For the last two hours Rachel had tossed and turned. Sleep was disrupted by dreams that were disconnected blurs of the shadowed events that led her on this unexpected vacation. She kept looking at the clock beside her bed and watched the slow progressive passage of time. Dory slept beside her like a log. Nothing short of a nuclear upheaval could wake her. At 5 am. Rachel gave up the pretense of sleeping and dressed in the darkness. Quietly she slipped on a pair of jeans and pulled a heavy sweatshirt over her head. In the small bathroom she ran a brush through her auburn hair and brushed her teeth. In the front room she sat on the couch and pulled on a pair of sneakers. She tried to remember where she had put the coffee, the coffeemaker, creamer and sugar. She shook her head when she finally recalled the groceries that remained unpacked in the back of the truck. Luck was with her though when she peeked in the fridge and found a carton of orange juice. She stood with the carton in hand and tried to remember where the glasses and mugs were. At that moment the exact cupboard, nook or cranny escaped her. Rachel looked down at the carton and then back to the darkened bedroom and smiled when she opened the orange juice and drank from the container. If Dory had seen Rachel she would have went ballistic. It was amazing how sweet that orange juice tasted. A soft knock at the door made her jump and she almost spilled juice down her shirt front. She quickly put the container back in the fridge and answered the door. Petey stood outside with two piping hot mugs of coffee. Without a word she handed Rachel a mug and walked over to the Mule. Rachel closed the camper door softly behind her and followed Petey. She climbed in the passenger seat and nudged Petey on the arm. "How on earth did you know" she asked in wonderment as she lifted the mug to her lips. "I figured that if you found the coffee, then you wouldn't find the coffeepot. If you found a mug, the sugar would be buried in a box that was locked outside in the truck. If you found the sugar, the sun would already be up and we would miss seeing the river wake up" Petey teased good-naturedly. "This is soooo good" Rachel gratefully sipped the creamy beverage. "Where are we going? I thought we would just go down to the end of our lot and watch the sun come up.” "That......... is too easy" chided Petey. The headlamps cut through the pre-dawn darkness and they were soon off the main blacktopped road and headed down a dirt path. The Mule navigated the terrain with ease. They had driven for quite a way when Petey pulled the UV next to a downed tree. Silently she motion for Rachel to follow her. They picked their way carefully through the underbrush. Petey put her hand on Rachel's shoulder and guided her over to a huge boulder that jutted out over the river. The sky was beginning to lighten up ever so slightly. They sat down on the rock and Petey set the stainless steel thermos between them. "You just have to stay very quiet and still." Petey whispered to Rachel. In the early dawn light the fog hovered over the surface of the river like smoke from a smoldering fire. Somewhere along the water's edge a bird's twitter broke the early dawn's silence. Petey nudged Rachel's shoulder and pointed across the river from where they sat. Rachel peered out across the water and watched as a pair of deer drank from the riverbank. One deer would lower its head to drink while the other kept a vigilant watch. Soon another deer materialized from the woods, like a ghost, and drank from the water's edge. Two blue heron glided above the river's surface. Their wings touched wisps of fog that had begun to lift and vanish in the morning light. With ballet synchronization they landed side by side. Together, with their long legged high-stepped stride, the heron’s walked along the water's brink looking for snails and small minnows. With arrow-like accuracy they probed the shoreline for a morning feast. Rachel watched in amazement as the wild life came to the water's edge. Never in her life had she been this close to nature and it was an incredible experience. Not far from where they sat, a small raccoon washed its breakfast of crayfish with nimble paws. Its’ comic actions caused both women to smile. As the sun rose above the treetops the fog vanished from the river. The gray scale colors of the sunrise gave way to the soft pastel hues of a new day. Like a Polaroid developing, the river came to life in vibrant color. Somewhere down river they heard the sound of outboard motor cough and sputter. The deer spooked by the sound drifted back to the safety of the woods. "I have never seen anything like this" Rachel whispered in wonderment. "I'm glad you enjoyed it" Petey whispered back. “Welcome... to my world….” They sat there and sipped coffee, content to share this moment without the need for conversation. Quietly they admired the magic before them....... To Continue To Chapter Twelve Click On the River © Labinky Park 2008 Labinky Park Enterprises 2008 |
Chapter 11
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