She materialized beside me while I surveyed the carnage. Her complexion and hair, glowing chartreuse the last time I’d seen her, was now auburn with highlights of ochre.
“I was afraid you wouldn’t be here”, I said to her.
“This forest is my home. I will never leave.”
I looked around to make sure I hadn’t missed anything, then back to her.
“But it’s gone. The forest has been gone for almost a year now. Can’t you tell?”
We stood amidst rubble left behind from the logging company’s activity. Limbs scattered the ground. Sawed off trunks crusted over with dried sap spread for acres, as far as I could see.
Recalcitrant words refused to drop into my mind and all I could do was look at her. The birds were absent, squirrels long abandoned their posts, and the bitter breeze barely tarried from one hilltop to the next.
She bent down, hugged her knees and pointed to a leaf on the ground. It was crisp and ragged, but still whole. With a finger, she pushed it aside and pulled an acorn from under another layer of leaves.
“My duty is here. I will wait.”
Too often people run from their troubles to somewhere else rather than face and deal with them. That’s why I worked with the US Border Patrol for awhile. There was a problem, I am a Templar Knight, and I could deal with it in a way that would solve the problem. It was hard, and it almost got me killed. I will carry the scars from it till the day I die.
I met all too many of the people who were running from their problems on the border. Rather than effect change where they were they would just run away. They had no commitment to making things better where they were. Then, when they got to their new destination they talked about how wonderful their old home was, and wanted us to make our home be like the one they left behind with all of it’s many problems that they were unable to face there.
On the border we have a name for them that is considered politically incorrect. Personally, I have met a lot of politicians in my life, and most of them talk a good line, but they are the scum of the earth, so I don’t care to do what they say is “correct”. So, on the border we call those offensive people who run away from their problems what they are – Illegal Aliens.
If your forest, your friends and loved ones get chewed up by life then it is moral cowardice to run away. Instead, you find the “acorns” that are still there, plant them, nurture them, and then watch, wait and pray until the day comes when you have a forest once again.
You write well, dear heart, and your words are filled with hidden wisdom. Deny that if you will, but it is there just the same waiting to grow like the acorn hidden in the leaves.
Know that you are Loved unconditionally, and Respected profoundly! And, know that you deserve to be both loved and respected for the Wise Woman you have truely become.
Lovely as always – this would such a wonderful YA novel.
Loved this…
Well, Clifford, I think I am cursed with the ability to see from both sides of a fence. Because I can understand both sides of the immigration argument and I don’t see any clear right or wrong answer – so the whole issue bothers me. We may have to agree to disagree on that topic
But thanks for your comment and for reading this week’s snippet
Thanks, Cathleen. This book likely will have too much dark matter for YA before it’s over, but if ever a publisher asked me to adapt anything I’ve written to a YA market, I guess I could try
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Thanks for visiting and leaving a footprint Jennifer
Lovely! Very clear description!
Thank you