Having it All
Seeing them together and laughing was like being given the whole world tied up in a great big bow. Actually it was far better than that, but she could not find any words to express how wonderful it felt. This was her world, her Mom and her Boys. Yes, they deserved capital letters, always. They filled her to the brim with pure joy. She had forgotten how good it could feel to, well, to feel.
Embracing and being embraced in turn, she felt the total contentment of having all that she loved with her. "Life is good," she thought. They took the trip back to the cottage in a jumble of conversation, catching up on everything that had been happening since she had left. It had only been three weeks, but it seemed like so much longer. Ian had completed his semester exams and would only have one more term before he had his degree in his pocket. He was still seeing Emma and had even arranged a few times to talk with her in advance during the vacation. He was hoping that the family would be okay with fitting them into the schedule. The best news of all was that he had been selected for a paying internship and was itching to get back and start the new venture. As he explained about the team he would be working for and their vision for the development of a futuristic game that had its roots in Celtic lore, she smiled. It seemed he planned to turn the visit into a bit of a working holiday. Sean had also just wrapped up a semester as well. He was half-way through his sophomore year at his college preparatory school, and still loving it. He was particularly enjoying the Latin class he had started and was fascinated with breaking words down to their root forms. Seemed like the whole family had "roots" on their minds, as her Mom had some new lineage to track down relative to their own family's Irish heritage. Perhaps this time they would get a little closer to the mystery. Were they in fact Protestant descendants? Or did some enterprising young lad running from the famine claim the name at Ellis Island? It was a question they had been pondering for quite some time.
The drive passed very quickly and they were at the cottage in what seemed like no time at all. She ushered them in and showed them around. Over a quick lunch of brown bread, cheese and seafood chowder, she told them about her wounded bird. She skipped over the part about spending the night in the cavern and the eerily beautiful song of her dreams. Sean was fascinated and wanted to go with her to tend it after lunch. With some misgivings, she agreed to let him go with her. After washing up and putting things away, she packed her bag with the essentials. Ian and her Mom decided to come along too, so they set off together in high spirits.
The walk there was peaceful enough, if you didn't count listening to the two boys verbally spar. They always seemed to need to be tugging at each other. It was playful, but all the same, it carried that rough edge that boys have. She supposed in an earlier time they would have pulled out the wooden swords and shields and had a round of it. Smiling at this thought, she led them onward. When her Mom got a good look at the necessary climb, she almost decided not to go the rest of the way. But the boys pursuaded her. Lin gave her the gloves she had with her and pointing out the handholds, let Ian lead them up toward the crevice entry.
The climb was not as difficult as it looked, certainly not as breath-defying as she remembered from that first night. Using the flashlight Ian led them through the small twisting interior path and out into the central chamber. Lin slipped the pack off and pulled out the ball-retriever. She explained what she needed to do and asked everyone to stay where they were for a moment. She went out to the ledge and surprised herself by making a clean and simple retrieval. She did not pull much, but she did get enough vegetation to make a decent meal for her friend. Coming back in, she found that the family had seen the swans. They were keeping their distance, though, and that was good. She got out the rest of the supplies, slipping the ointment and fresh bandages into her pocket and began to hum.
They watched as she made her way to the wounded bird. She was surprised when the other birds simply watched and made no protest. That long, graceful neck rose and he looked at her, the single black eye regarding her eloquently. She offered a strand of weed and he took it quickly. His appetite was up, that must be a good sign. She took off the old bandage. The wound did not look infected, but it had also not yet started to knit back together. She would have to think about a plaster of some kind, perhaps sutures? She did not like the idea of trying to stitch the bird, even if he would let her do that. She might make a mistake that would cost him his ability to fly. She washed, dried and re-bandaged the wing. Ian and her Mom had come in closer to watch her and the birds had not made any protest. "Progress?" she wondered. It was not until she had completed her ministrations that she realized that Sean was missing.
They searched the cavern for him. There were not really that many places for a boy his size to hide. At almost six feet he would not fit into any of the tiny nooks in the space. She went out on the ledge and called for him while her mother and Ian retraced their steps through the crevice passage. It felt wrong to yell here. The echo would be too loud, so they whispered for him and got no response. Out on the ledge, clear of the cavern's chamber, she raised her voice. "Sean, you little beast, where are you?" she called.
Out of the corner of her eye she caught a hint of movement. She turned and looked up. There he was scrambling over the lip where she had clung to keep from falling into the sea, and then he was gone from view. "Come back," she called. She could hear little rocks tumbling above her. She heard him grunt as if he had hit something hard, then more scrambling sounds. Frustrated, she made her way back through the cavern and out the crevice passage, hoping to catch a glimpse of him from the other side. Ian and her mother were standing down on the strand, their hands shielding their eyes and staring at the rock formation that was the cavern's outer shell. There, scampering on top, was Sean. He seemed totally fixated on something. He was working his way down the side of the formation, heading toward the sea.
"You have to come down, Sean. It's not safe," she cried up to him. He turned, smiled his biggest smile, waved and then disappeared over the side. They all ran toward the sea, desparate to see where he had gone. Heedless of potential harm, Lin ran out into the waves. She could feel the tug of them on her, trying to pull her down into their depths, but she did not have time for their games. She had to find her boy. She pushed her way past the grasping breakers, grabbing at outcroppings until she rounded the bend and saw him. He had squatted down at the very edge and was holding onto one rock and leaning out toward a small standing rock just barely out of his reach. The sun glinted off the small rock's surface, reflecting white and brilliant. He let his hand extend out to fingertip length, scrambling with his free fingers. Then he must have caught hold of something because he reeled himself back in. His smile was even larger now, if that was possible. He stood, precariously on his rocky outpost and waved. He was saying something, but she could not make out what it was. She made frantic gestures to say get down, be safe. He turned and clambered back the way he had come, triumph written over the lines of his back.
When he emerged, he was simultaneously swamped by all three relatives. Hugs, tears and recriminations flowed together as naturally as milk and tea. When they finally let go, he slipped his hand in his pocket and held out his treasure. "You have to check this out, Ma," he said with a smile. Then his face simply froze in place as he stared at something behind her.
No comments:
Post a Comment