The Traveler

The soulful moan of a lone horn has him walking over to the backpack, and after hoisting it upon his shoulders, sees that Izzo has that look as she goes about slipping a silver tin within his inner breast pocket. Taking up his hand, her voice is barely above a whisper as she says to him, “A little something to remember me by is all that is. And since I still have you here, do me a favor, and come home to me.”

Taking Izzo in his arms, he says to her, “Don’t you worry now. I’ll be home before you know it.” Letting Izzo go, he turns his attention to the door hanging out like it is part of the room décor. On his approach, the door swings outward and after crossing the threshold, he finds himself on earth.

It was a year ago on this day that eight billion people were gathered up to be sorted out. Of those billions going through the process, as it turns out, some are not bad enough but at the same time, they are not that good either. Having no other place to put them, each are given a second chance. Void of its modern conveniences and being that a year is a long time, wonders how things are working out when the simple fact that he is here has him thinking that things might not be so good.

A bit troubled by this, he puts his feelings aside as he makes his way off the mountainside. After doing so, the sun is halfway over the treetops and with morning about used up, the rest of the way gets a lot better as the rutted roadway bumps against another that is paved and striped.

Moving at a much faster pace, what catches his eye is a purple bumblebee and a monarch butterfly sharing a flower and wondering what is being said, turns to look at the roadside café. Under new management is displayed on the marque and thinking this oddly funny, once through the doorway, there comes a raspy voice. “You there, two pennies gets you a bowl of soup and hunk of bread.”

The thought of a hot meal sounds good to him that has him removing from around his neck a cord fastened to a small pouch. Waiting for payment, the woman is watching his every move as he goes about untying the knot cinching the opening closed. Nimble fingers make do of the knot to where he shakes free what is needed and after the proper amount of coin is handed over, the one in charge says to him, “Here’s your ticket (which is really a piece of paper) It’s going to be just a moment longer before the bread is done baking. In the meantime, help yourself to a seat. Oh, just one more thing. There is no smoking as we got kids around.” That said, the woman slips away to her duties.

All that is left for him to do is to pull the door open, and after entering the dining hall, all at once arms and elbows move off tabletops as eight hopeful faces look in his direction. Hope fades to discouragement after seeing that he is just another strangler.

Making his way down the center aisle, finds an open spot to his liking and no sooner is the pack off his back, a kid in need of a haircut approaches him. “Mom wants to know if you are the Traveler.” Dropping his weight upon the bench, he places his elbows on the tabletop before he leans towards the boy, “Tell your mom that she is more than welcome to join me if that is what she wants.” Wide eyed, the kid nods his head before leaving him and thinking it won’t be long, here comes the kid with his mother.

Sitting opposite him, every scar is studied before she says to him, “It has been two days since I have held my baby girl. This is a picture of Alice. She turned eight back in the month of May. She’s not a big girl but she is strong willed.” The woman pauses then. “I tried to stop them, but they were too strong.” The boy speaks up then, “They tried to grab me too, but I was able to run away and hide.” The woman pulls the boy in as the heaviness felt has him picking the still frame off the tabletop. Frozen in time, is a toothy smile that goes well with the child’s bright eyes. Placing the photo back on the tabletop, speaks to the woman but has his eyes more on her son, “Many days will pass until my return. Keep in mind, the news I bring to you might not be the news you will want to hear. Outside of that, how am I to find you?”

A smile barely makes it to the woman’s face. “Here, tending the garden is where we will be.” That said, the woman and boy leave him.

After the humble meal of vegetable soup and fresh baked bread has been eaten, he gets halfway across the foyer when the woman in charge walks towards him all the while talking in that raspy voice. “A rough looking bunch they were, and right away I felt something wasn’t right. But it was too late. As for fighting them off, you saw for yourself that most folk around here are barely alive since...anyways, they’re heading south.” That said, the crunchy looking woman goes back to her kitchen and he off to following the posted sign making it easy to find the southbound ramp to the I-5 corridor.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“You got a name.”

She looks to the ground before she looks up to his face and says, “It has been a while since anyone has asked me that, but yeah, it’s Lilly.”

“I have water.” Her eyes light up as he hands over the jug brought from home.

“I have smoked salmon as well. Want some?”

