It Was 2052, High Haven (19 page)

“
It' really time, I guess. We
can still get home before the bad cold weather sets in.” Even
with all that had happened, Cissy felt hesitant to leave. She stole a
glance at Taylor, felt a twinge as the golden eyes held hers.
We
have some things to think and talk about. My mind will be clearer at
home.

Bubba stood up, slipped his bowl and
spoon into a pail of water, “Well, Lindsey and I have decided
to stay with Cole for a while.”

“
You're going to stay?”
said Kevin. “You know the winter will probably be brutal here,
no telling when you'll be able to get down.”

“
It'll be okay. We're going to
build some kind of shelter for the three of us. Hey bud, we've all
been through plenty of winters.”

“
Not on this mountain.”

“
He's right, you better think
hard on this decision,” said Cole.

“
Well,” Bubba put his arm
around Lindsey's shoulders and she didn't push it off. “It's
already decided. When Cole is better, we'll come home.” He
looked over at her, “
both
of us.”

Lindsey still gave no protest, said
“Yep. Maybe in the Spring.”

Cissy and Cole exchanged a look, he
slightly shrugged. She was really fond of the man. She didn't like
this idea and he probably should be protesting but she couldn't blame
him for not wanting them to leave. They had all become friends and
the self absorbed artist just hadn't bothered before they had
intruded into his life to cultivate friendships. Bubba was a grown
man and Lindsey was on her own, made her own choices. She, Taylor and
Kevin would head home in a day or so, everyone had to do what they
had to do.

When it was time to leave the high
mountain camp, Cissy wondered who the giant dog would choose. He was
very loyal to Taylor but had become attached to the kindly Pastor
Poe. Accepting one last pat from the minister, he quickly fell into
step with Taylor. She was relieved, knew that the dog meant a lot to
him. Their goodbyes were said. It was likely that they would never
see Cole and the new settlement again,
I wonder if Bubba and
Lindsey will ever make their way back to the community.
It
was an unsettling thought but she was ready to leave
.

The
trip down the mountain was tedious, each day it seemed to be getting
colder; sometimes they crossed a burnt out, still smoldering area of
the mountain side and sometimes made their way through unscathed
rough landscape. Going down and having a known destination made the
journey much quicker than the searching trip up the mountain many
weeks before. It was only four days when the traveler's home
community came into view.

The
basketball sized blur of yapping fur flew by Jeff and Emily, tiny
paws barely touching the ground. She was the first to reach the
three figures and
dog
as they walked the last few yards up the road toward home. Emily was
close behind the little dog and Jeff, giving some silent thanks for
the safe return of his son and daughter, tried not to run to the
happy reunion.

Cissy
had
never in her life felt so exhausted. She had her adventure, found
the light in the mountains and even found her lost treasure. From
the secure curve of her father's arm, she looked at Taylor as he
shook her father's hand---
I
might have found more treasure than
I
planned.
Kevin was
still captured in the squeeze of their mother.
One
discovery she
was certain
of, nothing was more important to her than these people and this
place.

Peaches and tiny friend had already
trotted off up the hill toward the faded green house. Jeff said,
“Wait, where's Bubba? Is he okay, I thought he was with you.”

Kevin
said, “Bubba is fine. It's a pretty long story, we
have
lots of things to tell you all. I thought we might need to gather at
Cody's house and let everyone hear. More than you can imagine has
been going on since we all left the community.”

As
the re-united family walked up the hill, Cissy said, “Looks
like the wildfire just barely missed the community this time.
I
saw the burn scar as we came down.
Were
there any losses?”

“
Oh-h, it's so sad,” Emily
reached for her daughter's hand.

Kevin stopped still, “What about
the Baileys? Did the fire get their place, are they alright?”

Jeff said, “I'm sorry son, Mr.
Bailey died a few weeks ago. Then the wildfire moved across that far
side of the community, took out half a dozen places, including the
Baileys. Suzanne and her mother have been staying at our place until
they can rebuild. I'm glad you and Taylor are back. It's going to
take a lot of work to help those that lost everything.”

Kevin yelled back over his shoulder as
he jogged toward his family cabin, “I'm going to get Suzanne.
Meet you up at Cody's.”

They
were all gathered, crowded in the house where they had shared meals
and plans and their lives so many times over the last few years.
Kevin began with his story, first assuring Bubba's family that he was
safe. The daylight faded, the lamps were lit, there was a pause while
supper was being prepared. The men all stood around a large fire
outside the cabin and by the time
s
upper's
ready
was
announced, small snow flakes drift
ed
down,
hissing
in the flames.

Long after the meal was cleared away,
late into the evening, the last few weeks of adventure unfolded for
the integrated families. Kevin and Cissy's stories soon intersected
and the tale of Secret and the lost mine and the escape from the
wildfire was passed along.

Cissy
let her breath out in a soft sigh, “So, Bubba and Lindsey
insisted they w
ould
stay at the camp.
I think he
really
believe
s
the painter, Cole need
s
his help. I don't think they
'
ll
be able to make it down until Spring.” She looked at the two
women who had often been the object of Bubba's attention, wondering
if they showed any displeasure at the thought of Lindsey.
None
that I can see.
She
had to smile to herself, Bubba could be a real pest. Then she thought
of the funny and likable Lindsey.
Maybe
the man has met his match.

