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He awoke to the smell of fresh coffee dripping in the kitchen. The morning routine had become so ingrained no other alarm was needed. Starting another Monday, another week of work.
Rascal the chocolate lab looked up sleepily and headed toward the side door. After letting her out, Harris poured a cup of coffee and settled on the front porch to watch the sunrise. No matter how many times he had witnessed it, the majesty never failed to amaze him. Boy hood dreams of being an astronaut or an explorer gave way to the realities of life. Working class family created a working class young man. Growing up in the greater Midwest, Harris knew horses and cattle. In his few years working the Crooked ‘H’ ranch he was already a manager. Saving his wages, he hoped to someday have a small ranch of his own but in the back of his mind he knew it was a far-gone dream. Times had changed too much. The world was moving on.
Rascal returned to the front, seeming more awake and eager to start her day. Harris stood and was about to go into the small cabin and prepare breakfast when a robin landed a few feet from him. Sitting on the handrail, blinking, it looked at him sideways.
“Things are not always what they seem.” An unfamiliar voice resonated in his head.
Turning to look more closely at the bird, Harris squinted against the sharp morning sun. The bird’s head jerked right then left. It’s dark black eye met Harris’ and turned blue. Harris’ breathing froze in his chest. This can’t be real, he thought.
“Pay attention to what you see and hear, things are not what they seem. Things will change but only if you help them,” echoed in Harris’ head. Flutter of movement and the robin was gone.
Looking down at Rascal, Harris asked, “Did you see that, girl?”
The lab’s eyes went from Harris to where the bird had been, and she let out a single curt bark. “Thought so” Harris answered and together they went inside, Harris mumbling what he had heard to himself.
The fifty-minute drive to the crooked ‘H’ was uneventful. Another busy morning setting up for the tourist season in the spring and summer was a routine that seemed to flow along. Harris found himself heading into town for supplies and lunch.
Sitting at the counter eating, Harris heard a voice that seemed to glide through the collective chatter in the diner, the sound both familiar yet unknown. Turning to find the source he could only catch a glimpse of the young lady, the back of her head, neat, straight sandy brown hair.
“Surprising how I do remember this place,” she was telling the girl behind the counter. “That ‘back home’ smell and I don’t know the feel of it, just so comfortable. Thanks.”
Something about the voice touched him. Stepping away from the counter, weaving through other customers moving toward this siren song, he heard the door close and the sound that had caught his attention was gone. Harris looked toward the young girl at the counter but she had already moved on to another customer. He headed out of the diner and scanned up and down the street but could not find the woman.
Heading to his truck, Harris dismissed the incident as an overactive imagination. After the odd start to the morning he needed to get some rest. Time to drop off supplies and head on home.
Driving in silence, one hand on the wheel the other gently scratching Rascal behind her ear, Harris spied a vehicle pulled to the side of the road. ‘A smaller car, probably a tourist.’ he thought as he came to a stop a short distance behind the vehicle. Rascal announced their arrival with a bark and jumped from the bed of the pick up and stood by his driver’s side door. Harris stepped out, staring intently at the vehicle. This was an odd spot to be stuck there wasn’t a lot of traffic on this road. Not much in the way of cell phone towers in this part of the country.
“Hello there? You need a hand?” he asked as he approached the driver’s door.
“Thanks so much. I don’t know what happened; the car just stopped. I know I have gas. Just plain old shut down on me.” That voice, the voice from the diner, Harris thought as his heart skipped a few beats. He stopped where he was letting his eyes take her in. As the door opened, an athletic woman climbed out, small hands still working the buttons her phone, her straight sandy brown hair hiding her face and draping her shoulders. Finally she looked up to meet his gaze, hazel eyes searching his face, high round cheekbones, accenting a warm smile and unusually thick eyebrows that added a sense of intelligence to her face. All of this left Harris feeling exposed on the open road.
There was something familiar about her movements and her face. Harris searched the recesses of his mind to place where he had seen her before but came up blank. Rascal, the wiser, walked up to their newfound friend, tail wagging, sniffing, inspecting. The girl began to pet Rascal’s head as she looked up and brushed the hair from her face. Harris’ breath caught. He knew her somehow.
“My name is Harris, can I lend you a hand? We don’t get much traffic on this road so you could be out here a while.”
“ Hi, I’m Julia. Julia Craven, I was born near here. I kind of grew up here, well till I was six. We moved back East and well I just wanted to see the place I was born in. That’s silly right? Well just something I feel like I had to do.” Standing with her right hand extended, she added, “Um, hello? You feeling Ok?”
Harris started to breathe again. Touching her hand he felt a sting of electricity shoot up his arm. Being scared and excited all at once was foreign to him, “Not as weird as what I’m going to ask you. Where did you grow up? Around here I mean?”
“Oh some small place, I think we were part of a small ranch or something, here’s the address.” Handing him the paper she searched his face again.
He stared with a jolt of recognition. “This is the plot next to mine. When I was small there was another home just a few acres away. After the family there left my old man bought the property. Been empty since. I think we used to know each other.”
