Making Sense of Life

A new dawn and stove fired up with fresh coffee brewin,
cut the dampness in the air.
I went outside to collect the eggs for breakfast.
The dew covered grasses and morning freshness were
welcome under my cold, bare feet.
I sneezed and knew this was not smart to walk outside half dressed.
Over head it looked like a helicopter James was
flying, crossing the sky.

The whole thing began to feel disturbing.
Did I scare him off?
 Burt noticed it too.

Guess this fella really likes you

If he liked me he would stop, wouldn't he?

Maybe he is just checking to make sure you're ok.

Maybe .
I filled his head full of religion and he probably
got scared off. I laughed.

Religion! What's a girl like you talking about religion for?

Well he asked me why I lived up here and it got on the subject .
Living up here, one feels closer to God than in the city and
he said he felt it too up in Alaska.
Besides, what's wrong with religion?
Look at the world. People need it more than ever these days.

I'll tell you something girly.
God? Yes! Religion? No.
I don't much like  preachers .
Every time they open their
 mouths they kill it.

Ya, I know. I asked a few of my school friends why they were entering the
priesthood and they said cause it's a job.
I always thought it was a calling.
Another woman called it a cult.
You can't make people believe in something that important,
if it's just a job or if people think it's a cult.
They have no understanding at all as to why it's important.

I looked back towards Bear Mountain.

You know Burt? I think I need to go have a look up there and see what
all this sudden interest in Bear is all about?

Well I'll go with ya. You can't get into trouble by yourself. 
He winked and went into the cabin.
After breakfast I rustled out my survival kit and loaded Sheba while Burt took care of
his Jesse.
Sorry old boy. I patted Beau. You stay here and keep warm.
We won't be long.

Slowly we got on our way hoping there was really nothing to find.
It was about a 3 hour walk and we made good time.
By noon we were at the foot hill of Bear.

Burt was puffing away.
Listen. You sit down and catch your breath.
I'll just walk a bit and explore.

Ok. You don't need to tell me twice  .

Slowly I made my way up looking for evidence of anything out of place.
In a small clearing there was a dead campfire pit, cans, plastic .
They sure left the place a mess I thought.
Behind a fallen tree trunk I saw something behind some branches and as I came closer
I saw the shirt James was wearing.
My God!
It was him!
I came round the trunk to see if he was dead?
James! James! I whispered kneeling down.
His face was beaten black and blue but he seemed to still be alive.

I'll be back You hold on James ok? Hold on.
I ran down to Burt and told him to hurry.
I covered James with a blanket and tried to wipe off the dirt and blood
on his face with a wet cloth. He sipped some water.
My God! What are you doing up here? I asked.
He was too weak to answer.

We cut down a few thin trees and made a stretcher to pull him on.
I'm taking you home ok?
Do you have anything broken?
James shook he head to say no.
Ok Ok Good. Careful now.
Between Burt and I, we managed to get him onto the stretcher
we softened up by filling it with soft branches.
We began the trek back home.
It wasn't a good sign that James was sleeping.
I tried to keep some cold water rags around his head.

When we finally got back I rushed to the cabin to the secret room
and called Bob.
We needed help. A man was found beat up.
Lots of head injuries.

Then I ran outside again to help Burt bring James into the house.
As he lay there we took off his shoes and kept him
warm till help arrived in a manner of a big 4x4.
They stretchered him inside and left for St Mary's Hospital.

You got some keen senses Ell. Burt finally exclaimed.

It didn't make sense Burt.
Common. Lets go sit down and have something to eat.
You sure was a God send yourself.
I don't know how I would have
managed with just two hands.

The next day after chores we started up the Harley .
Burt  sat in the side car and we were off to see how
our friend was.
We arrived to find James still in intensive care.
His family was all there and we introduced ourselves
The air was solemn as doctors and nurses quietly did their jobs.

We want to thank you for finding him and bringing him in.
his Mom managed to say through a tear stained face.

Oh that was nothing.  He would do it for me.
 We saw his helicopter leave Bear Mountain and found it kinda strange
cause the area was not known as earth quake country nor was it volcanic

Why would that matter where James was concerned ?
James was a pilot . He worked for the government .
We never knew what he did but it had nothing to do with
volcanoes. 

Well then I don't know.
Is there any news as to who took the helicopter then?

There was a sudden commotion in James' room and then
it was concluded that James had passed away.

A flash of his face when he boarded his helicopter,
 made my heart twinge. I felt him standing beside me.
What was he trying to convey?
I felt a touch ever so soft on my hand.
Suddenly the man I thought I knew, I didn't know at all.
He was good hearted, kind, thoughtful, no thief,  and now
he was dead. Go figure.

As the family started to grieve I stood there tearing apart inside
wishing to split in half and to be set free.

We drove back to the cabin in silence, got the chores done
and then sat down at the table.
Burt was watching me, respecting my silence, trying to
 help as much as he could. without being invasive.
There was nothing to say.
People die.
But to die like this..... for nothing?

 You ok? he finally asked.

Burt, is reality real or do we just imagine it?
Cause if we just imagine it, death would not be so final and bearable.
 nor barbaric.

Do we call a spade a spade or a plate a plate?
It's as real as we will ever know it to be.
Death... well here it gets a bit complicated cause we are dealing with the spiritual
and the physical.
When you're sittin in the woods at night, sometimes you think you can hear the trees talkin.
Man can't see or hear well enough to know for sure. 
His senses are not that well developed but the animals do.Oh ya. The animals hear and see everything.
I guess mankind still has a lot to perfect in him.

You think in the next life God has a plan to put our souls into better bodies?
If souls, through negative and positive energy, could collect molecules and form
bodies to live in,would people be real? Alive?

That's a good question Ell.
The spirit or soul is the life we know, so I guess ya.
I think the reason souls leave is because the life force becomes weak . 

So if I told you that at the hospital, I felt his presence and his touch...
you wouldn't think I was crazy?

Crazy?  No more than me.You'd roll over in your grave if I told you all the stuff I
seed in my life.
Oh no Ell. You need not worry your pertty head about that.










xoxoxoxoxo