Waite Long - the Story Teller

By Grace E. Kliever

The life of Waite Long is mostly seen as a recluse person who is promoting fear for those around him. This kind of life is creating many emotions with questions and also disbelief. Lifestyle becomes fear, leaving no answers. At least it seemed. The response of others living in the same neighborhood brings gossip and fear. Nothing is related to time, and so the daily life becomes a life of questions with many challenges. Then the answers come! When we allow changes then we know love conquers all with many surprises. The time it takes in changing for the good is like conquering mountains! It's very exhilarating and stimulating.

Waite's life was like an open investigation full of excitement - but mostly the feeling of being alone. There are a lot of crossroads in life and many storms for some people, both physically and mentally. Plus the many times of loneliness for each of us. We all need to learn. Not all of life is negative, although being able to rest in loneliness, feeling peaceful among strife or danger or loving in spite of hatred or misconception. Puzzles become roadmaps! Trails are to climb and also come down! Everything is there to conquer and to use patience.

Challenge promotes growth. We have to remember it's only when the end comes that we can relax. Getting there requires adjustments - surprises - endurance - even when questions keep coming. We can conquer all, then the life becomes triumphant and happiness and the strength to go on - and on to even better things! We feel better inside in spite of the ways of others.

Please look at things in life kindly, how it affects others and how it makes others react. That is my wish and purpose.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Jul 5, 2005
• ISBN: 9781466956803

Grace E. Kliever

Grace E. Kliever born in Southwest Missouri, then moved to Oregon after graduation from high school. She then became employed in a sawmill until marriage. After raising six sons (including twins) on a strawberry farm, she began a career in travel, earning a CTC (Certified Travel Counselor) and employed for more than twenty years with the privilege of traveling many places in the United States and faraway parts of the world. Finally, since retiring, returned to Missouri, she is fulfilling a lifelong desire to write. She has finished several other novels and others are in the works. You can look forward to more great reading in the future! From the Author -"I believe the most effective therapy for fulfillment in my life, is writing what is on my heart. The deep feelings, the many surprises, even the roadblocks along the way and the characters that become so real and familiar to me become my best friends. You will also see I love sharing. The power of this story shows the effect of people who love deeply, which leaves so many memories and they are priceless!" "Because of love, the mountains of life are easier to conquer; the valley's of despair have been brightened. Then life becomes real and full of surprises. Please get to know my characters and enjoy this story, written just for you!"

Book preview

© Copyright 2005 Grace E. Kliever

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval

system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,

recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

Note for Librarians: A cataloguing record for this book is available from Library and Archives

Canada at www.collectionscanada.ca/amicus/index-e.html

ISBN 978-1-4120-6040-0

ISBN 978-1-4669-5680-3 (ebk)

9781466956803_raw.pdfmissing image file

Offices in Canada, USA, Ireland and UK

This book was published on-demand in cooperation with Trafford Publishing. On-demand

publishing is a unique process and service of making a book available for retail sale to the

public taking advantage of on-demand manufacturing and Internet marketing. On-demand

publishing includes promotions, retail sales, manufacturing, order fulfilment, accounting and

collecting royalties on behalf of the author.

Book sales for North America and international:

Trafford Publishing, 6E—2333 Government St.,

Victoria, BC v8t 4P4 CANADA

phone [phone] (toll-free 1 888 232 4444)

fax [phone]; email to [e-mail]

Book sales in Europe:

Trafford Publishing (uk) Ltd., Enterprise House, Wistaston Road Business Centre,

Wistaston Road, Crewe, Cheshire cwi 7rp UNITED KINGDOM

phone [phone] (local rate 0845 230 9601)

facsimile 01270 254 983; [e-mail]

Order online at:

trafford.com/05-0941

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3

THE

STORYTELLER

++++++++

WRITTEN BY

GRACE E. KLIEVER

SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI

CONTENTS

HEY, I’M HERE

Chapter One

ONE GOOD FEELING

Chapter Two

I’VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT!

