A Haven From the Storm
Chapter 18: White Light
After having been exposed to the full measure of Karen's misery, my sleep that night should have been miserable also. The lady in my dreams surprised me again. She told me that I was very close to being able to help Karen, by helping myself first. When I asked her to be more specific about what I should do, she merely answered me with the most incongruous giggling. She did say that the pastor would be most helpful if I told him my situation fully. I would be smart, she repeated several times, if I took his advice exactly as given.
The sunlight streaming in the windows mocked my mood. I wasn't depressed - rather I felt grimly determined to break up that horrible freeze between Rick and Karen, even at the cost of screaming at Rick myself. But I still drew a blank when it came to specific action items. I decided to launch into the chores early and see if labor would produce inspiration. It often does, you know.
Wowser had to have his hug and riceball, Popuri (feathered friend) had to have her feed, and Charlie and I had a nice, if one sided, conversation. Until I built a fence to contain him, he was in detention in the stable. I couldn't count on Popuri (pink-haired cousin) to fetch him for me every evening. I plied him with an armful of succulent weeds and left him to his own devices.
While watering the vegetables, I turned over the Rick and Karen problem in my mind. I forced myself to use the problem solving techniques that had served me so well in engineering work. What, I reflected, did you do when you were stuck on a problem. Well, first you read the manuals and other reference materials. No go - I doubted that operations manuals existed for those two. Well, you experiment and gather more data, then. No go - I didn't lack for information about those two, I was in fact drowning in it. Well, then you admit you're stumped and bring in some more experienced brain power...and then it hit me. Mary! She'd known them just about all their lives, and was closer to Karen than many sisters were to each other. She just had to have some insights about them.
Thanking Providence that we were friends again, I started off to the library at a time that would get me there at opening. I hadn't been visiting her every day like before. I still didn't quite trust her newly detached attitude towards me - at least I didn't want to put too much stress on it. But this was different. I wasn't paying her a friendly open ended visit. I was completely mission oriented.
I entered the library before Mary had even had the chance to sit down at her desk. She was standing over it sorting her mail, and turned around towards me when I came in.
She started off with a smile and a "Why, good morning, Jack. You're early today..." and then as she looked carefully at me, her expression changed to match the concern on my face. "What's the matter?"
"It's Karen. She's in trouble, and I don't know what to do about it." I told her of yesterday evening's events.
Now it was Mary that surprised me. I was kind of expecting her mood to become sad and helpless. Instead, I saw a determination in her face that matched my own. "This is getting completely out of hand! I thought she was getting better - but that's even worse than anything that happened last winter. Jack, are you free now?"
"I can be. What do you have in mind?"
"Well, first we should go visit her and see how she is. Then we can decide the next course of action." She scowled at the morning papers on her desk. "I'm going to close up now. Karen's more important than this place. The old folks can read the papers some other time. Let's go."
She locked the door and hung up a 'Library Closed' sign, then we strode briskly together to the General Store. Jeff, sitting behind the counter, greeted us.
"Jack, Mary, good morning. Jack, I have to thank you for...uh...last night..."
"Mary knows all about it, you needn't be reticent."
"Yes, well, I am grateful to you, going through all that trouble. You know, when she does stay over at the Inn, Ann comes and tells us where she is so that we don't worry about her. But I still thank you. It's better that she be in her own home."
"I thought so, too. How is she? Is she up yet?"
"She got up a few minutes ago. She's very quiet this morning."
"Can we talk to her?"
"I don't see why not. She's in the kitchen, you just go on in."
We went back into the kitchen to find Karen sitting at the table picking at a plate of scrambled eggs and toast. She looked very haggard and was wearing a long faded bathrobe. Her expression changed to acute embarrassment as she looked up at us.
"Jack, Mary...oh, damn! I don't know what to say."
Mary broke the ice by going over and hugging her. They held on to each other for a bit, then Mary sat down beside her and motioned for me to sit also.