Rascal barked and began circling the two. They stood there staring at each other. Not sure what to say a certain feeling rested in the air, not tension but a wave of calm seemed to blanket them. Harris noticed a robin sitting on the top of he rental. He knew the bird was not there before. Locking eyes with Harris the unlikely observer took flight.
“Um, well, this is really weird maybe I should try my car again.” A puzzled expression on her face, Julia sat back behind the drivers seat and started the rental.
Before she could speak again, Harris did.
“Why don’t you just follow me? Your gps will show you, I’m not trying to trick you or anything.” Forcing a smile, he nodded and headed back to his truck. Rascal jumped in, tail wagging in excitement. Harris scratched her behind the ears, “Oh chill out. It can’t be her I mean what are the odds.”
During the ride home Harris remembered. His mind faded back to the little girl next door that he played with. She was a few years younger but being the only neighbors within walking distance, the children grew together for a half dozen years. He was always amazed at her eyes and how she seemed to be able to read him. He remembered how cute and small her hands were but that never stopped her from climbing or building the small bird houses they would set out in the winter.
Slowly the two vehicles pulled into the gravel driveway. They stepped out, their eyes met, and Harris was certain she was his former neighbor, the same glint was there in her eyes. Together they walked toward the abandoned property. Julia began to expose her short history.
She had lived on the east coast and both her parents had passed away in separate accidents, her father on a motorcycle and her mother with a slip on ice. A lost history disappeared in a flash being replaced by a long lost friend. The two returned to town and settled in for dinner. Together they moved as one. Conversation flowed freely. Lost souls united through time. Later, leaving Julia outside her hotel Harris felt warm and at peace with himself. He drove home and settled in for the night.
Waking up the next morning with Julia on his mind, Harris picked up his cell phone. The date was still Monday on the phone, but he knew that couldn’t be right. Flipping on the morning news channel he looked to the lower right of the screen, Monday 6:35am. No, something didn’t feel right.
Looking out a window to his right he saw a blue-eyed robin staring in at him from the roof of his truck. Harris rushed for the door and as he crashed through the small bird took flight. Rascal just sat back, tail low, waiting for what would come next. Heading back inside, Harris called the hotel where he dropped Julia last night. No one named Julia Craven was registered there.
Logging on the computer, Harris opened his Internet browser and searched for her. Finding a webpage with her name, he opened the link.
“Finding a match: My name is Julia Craven and I am searching for bone marrow match. ………”
Eyes burning into the computer monitor he read frantically. Leaning back heavily in his seat, he realized he had decisions to make. After feeding Rascal he headed to the local hospital. Harris had questions that he needed answered before making any decisions. Finding a parking space he walked to the entrance of the cancer department, while outside the doors a robin sat watching.
Several weeks passed. Harris’ phone began to sing. Looking down he didn’t recognize the number but answered just the same.
“Hello?” he said, expecting a wrong number.
“Um, hello, is this Harris Carmichale?” a gentle female voice inquired.
The subdued but silky sound sent a shiver through his body. Harris didn’t need to ask but felt he had to.
“Yes, may I ask who this is?”
“My name is Julia Craven. I am just so grateful to actually talk to you. I mean I know I’m not supposed to know who you are but I was able to persuade some people to get me your information.” Silence but Harris thought he could hear her choking back tears. The world before him had gotten blurry on its own just at hearing her voice. “You, you are saving me. I couldn’t believe the town you are in. I grew up near there actually. I would like to fly out there next week and meet you. If that would be OK?”
Swallowing hard he answered, “It would be my pleasure to meet you Julia Craven.”
Together, miles apart, they shared their first smile together after many years.
Julia looked outside the window of her second floor apartment and saw a most curious thing, a blue-eyed robin looking in at her. That can’t be right, she thought. Birds have beaks, they can’t smile.
Who are you now?
Nervous thoughts picking behind green eyes.
Sleep a distant friend, long lost but not forgotten.
Lying on your side, his arms wrapped around you.
His skin feels cold almost alien now.
What have you done?
Decisions made in haste and anger.
Bile sits in the back of your throat, hot and burning.
Blinking into the darkness you can see your soul.
Here with him yet still alone in your sadness.
Pulling the bed sheets close, biting your lower lip.
The iron taste brings little relief and you retreat.
What have you become?
Dew kissing bare feet
Pale skin glowing in the waning moon light.
Crisp air filling your lungs, tickling skin.
Thoughts stirring emotion, drawing out tears for no one to see.
Arms crossed, head low, gliding through the dying night.
Who will you be?
When virgin sunshine brushes your hair.
When the day’s chores roll on.
The light casts away fears and doubts.
Everything else is forgotten.
Once the sun retreats, and the moon rules.
Who are you now?
There will be more writing coming soon. I have several things going at once. A few of the little buggers ahve run off and are playing hide and seek. A group of incomplete poems and some shorts. Not that you are chomping at the bit as there is a lot out there to absorb. Just letting you all know I appreciste the follows and have more to write.
Thanks!!
tigersrumblings 