Chapter Three

COLD WINTER

Chapter Four

CONFUSION

Chapter Five

CHANGE AND TRANSFORMATION

Chapter Six

INVESTIGATION

Chapter Seven

ROUGH LIFE

Chapter Eight

THE CROSSROADS

Chapter Nine

FIRE STORM

Chapter Ten

THE BIG CITY

Chapter Eleven

CONFESSION

Chapter Twelve

CHASING MOTIVIES

Chapter Thirteen

MYSTERIOUS MAN

Chapter Fourteen

ADJUSTMENTS

Chapter Fifteen

SURPRISE DISCOVERY

Chapter Sixteen

TOUCH OF HEAVEN

Chapter Seventeen-

QUESTION AFTER QUESTION

Chapter Eighteen

ENDURING WITH PATIENCE

Chapter Nineteen

WHY ME

Chapter Twenty

TOGETHERNESS

Chapter Twenty-One

REAL LIFE STORY

Chapter Twenty-Two

>>>>>> HEY, I’M HERE <<<<<<

–— Chapter One –—

>>>>>>>>>> Waite was trying to survive the rumors, the ones that flew around the neighborhood about this old man, who lives all alone, which happens to be me, they are talking about me. Waite heard this over and over again for a long, long time. It seemed as the years passed, the rumors began looming larger and was discussed more among all the people living in a tiny rural neighborhood, about one old man that lives alone, and is rarely if ever, seen outside of his home, and you know his last name is Long! Isn’t that weird? He never has visitors or goes anywhere, but he seems to survive, all alone, to the amazement of all his neighbors.

Close neighbors often questioned how he survived living all alone? They would ask others things they wondered about, how and where does he get food? How does he pay his bills for his living? Or how does he stay warm, always being alone? He has no car or any other mode of transportation. There has never been a car at his house, since he lived here. Are there no friends or family?

In one of the families was a son named Jerry and the last name was Wilson. About the same age and about a block down the gravel road that led through the small village, there was another boy, a friend also whose name is Jerry Peters. You know, he was always called Red clearly because he had bright red hair that drew attention to him, and these boys were good friends and often had talked about the old man.

Not only had they discussed the old man that lived like a hermit, but also most of their mother’s had warned the children never to go near his house. They knew that really was almost impossible, because his house was very close to the road that everyone has to travel, in and out of town. They gave their children lots of warnings. Remember, he may be a mean and hurtful old man. He may want to use you all to get information about everyone else. Or maybe he is living in this area to be a spy, just so someone else can use the information. All he does is grunt when he is spoken to and he has no conversations with anyone.

Red, are you listening to me? His mother wondered. Are you listening, Red? Sometimes you act like you are out in space somewhere. I really don’t think that old man is mentally all there, or he wouldn’t shun all the neighbors like he does. I, even if I am your mother, have chills run up my spine to have to go anywhere near his house, because I don’t know what’s going on in there! Then I have to pass there almost daily on my way to work. I usually don’t even look his way because I’m so afraid I will see him and have to wave!

But Mom, that may be your problem! This old man may be a very nice person or maybe he’s just very shy! Maybe if someone acted like they cared about him, he would react differently. Maybe he is someone who needs to be loved, and you might be able to help him instead of ignoring him.

But Mom, do you even know where he came from and why he lives out in the country? Do you know anything about him, do you know what he likes and doesn’t like, and do you know if he is unhealthy and just can’t get out? Maybe he is sick! Now, we aren’t very good neighbors are we? How can you be so afraid when you don’t know him at all?

Red sighed heavily. All the time his mind was running miles an hour and he was thinking, I have to get acquainted with this old man and find out his story firsthand. Maybe he is ill, besides who would know, because no one cares enough to find out! Not one of us even act concerned enough to find out the answers.

Red thought, that bothers me so much that I’ve got to talk with him, then maybe I can find out all about him. I want to know why he lives in this area and why he’s always so alone. I wonder if he does have a family? I wonder just how old he is and how does he eat or get his food? He must not eat very well! I wonder how he keeps warm when the weather is cold and really bad? Does he do his own cooking? How does he keep his clothes clean? Who buys his groceries? I wonder where he used to live and what kind of work he used to do? Was he ever married and if so where is his wife and did they have any children? Red had endless questions.

