Hello, and welcome to another special episode of Tonks Talk: the round table discussions. I'm your producer, Remus, and we are joined by Goldie for today's episode, so let's get started.
 |
Tonks
|
Tonks. I'm so happy to be back. Hello Remus. Thank you for putting together another fabulous production. Feels good to be back in front of this mic.
Remus. Thank you for that kind welcome, and yes, it's great to be back on the soundboard.
Tonks. Mina, my dear, you are as radiant as ever. I see you are happy to be back.
 |
Mina
|
Mina. (breaks out into a laugh.) Is it that obvious? We were away from the studio for far too long, and I am excited. Not only happy to do the show but excited to meet our guest. By the way, where is the guest?
Tonks. (Blushing) I should have known better than to send Sadie and Obi to pick up Goldie at the hotel. Those two can never be trusted together. While we are waiting, why don't you update us on how your health is doing.
Mina. I would love to. For those that don't know, I was recently diagnosed with Lymphoma. The symptoms had come on pretty quick and caught everyone by surprise. I had been losing some weight, but daddy thought I was just losing my baby fat, so he didn't realize how sick I was getting. Then once I stopped eating, things went downhill quick.
Remus. (muttering) That's an understatement. You went from just being a little tired to not eating and almost. (Remus stops himself almost as if he physically can't utter the rest.)
Tonks. Let's just say we are lucky and happy you are still here.
(Both Tonks' and Mina's eyes well up with tears. Then Mina continues.)
Mina. Things were close for a while. But my body is responding well to the medicine, and I have put on about 300 grams of weight. I get 4-5 soupies daily, plus all the kibble I can eat. So I don't get bored, the soupies are also different flavors. The Dr. was very pleased with my condition.
Tonks. (Smiling.) And so are we, dear sis. So are we.
 |
| Remus |
Remus. (clears his throat to get the ladies' attention.) GPS has them on our street. They will be pulling into the drive in a few seconds.
Tonks and Mina respond with a "Thank You."
Tonks. Any guesses where they stopped?
Mina and Remus respond simultaneously with "hardware store" and "Dairy Queen," respectively. Everyone laughs, then the door opens sharply as Obi rushes Goldie through the door, scampers out, and slams the door.
Tonks. (Exasperated) Why, that weasel! (Before she can say anything else, Mina cuts in to welcome Goldie.)
Mina. (Mina jumps up, noticing that Tonks is about to shout, and cuts her short with a loud excited greeting to Goldie.) Goldie, What a pleasure it is to finally meet you in person. Your curls look absolutely stunning. Take a seat between Tonks and Remus, and we'll get started.
(Goldie mumbles some short hello's and gives out a couple quick hugs before settling down on her pillow. Tonks has recovered her composure and decided there will be time to deal with Obi later. So once everyone is seated, Tonks begins.)
Tonks. Goldie, it's lovely seeing you again. Thank you for making the long trip across the country to visit.
Goldie. Thank you so much for having me back. It's lovely seeing you all again, and it's terrific to finally meet you in person, Mina.
Mina. The pleasure is truly all mine. I have heard so much about you and your humans from Mommy and Daddy. I am happy you were able to make it. How was the trip out?
Goldie. A little stressful since my Mommy didn't come along. Actually, I was a little scared. There were so many people, and I was afraid I would miss my flight or go to the wrong gate. Fortunately, Mommy Saw the latest message from Tonks, which included the name of a contact person that was to be my escort. Once I hooked up with them, the anxiety disappeared. I'm sure Mommy felt better, knowing I would be looked after.
Tonks. I bet, considering you had to travel clear across the country this time. Of course, we are all dying to hear about the move, but we are getting ahead of ourselves. So let's start instead by telling our audience more about yourself.
 |
| Goldie |
Just as Mina asks the first of many questions, Sadie walks in with a tray loaded with goodies and sets it on the table. Goldie sees the small chunks of cooked chicken and the stewed meat chunks and looks up to speak, but Mina beats her to it.
Goldie. (Looking up with surprise and a glint of a tear at the corner of her eyes.) I almost feel like I am at home. Thank you very much. These are cooked to perfection.
Tonks and Mina both look relieved as Goldie says this, and Mina proceeds with the first question.
Mina. Says here that you are approximately 7 years and from a shelter. How did you find yourself in a shelter? More importantly, tell us how your Mommy and Daddy found you there.
Goldie. It's been a little over 5 years, but I remember it all as if it were yesterday. I had been living on the streets around Longview with another dog. Then, one day we found ourselves rounded up and brought into the shelter. I was tended to by Vets, techs, you name it. Finally, I was put up for adoption when I was deemed healthy.
Tonks. That must have been terrifying. Did you have to wait very long?
Goldie. Probably not as long as it had seemed. Many people walked through the shelter door, but none noticed me. I was nervous and tended to stay back in my room. Then, one day I saw a couple walk through the door. Something about the woman appealed to me, and I stepped to the door of my room to get a better look and smell of her. When I did that, she noticed me, and when our eyes met. Well, let's just say that we found each other. Knowing the whole story, it had to be pure fate.
Mina. Fate? I must know the details; please continue.
Goldie. It was Labor Day weekend, and visitors had been coming and going all day. I had seen some of the others get adopted out, but I wasn't encouraged by this. I was depressed and lonely, sure that I would never leave. Unbeknownst to me, My future Mommy and Daddy decided on a whim to stop and see what the shelter had up for adoption. They weren't looking to adopt at that time but just stopped out of pure curiosity.