"So how are you feeling this morning?"
Karen smiled faintly. "How did you think I'd feel. Sorta like I got trampled by a herd of cows. I'm OK, I guess." She made a face while pushing the eggs around with a fork. "I always like mom's eggs, but right now, my stomach is telling me 'no way!'"
Her embarrassment came back as she looked at me. "Jack...I'm having trouble remembering what happened and what I'm just imagining...did you really carry me home last night?"
"Sure did." I raised my hand. "Please don't get all apologetic about it. I was glad to do it. Thought you belonged here. Ann was all ready to take you in the back and tuck you in. She didn't think I could carry you. Three weeks ago I couldn't have. But now that I'm a master farmer..." I mockingly flexed my arm.
That got both of them giggling a little.
"Well, thanks for bringing me home. There is always that moment of panic when I wake up in a bed not my own!" She blushed a little. "I hope you weren't paying any attention to whatever nonsense I was saying on the way home."
"You were pretty incoherent. I was concentrating on not dropping you. But enough kidding around. You up for getting serious about all this?"
"Sure, why not?"
"Ah...you mind telling me what touched that off? What happened before I came in?"
"Ugh! My own damn fault! I should have stayed home like I said, but I figured that ducking in the Inn for one quick snort wouldn't hurt. Well, when I saw Rick sitting there all smug and self-contained one just seemed to turn into a dozen before I knew it. To complete my run of poor judgment, I thought...no, the wine thought...that going over to Rick and asking him 'doncha still love me?' would be appropriate. I'll give him credit, he answered me real direct." She mimicked his voice. "No, I don't. Face it, we were always a mistake and now it's finished. Get over it and get on with your life."
Mary looked angry. "He said that? Right to your face? After all you two have been through together?"
"Yeah, well...so then I blew up completely. Let him know just what I've been feeling since the festival from hell. Good and loud. I was really cooking - and then Jack came in. I just wanted to die when I saw him standing in the door with 'How can I help her?' written all over his face. Then the wine actually had mercy on me and the rest of the evening was just little flashes of strong arms and cherry blossoms and mom fussing over me."
She looked at the two of us. "You know, I'm just starting to really wake up now. What are you two doing here together? Is this the 'Karen Repair Team' or something?" Her look turned steely. "Look, I'm more grateful than I can say for your help and concern. But you know, he's right. It is over and I do have to get on with my life. I've been making too much trouble for people I love. No more! The new, improved Karen hits the shelves today. Oh, don't give me that look Mary - I'll get on just fine now that I have no more illusions about him. I may fall, but I never break!
"Look, Jack, you've got your chores and Mary, you've got to open the library. Let me nurse this wicked bad head by myself and we'll talk again later, OK? No, I mean it. You guys get on with your day, I'll be all right."
We protested briefly, but she was insistent and we reluctantly left. We stood outside the store for a minute.
"Mary, do you believe any of that?"
"Not for a second. That was utter despair talking. We've really got to do something now, or next time will be much worse than drunken rage. Jack, let's go talk to Rick."
"Together? I intend to go over there sometime today and give him a good talking to. But should you come? I thought that you and him weren't on the best of terms."
"Yes, but he can't just ignore me. We all go back too far together. I've been tagging along with Karen and him since we were all little-little. I'd better come with you; I can read him like you couldn't." She frowned. "I know how to get under his skin too if he tries to get all stubborn and silent with us."
"'kay, you up for it now?"
"You bet I am."
When we got to Chicken Lil's, we were greeted by Popuri running around the yard chasing some hens. She and Mary exchanged cool glances and correct greetings, then she started in on me.
"Jack, I thought you were helping Karen with her drinking. Why didn't you stop that horrid thing last night?"
I almost snapped at her to shut up and mind her own business, but stopped myself thinking we didn't need her wailing and shrieking on top of everything else. I just asked her, "Where is Rick?"
"In the hen house, but I don't think he wants to see you..."