All that day Red thought about the old man. The feeling of wanting just to go talk to him was almost overwhelming. I’d love to talk to him, but my Mom said to stay away, I guess I’d better mind her! I don’t understand how my Mom can be so afraid and so uncaring when she doesn’t know the circumstances. She doesn’t even know him either. I know I’ll just keep talking and try to get her to let me go visit my neighbor.

Later in the day, Red found his friend Jerry, out riding his bike and he was so glad to discuss it all with his best friend. Jerry acted very interested but inwardly he knew this was just for nothing because it would never happen.

Jerry responded. That old man don’t want attention or he doesn’t care what other people think. Red, he is such a mysterious man and he is probably mad about something in life. Maybe he lost a child or someone close to him! Maybe he failed in business or some industry quit and he has lost hope in life! Maybe he had some of his family die and he is grieving! Or maybe he’s really lost his mind and doesn’t know or realize the circumstances he’s in?

Red thought-Well he really doesn’t act like he wants to be a good neighbor.

If that’s the case, it’ll be very hard or almost impossible to deal with him like a normal person! You see people get very hard at times!

Jerry also said, I’d just hope he needs a friend and learns to know that someone cares. Then we could do something to make him feel better. Sometimes it just helps to talk about things like this with other people. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could give him some moral support and help him accept life as it is? Everyone has to face this sometime! Maybe we could just talk to him, like a friend!

But Red, how can we do anything, unless we can find a way to talk to him? My parents won’t let me go around that house! I guess it’s just hopeless, even if we do have excellent plans.

The two boys took a long bike ride about a couple miles away from home as they quite often did, just to be together. Then as they returned, they stopped on an old bridge and again felt the excitement of looking down through the cracks of the huge timbers on the bridge. They could see a really big, about four foot long catfish was lazily making trails through the clear water as if having nothing to do.

Jerry, look at those suckers, how’d they get so huge? Can you believe it? Wouldn’t it be fun to catch one of those big ones?

As Red looked up, by that time Jerry was already off the bridge and heading for home! I guess he wasn’t interested in what I said. Oh well, that’s his problem.

Red watched puzzled! How come he ran off from me? That’s not nice and he’d better watch out cause his turn is coming! So Red went back home, all the time knowing his mother would be furious with him for not doing all the chores that she’d listed for him to do. Hurriedly he went to the chicken house and reluctantly started cleaning it as he was told earlier to do.

I hate this job! When I’m on my own, I’m not keeping chickens around! I hate cleaning out manure and hauling it to the fields! Besides we don’t get enough eggs to justify all this work! He quite often talked out loud to himself, especially on jobs that he hated. As he took the loaded wheelbarrow out the door he noticed and also had this eerie feeling of someone being close. He just saw a shadow that quickly passed him!

Jerry stopped and listened and he heard footsteps, that were quietly and softly moving away. He could not see a soul. But he thought, it’s probably my Mom or Dad or maybe Chigger, my dog. But Chigger is so tiny, that she’s hard to see sometimes. Then as he called for Chigger, Chigger didn’t come! That’s strange, I wonder what that was?

After all this day of uncertainties and strange happenings, Red was very quiet all evening. As it got near his bedtime he was bombarded with thoughts that kept him awake. He was just lying there wide-eyed, thinking seriously. What in the world is going on around here? I couldn’t even talk with Jerry today without him being uptight. Then when I really think about it, I’ve never seen Chigger come into the barnyard before tonight. She is always afraid of the animals and especially the chickens. Maybe something is wrong with me. I felt like I made Jerry mad and I don’t know why!

Now as it’s about time to go to bed, I feel kind of scared, not knowing what is going on, I hope I didn’t make anyone mad at me. In his bed that night, Red turned and tossed and couldn’t quit thinking about the old man that lived down by the corner. I have lived here all my life and he has always lived at the corner, yet we don’t even know each other. He continued deep in thought until sleep finally came.