Once they entered the shelter, The woman was surprised when she saw me. She walked up to my door, saying the name Midnight. I didn't know then what she meant, but I didn't care. I was moving towards her. The shelter people were surprised and said they hadn't seen me react to anyone else. The woman talked with the people for a few minutes, and they opened my door. There was something about her that I knew I could trust, and once she picked me up, I never wanted her to put me back down. The shelter people also saw this and let me leave that very day. Since then, I have never looked back and been happier than I am now.
As Goldie talks, the room is entirely silent. By the time she finishes, there isn't a dry eye in the house. Goldie thinks for a split second and remembers that everyone in this very room lived a part of their life in a shelter. Tonks breaks the silence finally.
Tonks. Did you ever find out what your human meant by the name Midnight?
Goldie. Midnight was the name of a dog my humans had for 17 years. Midnight left to go over the Rainbow Bridge. My human had been missing Midnight, so they stopped at the shelter. They weren't really looking to adopt.
Apparently, I reminded the Woman of Midnight, and other than a couple short trips like this one, we have never been apart.
Mina. Where was your new daddy in all this?
Goldie. (Let's out a short giggle before responding.) He was right there. It just took me a little while to warm up to him. I hadn't had very good experiences with many people, leaving me shy. Mommy was all I needed then, but eventually, I warmed up to him and discovered that he was just as nice as Mommy. I still prefer Mommy, though.
Mina. I am so grateful you shared such a fascinating story with us. From what I've heard, you have recently had another amazing adventure?
Goldie. (smiling) You must be referring to our recent move from Oregon to Florida. That was quite the adventure. I still can't believe how many sights, smells, and sounds I encountered along the way. The trip should have taken just over 3 days, Daddy is a professional driver and likes driving, but the trip lasted almost an entire week.
Tonks. (with a shocked look.) Wow, what happened?
Goldie. (Clearly much more relaxed, she giggles and starts the tale.) The trip started out perfectly. My humans rented a truck to move all our things which they packed, and then we started down the road. We had traveled for most of the day when all of a sudden, all the lights went out on the truck. This forced us to stop in a place called Idaho. We were there for almost 2 and a half days, and Mommy and Daddy weren't thrilled. Because the truck would take even longer to get fixed, they unpacked it and moved everything into another truck alone. Mommy said it was a terrible way to spend Mother's Day weekend. They were very stressed, but I did my best to stay out of the way and provided encouragement when I could. The rest of the trip went without incident, though because of the hot weather, Daddy decided to drive long days and finally made it to Florida.
Mina. What a fantastic adventure. Sadie has lived in and traveled through other states, Obi has also journeyed some, but the rest of us have never been more than an hour from home.
Goldie. It was an adventure.
Tonks. We have heard that wasn't the only adventure you've had recently. You actually had a hurricane recently. What was that like?
Goldie. That was pretty scary, but fortunately, we were on the "good" side of the hurricane and escaped significant damage. We got a lot of rain and high winds, which was very scary, but Mommy and Daddy were there to ensure I was safe.
Tonks. (With a short laugh) Obi is just dying to hear all about the hurricane. How do you like the new house?
Goldie. Absolutely love it. I have several spots picked out that I have claimed. The couch, loveseat, Daddy's chair, Mommy and Daddy's bed, my bed. Well, you get the picture. (Goldie laughs as she says this last part.)
Mina. Well, it clearly sounds like you have claimed the entire house. I see here that you don't really have any favorite toys. Is this true?
Goldie. It sure is. I've never been that much of a toy lover. I prefer hanging close to Mommy and Daddy. I offer them whatever help I can or choose a spot to lie down near them while they are doing things like working in the garden.
Tonks. Sounds to me like you have settled in nicely and absolutely love your new home.
Goldie. I do love it. The weather is warmer year-round, so I don't mind going outside as much. I still don't like going out in the rain, but overall, I would say Florida is very nice, and I am glad to live there.
Tonks. I can't believe how fast time flies. We are already to that part of the show where Mina and I ask a couple of unique questions. I'll ask first. Goldie, If you could be anything or have a superpower for a day, what would it be?
Goldie. I love this question. I already have a superpower. I have a unique ability to bark Mommy awake. I start with a low bark and gradually get louder until she wakes, but Daddy is still sleeping. I use it every day. Mommy says I am so good at it that she never has to use an alarm clock.
Tonks. (With a very warm smile) Sounds to me like that superpower goes much more profound and has helped create an extraordinary bond between you and your Mommy.
Goldie. (Pensively) I would agree that Mommy and I have an extraordinary bond that I have never had with another human. Don't get me wrong, I love Daddy, but it's more special between Mommy and me.
There is a moment's pause as all around the room, looks of understanding appear on everyone's faces.
Mina. I find it funny how we all form our special bonds with our humans. We have a pretty complicated system here as it is. But, alas, it's time for one final question. If you could spend one weekend with an animal or human, living or historical, who would it be?
Goldie. (with a giggle) That is another easy one. I would spend an entire weekend with Midnight. I would ask everything I could about Mommy, Daddy, and everything Midnight could tell me about taking care of them. 17 years Midnight took care of and protected Mommy and Daddy. I hope to be just as good.
Tonks. From what I've heard, you have already made your unique mark and are doing a fantastic job taking care of your humans.
Tears form in Goldie's eyes as she hears these words, and Tonks reaches over to squeeze her paw.
Mina. Goldie, thank you very much for making the trip. I feel so honored to have finally met you in person, and I look forward to spending the rest of the weekend with you.
Goldie. The feeling is mutual, and thank you for having me.
Tonks. You are welcome to visit us anytime. With that, Thank you, everyone, for joining us for this episode of Tonks Talk.
We look forward to seeing you all again! Take care.
 |
| Mina, Tonks, and Remus |
Sweet. Excellently done and Goldie agrees.. Hugs, to All, Bev.
ReplyDelete