Breaking free of the jug, his offer is accepted as she tears right in to chewing the smoky goodness. Half-starved is what the crunchy old lady mentioned. “I have more. Here.”

Taking a step back, he walks around the tailgate to where he has a view of the road ahead of him. Not that far away is a stand of evergreen and after a glance up, drops his stare to Lilly who is busy licking her fingers.

“We should get going.”

“Here, you can have this back. And thank you.”

Nineteen, and troubled in finding her inner peace, along their way Lilly has a lot to say.

“First of all, there was no being friends with these guys, but what makes the whole thing even worse is that they had a kid with them. To me, she looked as scared as I felt hiding behind that bush.”

“Alice is the kid’s name.”

“Wait, how do you know that?”

“Her mom told me. She even shared a photo just so I had an image of her in my head.”

“What are you, some kind of bounty hunter?”

“That is one way to put it.”

Lilly falls quiet for a moment. “What is it that I am supposed to do again?”

“I need you to be an active member of Alice’s support team. In return, I shall provide as mother nature allows.”

“I have one more question, where are we going again?”

Pointing, he says, “To that stand of trees.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With his arms full in walking up to the fire, Lilly’s eager look has him saying to her, “Hope you are hungry.” A sheepish grin escalates to Lilly saying, “Always.”

“We’re about to fix that.”

The first course is a mixture of greens and berries which is followed up with seared rabbit. Customary to having an after-dinner beverage, he slips his hand inside his breast pocket to where he pulls forth a silver tin. Thinking of Izzo, he picks out a thin, green leaf that sparkles in the firelight.

“What’s that.”

“I thought I would make us some tea.” Leaning over in letting the leaf fall from his fingertips, Lilly turns back to rummaging through the wood pile until she pulls out a small chunk of wood. Catching him looking at her, she says to him, “I like to whittle. I’m not very good at it, but it helps to pass the time.” Her honest explanation has him thinking of Alice. Of what she gets to do to pass the time away and though he can only imagine her life right now, if he could, he would send her a message telling her to hold on as he is on his way. Until then, aside from the occasional wood shaving coming his way, he is left to keeping an eye on the leaf swirling around in the heated water.

The sky is on the verge of showing off its constellations when he decides to move the pan off to the side. “It needs to sit a minute.”

“You know I have no cup. right.”

“I have one you can use.  And if you want, you can use my bedroll, too.” 

Lilly turns and points yonder, “There is a backseat up there on the road so, thanks, but I’m good.” He hadn’t thought of that. “Guess that works, too.”

Lilly goes back to carving while he gets into his pack.

It is a simple cup, and though he had his choice among others, by far this one is his favorite. Tea ready, he pours Lilly a cup. Handing it over, she takes in the aroma before she has a sip. “Wow, that tastes really good. My dear old dad hated tea. I found this out the hard way when I brought home a box of lemon tea mostly because I had sore throat. Mom had a tea kettle that she never used and after filling it part way with water, I’m hanging out in the kitchen minding my own business but as soon as dad hears the whistle go off, he goes berserk to where he is screaming obscenities and racial slurs all the while he is tearing my box of tea to pieces before throwing it all in the garbage. Never again, he shouts with his finger in my face before he tosses the tea kettle out the back door. Two weeks after that, I’m coming home from school when I see some dude in a suit. He looks like a cop. And no sooner do I enter the room, the dude walks out the front door. As for mom, she just sits there with this dazed look on her face until she comes around and tells me that dad was killed. I felt awkward and choked up all at the same time. In my heart, I thought there would come a day that the two of us would sit down and talk like we used to. That never worked out. Guess in the long run, it doesn’t really matter anymore as I will never see either of them again. Anyways, the tea is delicious.” Having another sip, Lilly falls quiet.

Predators on the rise with the lack of human interference, picks out a slow burner. Nestling the chunk of wood on the bed of coals, Lilly yawns. “Bedtime.”

Off she goes climbing up to the road and after Lilly disappears from sight, he picks up his cup and pours himself some tea. Having a sip, the thud of a car door closing tells him Lilly has found a place to rest her head.  Idling the time away by staring into the glowing coals, after a while he too, calls it a night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The morning dew permeates to where the level of discomfort is enough to bring him out of sleep. Behind shuttered eyes, like he has done a thousand times before, reaches for Izzo before the thought of her not being there has his eyelids rolling up in taking in the predawn.