Even in his sleep, he was still thinking of the old man and he remembered he seems friendly, he never bothers anyone, he never has company and he doesn’t go to town. So the old man must live alone because he keeps the house closed up tight and no person can see in. It is such an unusual life! I can’t even imagine living alone and never talking with anyone. It must be a very lonely life! Where are all his friends? Maybe he never had any!

With his mind full of emotions and fears and all the unknowns, Red did sleep in the night and he remembered only the restlessness of tossing and turning until the morning came. Even after all the rest he had, that anxious and uncertain feeling lingered, so Red, very quietly got dressed and without anyone knowing that he was up, quietly made his way out to the chicken house, just hoping that by chance he may learn something new.

The morning sun was a brilliant orange, just peeping over the horizon and long, finger like yellow orange streaks of light stretched across the sky, as if promising a new day. Red stood still and listened, being awed at the view of such a beautifulmorning plus the total quietness.

Then the sounds of a tractor struggling to work the soil reminded him of how very hard his Dad worked, trying to make their farm beautiful besides making a decent living. While standing there just listening, the chickens woke up, he could tell by the noise. The cattle came bawling toward their milking and feeding barn, wanting hay to eat and another new day dawned.

The light wind was moving the tree branches as little spaces of sunlight sifted through, making patterns on the ground below. As Red noticed the changes in color, now the sky color was changing to a lighter and softer tone. Time was passing!

Red listened, hoping that maybe he could discover something that would be relevant to the old man. He sat down quietly thinking. I really don’t know his name! I don’t know what to call him, I don’t think Old Man is proper, at least it doesn’t sound respectful. You know, he said as he was thinking hard, "he could be a fugitive that is just hiding out from some bad thing that he has done. I suppose he is an angry, bitter person and probably doesn’t want help! And then again, he could be like a kind grandpa that has no family around.

I don’t even know if he is educated or I don’t know if he’ll even talk to me because he usually just disappears when someone comes around. I wonder why? I wonder if anyone knows him?

As Red was in deep thought, trying to figure out life, he clearly heard a voice say, hold still Buttercup, I just need a little cup of milk today for my breakfast! Shivers ran down his spine!

Red listened, stricken with fear! Then the only thing he heard as he waited, was just that one little sentence. His mind was turning as he was talking out loud. Buttercup is one of our milk cows!

My dad would be furious if he knew someone is stealing our milk! Who would have the guts to steal from a cow?

"Oh yes, now I know that someone was in the chicken house yesterday, probably just for a couple eggs! Could this be how the old man lives? Doesn’t he know that I’d give him some food if he’d let me? But I have no proof of anything that I’m thinking! It might not be him at all!

How did this person know Buttercup’s name? What he said didn’t seem to frighten Buttercup, so I guess she has an old friend somewhere, one that we didn’t know about!

Red wanted to spend the day listening, but he knew his parents wouldn’t go for what he wanted to tell them. I know because that is the very reason we live in the country. Here people trust each other and over a period of time all become like a family. Besides my Dad grew up here and has always been very trusting and loving to people. I just don’t understand why my family, as nice as they are, has never made friends with the old man who is living alone? We don’t know anything about him!

As Red walked slowly back toward the house, his thoughts were running miles a minute! He kicked at clumps of grass and at some large rocks in his pathway, so intent in his thoughts that he walked right by a stranger sitting under an enormous sycamore tree, quietly unnoticed but protected from the sunlight.

The stranger sat very silent and motionless, but inside he was aching for someone to talk to him and wanting to be noticed, so then as always, fear came instead, quenching any hope of being needed and loved.

When the stranger knew he was not noticed and had no one to talk to, he dejectedly retraced the tiny pathway he came in on. Then he crossed beneath the road under a large culvert and up the embankment to home, a home of loneliness and quietness and intense thoughts, that become so loud sometimes it’s deafening!

So now just as usual, once more facing many years of asking why? Why me? I feel like an alien from outer space! Not one other person in the world knows how I feel. I didn’t request this position that I’m in. It came about by circumstances beyond my control, but that seems to be what life is.