We ignored her and went in together. Rick was fiercely hammering boards onto the side of a feed bin. When he heard us enter, he turned around and faced us with a stubbornly angry expression. He didn't bother to start off with pleasantries.
"Did she send you two here to talk to me?"
I answered. "No, we came on our own. We're concerned about her...hell, we're concerned about the both of you. She's falling apart you know..."
"Tell me something I don't know! Making a scene like that in public - with most of the county's top horse ranchers watching to boot! Spewing her drunken venom all over me. I don't have to take that kind of garbage off of anyone! Nobody does."
He folded his arms and stared at me. "One good thing, Jack - you finally got to see how she can be. You've been romanticizing her - 'poor innocent heartbroken artist.'" He snorted. "Now you've seen her vicious side. Still think I'm being unreasonable about her? How'd you like to be yolked to that for the rest of your life? I'd rather run off to the city and be a bum on the streets!"
Mary interrupted. "Rick, you know she's only been like that recently. Yes, she's been drinking for a long time but you know it used just to make her silly - and OK, a little maudlin sometimes."
He then interrupted her. "And I suppose you're going to tell me now that the change is all my fault. That she's frustrated because we didn't get married when she wanted to."
Mary had her hands on her hips, staring him down. "Yes! That's just it! Are you denying it? What do you say caused her to change?"
"Even if it's true - I'm supposed to just abandon my family to hold her hand and pat her head and make her over into a good drunk? I'm supposed to just let Popuri go off and run wild in the city? I'm supposed to check Ma into some clinic so she can waste away quietly and not interfere with our happy alcoholic home?"
"Rick, that's nasty."
He looked anguished. "Mary, Ma's dying. She's worse every day. Pa will never find that desert flower. When he comes back, it'll be to find her buried in the church yard. She's his whole life, you know. He won't survive it. Then what will I have? An empty house and a farm full of stupid chickens. I'll grow to hate it all."
I responded, "So you need her as much as she does you. She can help you through all that."
"How can she help me? She can't even help herself."
We all went back and forth over those issues for an hour. Nothing changed his attitude in the least. Mary finally gave me a look signaling that we should leave. He didn't bother saying goodbye as we left. We were both disturbed and walked aimlessly for a bit until she finally spoke.
"All right, Jack, I see what you've been up against now. I'm sorry...for awhile there, I thought you weren't trying hard enough with him. I must confess, I'm out of ideas also. He's totally oppressed by that family situation. I can't see any way out of it, and he's not going to thaw to Karen until it improves."
"Mary, you know, I hate to say this but maybe Karen does need to give up on him. It seems hopeless."
"No! I refuse to believe that! There has to be a way to reconcile them." The defiance emptied from her face and she looked lost. "If I only knew how. Jack, if you think I'm being unreasonable and stubborn, it's because you're new here. You didn't see them together in the old days. It's impossible to imagine a couple more happy and natural together than they were.
"We're not going to get anywhere today. You might as well go back to your farm. I'm not going to bother with the library - Gray and you are the only ones who come in the afternoons. He can do without his spy novels for one day. I'm going to go wander the mountain and try to clear my head. Thanks for coming with me, Jack. I'll see you later."
She walked off towards the mountain path, and I went back to Erehwon.
I was as unwilling as Mary to just give up on Karen. Even if getting her and Rick back together looked impossible, she had to be kept from drinking herself to death. But how, I thought? Well...doctors treat drinking problems, right?
A few minutes later, I was at the clinic, being greeted by Elli.
"Good afternoon, Jack. I haven't seen you since the festival. Is there something wrong? Are you sick?"
"No, but I do need to consult the doctor about a kind of a health problem. Is he free?"
She gave me a look of curiosity, but told me the doctor was available. I thanked her and went into the examination room, where Doctor and I exchanged greetings.
"So, Jack, what can I do for you today?"
"Well, it's not about me. I know I'm being a busybody, but it's worrying me no end. It's about Karen." I explained the situation to him.