Silhouettes and a deep sky is what he sees. He thinks of Alice then. Of her being cold and hungry and frightened of not knowing where the three are taking her. Of how he is miles from putting a stop to this.

Boots laced and knotted, leaves the bedroll where it is as he looks over the woodpile and then over to where Lilly was sitting. Scooping the wood shavings together into a nice little pile, he goes ahead and clears out the charred remains. Adding the pile of shavings in its place, with stone in hand, the shavings burst into flames. The bad is that everything added is wet. Slow is the way, his hand and eye working together in making sure now is the right time.

His reward is that he is able to add some water to the pan that gets him reaching for the silver tin. A keepsake from sweet Izzo, thinks she would not like it here although the morning would be much nicer if she was by his side. Not to be, he helps himself to a hunk of smoked salmon and a few berries. Soon after, he is able to pour himself a cup under a sky that is mellowing into the light of morning. As it is for now, there is no sound coming from the road.

Patience sets in then, his mind telling him to sit back and enjoy the tea made all the while feeling the dampness being wicked from his clothes.

After a while of idling his time away of not doing much of anything, he stops poking at the fire and puts away his bedding.

Turning back to the fire, out from the waning shadows appears the granddaddy of all moths gliding over to where it alights upon Lilly’s wood carving. Watching it fold its wings, the moth rests a moment before it takes flight. Being drawn to watching the moth fly away, out from the deep shadows comes a sickly howl that has him up to his feet to where he is walking in the same direction the moth has taken when he hears the slam of a car door.

Good morning sunshine is probably not the best greeting to say as Lilly comes sidestepping her way down to him. Once she is close enough, out of her mouth rolls, “What the heck was that?” Every word she had said is filled with concern which in turn has him quickly shouldering his backpack as he goes to say to her, “Don’t know for sure. How about we go find out.”

It takes more than a minute, but soon enough, what is seen under the dull light of an early morning is a dog chained to a driven peg. On their approach, the dog drops its head to where it drags the chain in looking for a way out of its predicament. His heart melts under the crushing sadness as all he can do is to offer the dog some water. Emitting an empty howl on his approach, the filled cup is put within easy reach. Back to her side, Lilly is all about pointing out the dog’s rib cage seen through its brown coat.

All they can do is wait for the cowering dog to come around to the cup of water.

Resting on their knees, time is needed here as the wounds suffered are so hard to get over. Lilly, on the other hand, is having a hard time, “I should just go over there, you know. Let it know that we mean it no harm.”

“A cup of water is not enough to earn the dog’s trust, but this might help things along.”

“What’s this, oh, it smells like cracked peppercorn.”

“Right now, it is dog food.”

“Gotcha.”

On her approach to, the dog circles away as far as the chain allows while the whole time Lilly is speaking to it. He cannot make out the words as they are low and coaxing as she goes to breaking off a piece of the meat stick. Dog going nowhere, Lilly tosses the piece of jerked meat towards its feet. Gone in a second, she tosses another but this one is not as far as the last. Seeing the developing pattern, the dog is all about carrying its forever friend to each stop that ends with the dog taking another piece of the jerked meat from Lilly’s fingers.

One more piece allows for the collar to be removed and not sure of what to do, the dog stands where it is before it walks up to Lilly.

Even in the dull morning light, he sees that her cheeks are glistening with wetness. And so, the healing begins.

With this weighing heavy on his mind, his focus centers on the dog’s physical wounds that has him taking out his medical kit. Packed with love and all sorts of healing herbs harvested from the garden, after finding what he needs, he hands over the jar of green ointment. “This will help.”

Lilly’s eyes fall to what is held in his hand and without a word spoken between them, the jar is taken from his hand. A whole lot of good is about to happen, and keeping this to himself, Lilly shoots him a look, “Whatever this stuff is, it smells amazing.”

After the ointment is applied, Lilly hands him the jar. “Now what?”

“We need to get on the road.”

“Okay, but what about, wait, no way. That’s incredible.”

“We still need to go.” Lilly holds him still before she gives him a slow nod.

He has the lead, the dog a step ahead of Lilly.