I have a story to tell you.

It begins with some food in a box, standing outside a tent on the street, and a question. “Anyone home?”

“Yeah, who’s that?” the gravelly voice of a person coming out of laying down.

“You want some food?”

With enthusiasm, “Yeah!”

The tent flap opened and she leaned out. A head of silvery white hair with rivers of grey tumbling around big blue eyes and a smile . “Hey what’s your name? Are you my earth angel?” She guffawed.

I told her my name. She liked it.

She replied, “Well, you can call me Big Mamma Kristy Sky.” 

We talked a bit. She was curious and spirited. I met her dog, Babe, an old black butterball of a pitbull who waddled when she walked, never going far before laying down again like a harbor seal sunning herself on the beach. There was a wheelchair parked outside the tent. She uses it as a walker supporting her as she attempts to get around, then when tired, she can sit. It must be a challenge to maneuver on the broken streets and sidewalks that show up and disappear along the state highway where her tent is set up. She told me she cries a lot, all the time actually, asking God why he has put her here, but she has never shown me anything but enthusiasm with a sprinkle of frustrated anger and a handful of What The Fuck, why me, and unfair which is absolutely understandable. At 65 years of age, she has been on one rough road much of the time. 

She tells me, “I am free” and “less is more” dropping clarity and wisdom throughout the tales of the CIA coming for her and Big Daddy, her ex who stole her inheritance. She’s an ascended master chosen by God to bring the vibration of harmony to the planet and right now we are on the 3D hell plane and there are very strange things happening around here. 

I believe her.

Part 2

A couple months have past since our first meeting. There have been some really hot days in between some rainy weeks. All the while, she’s in the tent on the side of the road just off the state highway up against a chainlink fence that guards a construction site with half built houses not meant for her.

I have stopped by to check in; bring her ice when it’s hot, a tarp to cover her tent when it rains. I brought her food, some garbage bags, a bucket, some cardboard to put over the gravel under her tent.  I washed her clothes once and another time I washed her sleeping bags.

I remind myself of two things:  

One: She has been around a long time before I showed up which keeps me humble and rightsized.

Two: These acts are nothing special. We live in an upside down, very sick world. We are numb to life and the interconnectedness that sustains it. We are quite literally killing ourselves when we ignore Big Mamma Kristy Sky.

Housed people, we must think on what our lives would look like if our basic needs couldn’t be met. What if no one took your garbage “away”, if you had no access to water. It didn’t flow out of taps to keep us clean and remove our bodily waste.  Imagine, what if those conveniences, which they are because they’re not given, you must have money to purchase these basic needs, What if they were not accessible to you?

Capitalism has taken away the right to live with dignity for so many.

Part 3

It was mid morning, around 10 am, and I swung by to say hi. That’s the morning I took her two sleeping bags to the laundromat. She was a bit overwhelmed and agitated. It had been in the 90’s for a few days now and the heat was wearing her down. She’d been eating crackers in the tent, so there were crumbs in the bed. The sleeping bags stunk and were damp from the rains the week before. The dog was sleeping in there too, not feeling so good she told me. I had brought some donated dog food that Babe seemed to be allergic to. Her eyes were red and her skin itchy. She was constantly licking her paws. I have learned that much of the time the impact becomes very skewed from what my intentions are. I was trying to help Babe and now she suffers more. This no reason to stop trying.

I was standing outside the tent when I heard a cat meowing in distress. It was coming from the run down RV down the road from her tent. The screen covered windows were open, but the cat was pressing his nose against the screen meowing desperately. “Help us, please.”

I reached my hand up to the screen and then saw the face of a dog and two more cats crying for help. The dog was emaciated and quiet. The cats sounded so anguished in their pleas. The stink oozed from inside. They had been in there for days. Pissing and shitting everywhere, overheated with no water or food. Kristy Sky was mad. “The last time I saw the man was at least ten days ago when they were partying and I yelled at them for harrasing the dog.” 

She looked at me shaking her head, “When push comes to shove, its children and animals first. I know my heart and God sees who is practicing this. Get those animals outta there.” 

I took the sleeping bags to the laundromat while Big Mamma called her housed neighbor across the street who might know the guy in the RV’s name or number.

No one knew his name or number. Four animals locked in a tin box under the hot sun, dying. I called Animal Control. Another hot day passed while we waited. They never came. As the sun was setting, we finally came to the conclusion that we needed to get the animals out. 

Part 4

There are moments where time opens up and offers magic, where you just leap with faith while simultaneously pausing in stillness. You don’t know when it will happen, so you gotta be ready for the moments when you are in the right place at the right time with the right support.

Since the sun went down, getting them out was secondary to getting them water and food. We found a window that if we cut the screen, get the food and water in, we’d have to be able to close it so they couldn’t climb out. We found a small sliding glass window on the back of the trailer by the sink inside. As soon as I cut it open, six clawing paws reached out hooking around my hand that held the bottled water. I threw an open can of wet food in so they would let go of my hand. When I got the bottle of water through, the blue faced pitbull guzzled it as it came out of the spout and the kitties ravenously lapped it up from the sink. We threw some more food and water in there and left to figure out where to place them after we take them in the morning. 

My neighbors and I rallied in the morning. We drove over and pulled a screen off an open window. We had a large animal crate for the three cats and the sweet dog was glad to come with us. He hopped right in the car with some help and we brought them home. They were dirty, worn out, and in shock, yet eating up the affection and love we were giving as it is equal sustenance to food and water. 

The dog, who we shall call Arthur for the time being, was so weak. He was received by my neighbor across the street. Luckily he was neutered. Other than starving with heat exhaustion, he is gaining weight quickly and receiving lots of love and necessary care. 

Two of the cats were intact males and we promptly got them fixed at the vet. One of the boys had an abscess from a puncture wound on his front paw that was cared for at the vet as well. The beautiful female black kitty was not pregnant and we got her spayed. They are all healing as you read this.

So grateful for the Saint of Happenstance and Synchronicity. 

I just happened to be standing there at the right time to hear the SOS call from a soft orange tabby and his family. So grateful for the human family I’ve grown, those people who rise to the occasion to do the work on the ground. So grateful for those who open that doorway where magic comes in. The one that opens with the key of compassion.