"Jack, you know that she's the one who has to come to me for treatment. Since you're so worried about her, I can assure you that her health is in no immediate danger. She's very healthy, it would take several years of almost constant drinking for her to get significantly ill. Of course, alcohol abusers are always in danger of injuring themselves. And since she has a severe emotional problem that is the root cause - pardon me for speaking bluntly - self-injury is always a risk.
"I can treat alcohol abuse and it's side effects. We know how to do that. She has to come to me for treatment, though; I can't just go to her and tell her what to do. As a concerned friend, you should try and persuade her to come to me. But...the underlying problem is beyond my ability to cure. I could give you a lot of psych jargon, but the phrase you use, 'broken heart' is as good as any of it. And that, we medical doctors can do little about.
"I hate to just dismiss you, but perhaps you should go talk to Pastor Carter. I'm best at illnesses of the body - he knows something about illnesses of the spirit."
We stood up, I thanked him for his time, shook his hand and left.
I'd been going to church every Sunday - always sitting in a pew far from Popuri - but Carter and I had only exchanged a few friendly generalities since I'd asked his advice about Popuri and Mary so long - two weeks - ago. Apparently, it was time to unload some more troubles on him.
The church was empty when I entered. I went to the door leading to the basement where he sometimes stayed and knocked. There was no answer. I tried the door and it was locked. I guessed he was off somewhere, and I decided to sit in a pew and wait for a little.
The peace and quiet of the church mocked my mood. I was so anxious and worried for Karen that I started praying aloud without intending to.
"God, you know I'm not always coming and bothering you with 'gimme this' and 'gimme that.' You've been real generous to me over the years and you know I'm grateful to you for everything. But this isn't about me...my friend's in trouble and I don't know how to help her! I'm scared to death for her. Can't you please help her? Give me some way to help her, please?"
I went on in this vein in a rather disjointed manner for some minutes. I stopped and paused for a bit, then felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned my head to see Pastor Carter standing there with a calm smile on his face.
"Jack, pardon me, but it seems you're finished now."
"I suppose. How long have you been standing there?"
"Several minutes. I was in the confessional...sleeping there, I must admit. Few people come in to confess anymore...I suppose everyone's behaving perfectly these days." He chuckled. "Then I heard you praying. I usually try not to listen when people come in to pray by themselves - it seems an invasion of privacy. But when you starting asking so fervently for help for your friend...well, that got my attention. If you don't mind my asking...who is this friend?"
"It's Karen."
"Yes. It's sad that such a wonderful young woman is having such troubles. Would you like to talk about it?"
Of course I would. I nodded and he led me down to the basement, where we sat on either side of his writing desk. I told him of the events involving Karen since the festival. He listened carefully, asking a few apt questions. When I'd finished, he observed, "You've really involved yourself greatly in her troubles. It's surprising, seeing that you profess no romantic interest in her."
"Pastor, she's my friend. She's helped me with my troubles; what kind of person would I be if I didn't help with hers? But I'm out of ideas. I don't know how to go on - can you think of anything to try?"
"If you mean, can I come up with some magic words that will soften Rick's heart - no, I can't. You could try and get Rick to come and talk to me, but he sounds so stubborn over the matter, I doubt it would do much good."
"Then that's it? Nothing more to do?" I didn't mean to sound bitter, but all of a sudden it just came rushing out of me. "I have to just sit back and watch her fall apart? So sorry, Karen, we'll all miss you! What kind of life is this?! I thought the country was peaceful and friendly! Nothing but misery since I got here!"
I was really going. "Last thing I wanted was to take over a farm! OK, they wanted me to, so I did it! Last thing I wanted was odd girls going after me! They came, messed around with my mind, then they went! I'm going screwy! This weird woman talking in my dreams every night! Watching my best friend who I love like a sister break apart before my eyes! People like Duke and Anna scowling and grumping at me..."