If I could only train some of these youngsters in this area to talk to me, then I wouldn’t feel so alone. I wonder if Red would understand. My world is very limited and only to me. I have to do things with myself! I have to talk out loud to myself, so I don’t forget how and so as to be able to communicate with others vocally! For many years I have asked why? Why me? Nobody listens to me.

My parents named me Waite and I could never figure out that either. It’s not an uplifting name. I simply hated that name years ago, because I thought it meant I’d never be worth anything. My last name is Long and that sounds like forever! As time passed, I kind of think this way, Is this my life forever?

Who would know that inside of me, even as a kid, I had great ambitions to make a difference in the world I live in? I just knew that I could do anything, but for some or many reasons I got criticized and I got judged, on everything that I did. It was mostly negative.

The passing of time went on and I became an adult, I wanted so much to be a photographer or a painter of portraits. I had a head absolutely full of beautiful scenes, using a magnitude of sizes and colors. Life was so beautiful through my eyes, but I know now, that not one other person could see what I saw. Every time I tried to do something beautiful, others laughed at me or called me unpleasant names. It hurt me but it didn’t take away the beauty I was holding inside me. I can’t let anyone take that away or I would just die!

I soon started believing what others said, even if I knew that I was so beautiful inside. That’s so easy when you are always being put down. But later on, being put down made me quit sharing all my pretty and wonderful ideas with others. I didn’t want anyone to know, and yet I wasn’t truthful, because I really wanted the world to see what I was feeling inside. I wanted to shout out to them, look what Waite can do! I so wanted to say, Hey, I’m here, just look!

When I became an adult, I met a very beautiful young lady that made me feel like I had a million dollars, just being with her. Her eyes just talked and she loved life. In time we made big plans of being together and sharing all our interests, never at that time thinking that our plans may change.

It didn’t take long, and change they did. We had a beautiful wedding and I loved her family and she loved mine. We both had good jobs and were getting high pay so we knew we could have a good life together and do it comfortably.

We did for a while and our lives were drawn closer together as we shared our ideas and likes. We had even talked of having children which both of us wanted, because we came from large families and we assumed we’d have one also.

I remember her sitting on a chair and posing for me to paint her portrait. It was a whole body portrait, of course with clothes on. The beauty just shone in her face. I knew her heart was just as beautiful. I can still, almost feel the warmth of her being near me, just talking about what we did.

Then the day came when we got married. I can’t even really remember what it was like because when we started to leave on a honeymoon trip, she had a seizure that made her fall down and role around on the floor. It was a terrible thing, and I’d never seen anyone go through that. In time and for many years she doctored and they tried every kind of medication there was and they were expecting to work miracles but they found there was no hope.

My beautiful, loving bride became almost like an animal, mean and irritable and never again wanting me to touch her. My inner being was crushed. When this happened, at that time there were no hospitals to leave someone like her. I could never afford to put her away out of society, but I knew she would never change. I wanted so much to love her and touch her. What was I to do? Nobody gave me an ounce of hope or encouragement. Even my own family pulled away and never included us again in any family gatherings. Put yourself in my shoes, what would you do?

That’s when my life changed. I began to hate life. I became like an animal also, losing my love and then not wanting anyone around. It didn’t take long until no one wanted to even recognize me or try to help. They called my wife crazy! I couldn’t get help to take care of her, so here we were just two people with changed lives that could never be repaired. For many, many years I tried to get her in a home that would take care of her, but without a chance. I had no funds available.

So I really was, what my original name said, Waite. I was so devastated in life that I didn’t even want to live again either. That’s why I came out here in this little village, so we could both survive. We could ignore people and they could avoid us. I have the great outdoors, the birds, the sky, and the clouds, the trees and roads that lead to somewhere, who knows where? That’s my life and I haven’t had anyone asked about me, all the time we’ve been here!

The problem is: How do I communicate our situation to other people. Adults cannot begin to fathom what a person in a situation of this kind, as mine, can become. They apparently want nothing to do with either of us. Most of the people in this village think that I live here alone without any inkling and not knowing the situation. I guess it’s better that way! But I will always hope for a miracle!

