1980 -- My parents leave me at my grandparents'. They claim to be sledding with my brothers, but actually they are picking out a cat from the S.P.C.A. My father names him Reginald.

c. 1986 -- I have a dream that Reginald is standing in the sun porch. Suddenly, he speaks, low and backwards -- clearly demon-possessed. I wake up frightened.

May 1991 -- Reginald, quite elderly, disappears in the rain. We put up posters all over the neighborhood. We put ads in the newspaper. My mother calls the S.P.C.A. daily.

June 1991 -- I have a dream in which Reginald appears to me, underneath my Grandpa Eshelman's black walnut tree. I am so happy to see Reginald -- until I realize that I am dreaming. I understand the dream to be God's way of helping me to accept Reginald's death. I refuse to do this and push the cat away.

July 1991 -- It is discovered that Reginald had been at the S.P.C.A. when my mother called. However, we were not told of this, and he was euthanized.

October 1991 -- Grandpa Eshelman dies of bladder cancer.

February 2002 -- I have a dream in which I am organizing a distinguished speakers series. I go to a park, where I see Reginald out of the corner of my eye. It strikes me that he would make a good speaker. I follow him to an outbuilding, which turns out to be nothing but steps leading underground. The cat disappears into a closet which I cannot enter. I am distressed that Reginald is gone. Then, he reappears, speaking in a voice like Katharine Hepburn's. He agrees to speak in my series, but only if he gets paid a lot and is allowed to speak in his Katharine Hepburn voice while retaining full maleness.