"Jack, excuse me for interrupting...but please go back a little. 'Weird woman in your dreams'? What is that all about?"
"I wish I knew! Every night since I got here, I've been having crazy dreams. Some woman giving me advice about this place. I've never had dreams remotely like them. Makes me think I'm going insane."
"What woman? What does she look like?"
"I never see her. She's just a blur on the other side of a waterfall. But that voice! I've never heard anything remotely like it. Sounds like she's ten thousand years old and a little girl at the same time. You hear it once and you'll never forget it."
"What does she talk to you about?"
"It started out as generalities. 'I'm glad you came, I love your family, everything's going to turn out all right.' That kind of stuff. Now she's getting specific. She's telling me how to farm. And all her advice turns out to be dead on! I'm really weirded out. But this is irrelevant...this isn't about my dreams, it's about Karen."
Carter looked...well, more than thoughtful. He was looking at me with an expression of wonderment.
"Jack...let me think about this for a minute." He spoke to himself, "Could it really be that?"
We sat there silently for a minute, my wondering why my bizarre dreams interested him so much. Finally he spoke.
"Jack, I have some ideas about what's going on with you. But with your background, and your being an newcomer here...well, if I just told you my ideas, you'd likely think I was insane."
He looked at me with an odd smile. "You've got a scientific/technical background. So you're used to experimenting and observing, right?"
"Sure. It's how you find stuff out."
"Then allow me to propose an experiment to you that might clear up your dreams - and a lot of other matters also. You're growing a lot of vegetables on Erehwon these days, right?"
"Modest number every day."
"Good. Do you know the pond with the waterfall up near the hot springs?"
"The one with all the small fish in it? Sure." Where was he going?
"Well, the experiment is this. Take ten vegetables that you've grown on Erehwon - the type doesn't matter - and go up to that pond on a clear day. If nobody else is around, then stand in front of the waterfall, and throw the vegetables into the pond one by one. If what I suspect is correct, then a...certain effect will occur. One that will clear up many mysteries for you."
I was flabbergasted. Insane sounding was exactly right.
"Pastor...I really don't want to be insulting here...but that's the craziest thing I've ever heard! I came here looking for help to prevent Karen from drinking herself into collapse and you're talking about throwing vegetables into ponds!"
"Yes, it does sound odd, doesn't it? If it makes you feel any better, I happen to know it's an old tradition of your family's."
"First I've heard of it."
"Anyways, even if my ideas are kooky, you admit you're out of ideas. So what do you have to lose?"
"Ten vegetables! I'm a poor man, pastor. I can't afford to just throw produce away."
"Well, you throw them in one at a time. So if nothing happens after the first, you can give it up and come back here and laugh at me. Then what have you lost?"
"One vegetable! Even the cheapest ones bring 60G each. That's a fair chunk of change for me."
"All right, if you throw the first one in and nothing happens, come back here and I'll pay you for it."
"I couldn't take your money - you're poorer than I am."
"By my own choice. Jack, I can't force you to do this. But you'll be amazed at the consequences."
I was amazed that I listened to this kookiness for as long as I did. I was getting offended at the pastor's insensitivity to Karen's plight. He was using it as a launching pad for some incomprehensible thing of his own. I was in no mood to play along, and excused myself and left as quickly as I could.
Walking back to Erehwon, I concluded that the town preacher was a certifiable, if harmless, lunatic. But all the way back, that voice echoed in my mind. "Listen to the pastor's advice. Follow it to the letter."
An hour later, I was standing before the waterfall with a fresh turnip in my hands and four more in my backpack. It was late afternoon and I was gratefully certain that no one came up there at that time. I'd have felt like ten different types of fool if anyone had seen what I was about to do. Actually, I didn't need any spectators. I already felt completely foolish.
