are now becoming famous for on TIKTOK? (Everyone laughs at this, Tilly blushes, and then Mina continues.) Those walks must be unique to have created such a bond.

Tilly. I'm not sure who likes them more, Daddy or me. 

Mina. What about rain? 

Tilly. That doesn't stop us. Daddy brings a towel to sit on and an umbrella for us to sit under. I just sit on Daddy's lap, watching things on the tablet. I never dreamed of it. After walks, he would always give me some food. After a few weeks, he reached down to pet me while I ate. By this point, I didn't even hesitate. I just let him continue while I ate and purred. You guys already know the rest. 

(Mina claps with delight)

Mina. That is such a fantastic story, and we are so happy to have you as part of the family. 

Tilly. (as some tears form in Tilly's eyes, she responds.) I was so close to the Rainbow Bridge when I found Mommy and Daddy, and I have never been happier. 

(The studio is in complete silence when Mina breaks in.)

Mina. I cannot thank you enough for sharing all that, and it's neat to hear the unique things each of us gets to do with our humans. Unfortunately, it's time for a short break, but we will return with part 2 and Meg shortly. 

Wilhelmina Tulip (Mina)

Remus. Thank you all for joining us for part one. Keep an eye out for Part Two as Tonks interviews Meg, and then Mina and Tilly join back for some fun. Till then, Take care.