She wanted to reach out for Taylor's
hand, she didn't. There had been a lot of talking today and she was
tired, everyone was. There would be plenty of time, after she and
Taylor talked some more, to tell the family about their plans.

Always,
as Cissy remembered, the three houses of her extended family had been
pleasantly crowded. They all liked it that way and the sharing of
their lives was just
normal
for them. It seemed that since she returned home, the living
arrangements felt a bit too close. Suzanne
Bailey
slept on a cot in her room, her mother had been given Kevin's room
and another cot was her brother's bed in the library with Taylor.

She
looked across the breakfast table at Taylor, his eyes held hers and
she wished they were alone. They had talked to her mother and father
a couple of days
after they returned
, told
them they wanted to be married.
She
knew her father already respect
ed
Taylor, just as she expected, the news was cheerfully received.
There
would be
a
Spring wedding. It seemed like a long time away to Cissy.
For
the present, there was lots of work to do in the community and that
would come before she and Taylor could think about building a home of
their own.
For the first
time in her life, she wanted her own home---she pushed away the
thought of the
steamy
night
in the kitchen of the parsonage---she wanted Taylor.

***

In
the high country,
construction
was going on, also. The
residents of the destroyed Secret
struggled
to rebuild a community. Unlike the foothills, where so
me
winter
days could be
pleasant, nearly warm and the snow rarely stayed for more than a day
or so; on the mountain the snow piled and rarely melted away and the
cold wind blew across the blue lake, froze the edges and formed icy
sheets across it.

With
a lot of co-operation and hard work, everyone in the lake side
encampment had some kind of shelter for the winter. When the warm
weather came again, they would build more permanent structures and
re-establish their town,
for
now they had to survive. Most of these people had experience with
survival in the mountains. They would have to share the provisions
that had been stored in underground cellars in the
ruined
town and hunt. And they pray
ed
for a winter that wasn't long and hard.

Bubba
and Lindsey shared a small structure with Cole. Made of logs with
mud, limbs and leaves as chinking, it was far from toasty warm. They
were able to stay decently comfortable with blankets and furs and
wearing layers of clothes.
Pastor
Poe had cheerfully married the two in a shivering short ceremony. Of
course, the small hut provided very little room for privacy. Often
Cole feigned sleep, ma
de
snoring noises as the newlyweds played beneath the furs.

The eccentric artist really didn't
mind the noises of rambunctious lovemaking from the couple. His love
was his painting and he'd never really been attracted to someone or
missed having a partner. He had, however, really enjoyed the
friendship of all of the newcomers to his world, sad to see Taylor
and Cissy leave, he didn't allow himself to think of his two house
mates leaving.

“
Hey,
you two rabbits---knock it off, will ya!” Just chuckles from
the other side of the temporary partition
between
them. Sometimes, they really aggravated him, kept him awake and some
times it was his way of intruding into their union.

He
turned over on his bed, pulled the covers up over his ears. His side,
his wound was still tender, he had to find a comfortable position.
Only muffled talk now from the lovers, but
what's
that noise outside? Squish---squish---squish,
something
crunching in the snow. Not a bear, they're hibernating. Mountain
lion, wolf, coyote? They all move pretty quiet. Sounds like snowshoes
to me. He listened, the steps seemed to be moving away.

Could
be anybody, not many mess around out here after dark though. It's
probably that stupi
d
mayor.
The pastor knows
things, lots of folks talk to him. He said the mayor was obsessed
with finding the mine again, has spent hours and days up there
digging around. Seems that through the fire, a cave-in, somehow the
mine has completely disappeared.

A hiss right at his head, “Did
you hear that?”

He popped up and cursed, held his
side, “Jee-sus. Lindsey, thought you were asleep.

“
Bubba
is,” she giggled, “out like a light.
I'm
wide awake.
Did you hear
something outside?”

The
long straight hair fell over his shoulders, in the dark only his
white teeth were vaguely visible, “You know that I sleep naked,
don't you?”
The woman
knelt beside his cot. She
had startled him, interrupted his thoughts,
he
was p
eeved
.

“
So-o-o,---
a
nyway,
no you don't. Did you hear
some
thing
or not?”

“
Yeah, I heard something. Not
anything to fret over, not an animal. Sounded like snowshoes.”
He leaned down on his elbow, could still only see a faint silhouette
of her.

“
I thought so, too. You know
what I think? I think that crazy-ass mayor is clomping around on
this mountain, looking for his gold mine. Bubba says he won't quit
until he finds it, even if it kills him.”

“
Do you care?” said Cole.

She tugged the blanket she was wrapped
in up tighter, “Nah, I don't care about the gold. I got two
pieces. If there's any around, I suppose the people of Secret need
it to re-build their town. Do you care, Cole---you know, about the
gold?”

He
gave a small
humph,
“You
know that I don't care about the gold. Unless, I could paint with it.
That's a thought, huh? What about your man over there, does he care
about the mine?”