The sun was lowering towards the tips of the western mountains, giving them a reddish tinge, and giving hues from yellow to orange to the stripes of cloud above. That place was always beautiful, but then it was almost unearthly. The green fish circled the pond, shimmying with excitement. Perhaps they like fresh vegetables, I thought, so this won't be a complete waste. I hefted the turnip and tossed it into the center of the pond.
And the world exploded into white light.
The light wasn't painful or dazzling. It was soothing - healing. Instantly, all my anxieties and fears were wiped away. I was left calm, open, watchful, receptive - centered.
The light lasted only for an instant, then faded...and in the center of the pond, I saw her.
I'd seen stunningly beautiful women before in films and photographs. They were all pale copies of this lady. She was perfectly visaged and formed, draped in a diaphanous, shimmering green gown. Her green hair, braided and coiled on each side of her head was a harmonious touch. She stood there, holding the turnip I had thrown, with the purest expression of love I could have ever imagined. Then she spoke to me.
"Jack, you've come at last. Thank you for your offering."
It was her voice! The woman in my dreams, it was her! The white light came again, faded, and I was once again alone beside the pool. The surface was still, reflecting the surrounding trees and the sky above; the green fish still circulating with excitement.
The critical side of my mind weakly insisted that I'd finally gone over the edge and was hallucinating. I didn't listen for a second. I was a believer. I took another turnip out of my backpack and tossed it into the lake.
Again, the white light, the beautiful lady standing in the pond holding the turnip and thanking me, then the stillness and the peace.
I repeated this until my backpack was empty. After the last offering I made, the lady came up to me, holding a luscious looking red fruit, which she handed to me.
"Jack, you spend yourself greatly. Take this and eat. It will give you strength, which you will need because so much more is still expected of you."
Once I was alone again, I ate the fruit without hesitation. Immediately, a wave of strength and well being swept through my body. Then I remembered...the pastor said ten vegetables. That had been only five. I ran, faster than I ever could have run before, back to Erehwon, plucked five more turnips from the ground, and rushed back up the hill.
Four more times, the white light and the thankful lady. On the tenth and last offering, she finally gave me an opening.
"Jack, you are so persistent in your offerings. Let me now do something for you. There is a young woman who is special to you, and you to her..."
"Excuse me my lady, please wait! Let me speak! Please forget about young women and myself. What you can do for me - my friend Karen, she's wasting away from a broken heart. I can't help her. Nobody here can. But perhaps you can. Please, dear lady, can you help my friend?"
"Yes, such a beautiful child, too much so to be pained as she is. And her love, also beautiful, but too injured and fearful to reach out to her. Jack, you've done everything you could for them by yourself. You will bring them together again, but you need help to do so. After all, you've said everything to them that could be said and with no effect. Think! When you try to teach someone how to do something, and they can't grasp your words, then what do you do?"
I thought for awhile, believing that some incredibly deep answer was expected. Finally I gave up and said, "Then I show them how to do it. So they learn from example. Right?"
She smiled broadly. "Exactly. Jack, you work hard, and you've been anxious and stressed. Perhaps you feel tired now."
As soon as she said it, I did feel exhausted. In fact, I could hardly stand.
"Yes, perhaps you would like to lie down and take a nap. Things will look much better to you afterwards." Then, most unexpectedly, she started giggling like a young girl.
The white light came up, fading to again leave me alone by the pond, almost falling down with fatigue. I staggered over to a shaded bed of grass, lay down and instantly fell into a deep sleep.
I couldn't have slept for very long. When I woke, the sun was still visible in the west. I got up and started slowly to the steps back down the hill. My mood was little changed either - I still felt lifted out of myself and open to whatever might come. Someone had gone into the hot springs while I was asleep; I could hear them splashing around in there. I stopped to look at the pond again, which now showed no trace of the extraordinary - just clear, clean water and pretty fish. I heard the door to the changing room open and shut as I approached the front of the hot springs. I rounded the wall, and saw Mary standing there.
She wasn't wearing her glasses, and didn't see me. She had her long, black hair unbraided and was combing it out while humming to herself. She was wearing her usual long blue dress, but not her vest, blouse, or anything else above her waist.