I have lived here for many years and people just run away when they see me. I know they are talking about this crazy man and they become so afraid to even speak. I’m sure the mothers warn their children about me and tell them to stay away. I only intrigue them because they can tell that I’m different, and I might cast a spell or have a destructive influence on their character, if someone found out that we talked together.

I really think I could talk to Red. I think he has a good heart and just maybe he would understand! He seems very intelligent!

I can’t see that ever happening! I really think he’d enjoy talking to me if we’d get a chance, I can tell he has a loving heart.

Ellen and I bought this little place totally believing that we’d be happy and we’d have some friends in such a small community. I was wrong about that also, kind of like all of my life!

I still have hope! I hear bad things and I hear good things about people all over the world and I still have it good in comparison to many others. I’m thankful for health, and a good mind, and I’m sure that someday answers will come to all the other questions I have in life. I know who is in control of tomorrow so I shouldn’t fear.

Even knowing all this, what scares us little humans are the things we don’t know, the little things that take the fun out of each day, whether it be sickness, uncertainties, lack of love, the power to make people understand and learning to walk the best we know how! I am one of the worst.

But tomorrow for certain will be another day! Waite, I tell myself, make the best of each day, because it could be worse. But you know at the end of the day I sometimes find myself saying, Yes, it did get worse! Then I really have to pray for forgiveness! I’m so human and so anxious about life! Why do I have to be that way? I don’t want to worry, I know better!

Then I question, am I really that much different than others? Has there never been anyone in my exact circumstance?

I’ve always been taught that God has control of our lives, but after what I’ve been through, I’ve had to question many times if God forgot about me? I’ve convinced myself many times that I’m the only person in the world that is going through so many struggles and that produces so many negative feelings and thoughts.

Why, Why, I asked myself each day, actually thinking something might change my situation.

So far I’ve had no answers, but I still pray continually that at some time soon, things will change for the better. I am a determined person. I keep telling myself that!

>>>>>>>>>> ONE GOOD FEELING <<<<<<<<<<

–— Chapter Two –—

>>>>>>>>>> Red and his friend Jerry had daily meetings, which became more than only play time. After all it’s summer and it’s wonderful to be free of winter and classes. Red told all the happenings of the day before and afterwards to his friend. He told how he felt that someone was around besides them at that point, Jerry also got excited, saying, let’s be detectives and we’ll see if we can get answers to our questions. While doing so, holding out his hand to Red, he said, deal?

Red was anxious to have a partner so he gave a hard hand-clasp. We can now work as a team together but what can we do first?

You know Jerry, I’ll really expect a lot from you on this one! Maybe we can make the decision daily for our next move, that will be easier for both of us. Both agreed.

I guess we are going to have to be able to identify the leads as we go along, because first we have to confront the old man and see what we can learn."

So how are we going to make that happen? I’m getting chills running up my back already because after all these years I’ve never spoken a word to him, not one word! Okay, I know I’m afraid of him because he’s not friendly and I don’t think he wants to talk, but we need to think of something to try to communicate who we are and let him know we want to be friends, and I think he’ll probably like that!

I hear you Jerry, but I was thinking more of being detectives by casing out his house! We could be watching to see if he ever comes outside! We could try to get his attention by talking over the yard fence. But, even if we accomplish all that, he may not talk to us because we are just kids! Then what do you suggest we do?

Well, first of all we need to see what he looks like, you know, things like does he have hair or is he bald? Is he dressed neatly and are his clothes clean or does he look like a bum? It scares me to even talk to this man! He may not want us bothering him and for all we know he might not even look us in the eye when we talk to him. I don’t know how he will respond and maybe he does try to avoid direct confrontation? He may naturally be a very elusive person. Also, he may even be afraid of us, as much as we are him!" Red was scaring himself.

Okay then, what if he won’t talk or even look at us? What’s your next idea? Jerry was getting into this now and was really excited. Then he said, I think we should bring him some home-made treats. Mom bakes some wonderful cookies. If I could get some when they are really hot and he could smell them, we’d probably make a friend. At least maybe we could talk together.

