Over twenty years ago my friend Rod lived with two cats that he loved dearly. They were litter mates and were known appropriately enough as Brother and Sister. They all lived together on a small farm on the banks of Putah Creek in central California. It was a cat's paradise and both cats had a great life. Brother and Sister were big friendly intelligent tabby cats, and were admired and loved by everyone. Or almost everyone.

For several years they lived happily, then tragedy struck. Brother suddenly disappeared. Rod looked high and low but he was nowhere to be found. They lived in a rural area so anything was possible. However Rod always thought that one of his neighbors was responsible, since the neighbor had a stated antipathy towards cats in general and Brother in particular. Rod was sure that the neighbor had taken Brother away and abandoned him miles from the farm, but he was unable to prove anything. After months of searching Rod finally despaired of ever seeing Brother again.

So Rod and Sister went on with their lives. The weeks turned into years. The years turned into decades. Rod got married and started a family. The trees grew. Sister became a fine old cat, even at twenty plus years she was still active and healthy. Rod's children grew up hearing stories about what a wonderful cat Brother had been before he vanished. The family sometimes speculated on Brother's whereabouts but realistiacally assumed he had come to come grevious cat fate.

Twenty years after Brother disappeared a mangy stray began hanging around the farm. This went on for a few days and then Rod chased it away. He didn't want it bothering Sister, or possibly his children. Stray animals are a constant problem in the country and Rod couldn't take care of every animal that wandered onto his property. He thought no more of it

Several years later Rod noticed that Sister was going down into the bushes by the creek almost every day and hanging out with an animal that was very careful to keep itself hidden. This was very mysterious indeed so Rod started following Sister to see if he could see what was up. After stalking her for several weeks he finally saw that she was hanging out with the stray cat that he had driven away several years before.

And of course this got him thinking, why would she hang out with a mangy old stray? When Rod got a closer look he realized that the stray cat was in fact the long lost Brother. Rod was of course both overjoyed and horrified. Overjoyed because his cat missing for more than twenty years had returned. Horrified because he had driven Brother away and he had lived by the creek in the bushes for two years. To this day Rod still cries when he tells this story.

Fortunately after he was recognized it took very little coaxing to get Brother to move back into the house. He and Sister both lived out their last few years, warm, sheltered, well fed, and together again at last. And Rods' children got to see that Brother truly was a remarkable cat.