I'm not a voyeur. Any other time, I would have quietly removed myself from the area before she noticed me. But that mood that still gripped me held me fast to the spot, admiring her. The hill felt enchanted and I felt entranced. I could see trance in her eyes also. And I saw her for the very first time as she really was.
She had shed the appearance of a shy, plain and dowdy bookworm. I saw that she just wore it as a kind of a protective covering. Freely tossing her long black hair as she combed, stretching her young vibrant body and breathing in deeply that crisp mountain air - she was lovely! She pulsed with young life. And now that her deep black eyes were no longer hidden by those glasses - they were so appealing! In those brief moments, she stole away my heart for the rest of my life. I finally knew that she was what I'd been waiting for all those years.
Once she'd finished combing her hair, she took the glasses that she'd hooked on her skirt and put them on. When she saw me standing there looking at her, her smile was totally open, warm and welcoming. And that spell that held us both...I could swear that we heard each other's thoughts.
"Jack, you see, I am a woman. Am I not your heart's desire?"
"Yes. You're perfect."
"As you are mine. I've waited for you for so long. Why should there be these difficulties between us?"
"I don't know. Can't we try again?"
In this world, such intense experience can only last for a brief instant. I could feel the spell ripple and then lift like a receding wave. As the trance faded from her eyes, she came back to the everyday world to find herself standing half naked before a man she didn't know all that well. Her eyes grew wide as saucers and she blushed all the way down to her shoulders, exclaiming, "Oh! Oh No!"
There was nothing I could do at that point but quickly turn around and shout, "I'm sorry! I'm not looking! I'm not looking!" as I heard the changing room door open and slam shut behind me.
Now, the sensible thing to have done at that point would have been to run back to Erehwon and pretend the whole thing had never happened. Never mention it to her or anyone else.
But after the experiences with the lady and Mary, I had no desire to be sensible. If only what I'd seen in Mary's eyes was real, and not my imagining... I decided to take my chances and wait for her.
After a few minutes, she came out again - this time, fully dressed, with her hair loosely tied back. I guess we were both pretty embarrassed. We could hardly meet each other's eyes. She asked, "Jack. How long were you standing there?"
I fibbed. "I just got there. I was foraging back by the waterfall and I was fixing to go home when you came out. I'm sorry to have surprised you - I didn't think anyone came up here at this time."
"Neither did I. I...I don't know what came over me there. I'd been wandering the mountain for hours thinking about Karen and Rick. I suddenly felt tired and not quite myself and had the strongest urge to bathe in the springs. Well, when I got out of the water - I can't explain it. I felt so odd, but the sun and mountain air felt so good on my skin. I just came out without thinking and there you were.
"Jack, you have to believe that I never do anything like that. I...I hope I didn't offend you."
That flash of inspiration again - of what was just the right thing to do here and now. I took one of the biggest chances of my life. I went over to her, took both her hands in mine and looked into her eyes.
"Mary, how could you offend me? You're beautiful."
She briefly looked down, then looked up again and met my gaze.
"Jack, nobody's ever said that to me. Never."
I also had the feeling that I'd better not push my luck by getting flowery. "Well, you are beautiful to me."
"Jack, what's gotten into you? For that matter, what's gotten into me? What is happening here?"
"What's happening? I think we've just been given one of the rarest things in this world. A second chance."
She gave a kind of bashful smile and still made no attempt to remove her hands from mine. "A second chance? You mean, for us? But I thought you didn't want anything more than friendship."
"So I thought. I've been a complete fool, but this afternoon I've woken up. I hope it's not too late."
"I hope not, either. Gosh, we got off to such a terrible start there."
"A lot of it my fault. I suppose it's that I didn't know what I really wanted - and that we didn't know each other very well. We still don't, you know. I feel we should take the time and effort to really know each other before we decide what to do. Seeing the kind of people we are, if this does work out, we're talking the rest of our lives here."