Today’s meeting between the two friends turned out completely different than any time before. Neither of the boys mentioned bike riding, or fishing or anything about other friends. Even members of their families were not important right now. In fact they laughed together when one mentioned how intriguing this plan had become. Red giggled, Yep, I feel like I’ve just joined a conspiracy where we are working all the unknowns.

Yes Red, but let’s don’t move too fast. We don’t want to scare the man to the point where he’ll never trust us again. We always have to keep his interests out front, because we do want to become friends. It’s kind of really sad you know, just think how many years that he may have been suffering and that we have wasted. But we could be insanely absurd to think that either one or both of us can change a life style so unbalanced as to retreat to being a recluse, like he is.

Oh, of course Jerry, I think we can do it!

So what’s our next step? I’m scared already.

But I’ve got to get back home, I haven’t finished all the chores my mom assigned to me this morning. They’ve got to be done before she gets home from work or I’ll be ‘meatloaf’!

Remember Red, we want to go riding just about dusk tomorrow night and see if we can find out what goes on in the old man’s house. Sometimes he comes out about dark, I know because I’ve seen him! I’d like to know what he does at that time of day.

Red waived at his buddy and quickly rode toward home. As he looked off to the left he could see their cattle were spooked by something. They were running wildly! What in the world is going on? That doesn’t happen unless an animal is chasing them! But dusk made the world so dim and gloomy that he couldn’t tell what was happening. A chill ran up his spine, making him ready to get his duties of the chores finished.

For all the while Red was remembering deeply things within himself, I live in such a sheltered and easy world. Besides here, there is a big universe out there and millions of people with such diverse cultures and living comforts that I never count mine as blessings. But I am so blessed.

Just that instant he got off his bike and started to the house and as he turned he saw a beautiful bright ray of sunshine that fell directly on the old man’s house. Then he stood in awe, tingling all over for fear gripped him as he saw black smoke coming out of the chimney of the old man’s house. It looked dark and wicked but as it came puffing out looking very unusual, he soon decided it looked like someone was making sky pictures, because it was shaped exactly like someone made it into a huge smile! Wow, what is going on?

Red shivered, no there is nothing that can do that on purpose! All the years I’ve watched the nighttime events of the old man starting a fire to keep warm and seeing the smoke roll, this has never happened. Then he looked again and the smoke was looking like it made a picture of a top swirling in a circle, just so perfect.

What is going on? Something’s wrong. This has to be a sign for me, but why? Unknown to Red-major happenings started elsewhere that not another person knew about.

The old man inside the house, at least he felt old because of his circumstances and the lack of energy, not realizing anything unusual was happening, started going through his daily routine. He was thinking and thinking of the past. It takes me longer now because long years ago I learned not to hurry. Hurry, he thought, means to move fast, rush, make tracks, or to do quickly!" I did away with that life style years ago, I’ve got forever until my time comes to leave this world.

If only young people could realize that about life. Like me for instance, when I grew up I wanted to be mature. When I got mature I faced challenges at being the best, I strove for ambitions of power and fame and wealth! I was very aggressive in doing so, but never-ever-thinking that my creator had other plans for me. And His plans were much more challenging and intense and even beyond my control to choose one or the other. Such is life! I just accept it without question most of the time.

Tonight, right here in my own house, in only my care is the most precious thing I’ve ever owned. And yet—I can’t make her understand how much our world has changed. She doesn’t even know enough to look at the sunsets! She doesn’t respond to my words of love, or when I lovingly take care of her needs! She will only lay her head on my shoulder and then I can at least feel love in her breathing!

But daily I pretend that we are both on our journey together, we laugh about getting wet in the rain and we pretend we feel the sand sifting through our toes on some island beach. She has in time learned all over again, to want me to caress her. For so many years she would never let me touch her! She’d crouch down like she was trying to hide behind a big rock!

Every day I comb her beautiful blond hair and shape it into a long braid so she doesn’t pull her hair out. It is so silky and beautiful.

I put her in the shower but she gets very frightened because she thinks that I