"Yes, my thoughts exactly."
I grinned. "After all, we're both pretty mature - at least you are. I'd like to think that we're not a couple of teens - allowing our hormones to push us into each other's arms over a glimpse of bare skin."
When she laughed at genuine amusement over that, I knew that my risk had succeeded. We quietly walked down the hill, hand in hand. All the time, I could hear that delighted girlish laughter ringing in my mind. I answered her in my thoughts.
"Oh, you sly nymph! So that's the kind of magic you work!"
She answered me. "Well, I had to do something to thaw you two out!"
When we got to Erehwon, she looked at me with a thoughtful expression.
"Jack, I hope you don't mind, but there's someone I'd really like to talk to about what's happened."
"Who's that?"
"Karen. After all, she's taken such an interest in getting us together. I think she'd be pleased."
"What a good idea! I bet she'll be tickled. She could sure use something to lift her spirits. Want to go over there now?"
"I was hoping you'd ask that."
Thirty minutes later, we walked into the General Store. Karen was concentrated on writing in a ledger, talking to herself as she worked. "Well, we're only 21,300G in the hole now. That's progress of a kind I guess."
Mary took my hand and cleared her throat. Karen looked up at us looking not really rested, but better than this morning.
"Ah Jack, Mary. Hello guys. Could you hold on for a moment there until I finish entering these..."
Then she looked more carefully at us and saw us holding hands. Her eyes went wide and a really big grin spread across her face. She closed the ledger and came up to us talking in a happy singsong manner.
"What is this I see? I don't think I'm seeing things - I haven't had anything to drink today! Can it really be?"
"Ah, this afternoon, Mary and I started seeing each other in a different way."
"So I see!" She put her arms around both of our shoulders and guided us back into the kitchen. "Come on and tell Auntie Karen all the juicy details. Mom and Dad are seeing Zack about some business, so we've got the house to ourselves for awhile. Come on, don't keep me waiting. 'Fess up!"
Mary spoke up. "Uh...you know, I think it's the kind of thing that would be best explained in a girl to girl talk."
Karen took her arm and led her to her room. "Well then, let's go. You're going to tell me everything before I let you loose! Jack, you can just wait here for us. Don't go away."
I helped myself to a cup of coffee and sat at the table waiting. Every now and then, I heard shrieks of laughter coming from Karen's room. You know, one of the toughest things about being a guy is realizing that you'll never really know what women are saying about you out of your hearing.
After a few minutes, Karen and Mary came back into the kitchen, both looking greatly pleased.
"Jack, that's got to be the most amazing thing I've heard in a long time. Imagine that. I've been spending so much time and effort on you two, and all it took was you being in the right place at the right time. Well, I couldn't be happier for you.
"Mary says that you two are going to take your time to be sure about each other. Makes sense to me. Just don't take too long - like someone whose name I've now forgotten! Anything I can do for either of you, just let me know."
Karen was carrying something wrapped in a towel under her arm. She took it out of the towel. It was the bottle of Aja wine, still unopened.
"Guys, I think this calls for a celebration. What are you looking at, Jack? Even I'm not fool enough to waste a bottle of Aja on an angry binge!"
She uncorked the bottle and poured each of us a taste. The aroma filling the kitchen was delightful.
"Jack, Mary. You know what I'd like to do here? Start a little tradition among ourselves. Every time you two make some major progress, let's get together and have a taste of this to celebrate." She raised her glass. "I'll propose the toast - to Jack and Mary's true happiness."
"No. I can't drink to that."
"What? Jack..."
"It's too exclusive. Please allow me to amend that. We're all a circle of friends here - including one who's not here with us...yet! Whenever any of us make major progress in our lives, we get together to celebrate. And the toast will be -
'To the happiness and success of this circle of friends. Together forever!'"
We touched our glasses and drank. Everything Karen had said about this wine was true. It was beauty and romance distilled.
