He had been walking a good hour when he decided to take a route down which he had never been. He thought that a change of pace was just the ticket. The path was very plainly laid out in front of him and he strolled along as merrily as you please. The path opened up after clearing a grouping of trees, mostly evergreen. He notated to himself, “Chapter 4: Curiosity.” Somehow, four seemed a small number, for he had come quite a ways already, and if a book were written about this particular day thirteen would be a more apt number. But nothing else had that quaint tone to it as the number “four”. He mouthed the number several times, pleased with the way it sounded in his mind. In retrospect, it was an apt number since his adventure had not truly begun, except for the moment when a middle-aged woman came walking up behind him and scared him half to death. He had really hoped that he would not meet another person on his trek today and was excited to be only the second arrival to the trail head. “Well,” he thought, “fate often dictates otherwise.”
He came to a fork in the trail and thought it quite curious. He did not remember any forks when he looked at the well-marked trail map posted in plain view. Something seemed odd but he just took it in stride. “Part of the excitement,” he thought. He decided to go right through the prairie rather than left toward the wood. He was surprised by his own decision. He had always thought that a wood was more exciting. Maybe his present condition of being under the weather changed his mind. Today was an unorthodox day for him.
He came across a small pond and remarked to himself how nicely the algae glistened in the hot sun of the late summer. As he strolled, he noticed the many lovely dragonflies and grasshoppers that scurried from his path. He located a wooden bench and decided to wander toward it. To his amazement he found yet another path that lead behind the bench and around some rolling hills. This was an interesting day, one filled with simple intrigue and wonder. Sitting on the bench, he gazed across the pond and the prairie backdrop of a horizon. A gentle wind wisped by as he breathed in a deep sigh of respite satisfaction, the sun to his right temple.
He woke with a start. Four twenty-four was the time as he glanced at his watch. Good, not getting too late yet. He scanned the scenery finding the path on which he was traveling. “Well, time to head on,” where the words that floated in his mind. What a lovely day this had turned out to be for his solace. Despite all of the curiosity and wondering that raced through his mind, all was all right.
After walking a few minutes, he came to yet another fork in the path. Now he was really confused. He decided to keep to the right. As long as he was consistent in his directions, he would find his way somehow. He strolled along over rolling hills and really sensed that he was lost, even though the path was as plain as day. He would find an end somewhere, but he seemed to be going in the wrong direction. It was as if he was on a planet that rotated anti-clockwise like the sci-fi movies he had been viewing lately. The path should be turning left, not right. He felt he could understand the main character in the movie; a cosmic wanderer, only he was only wandering in a park, not on a strange planet.
He saw another sign in the distance. Oh what luck! He walked with new excitement and curiosity, to see where on earth he had been. On arrival he noticed that he had wandered onto another path that he had never taken, but one that was not intended to be taken. He was now on the main path again, knowing precisely where he was and where to go. He came once again to that clearing through the small patch of trees. He scribbled in his mind, “Chapter (twenty) 4: Déjà vu.” Had twenty chapters gone by already? But 4(teen) didn’t seem right. The number “2” fascinated him. Was it the only number that was spelled completely different from its pronunciation? T-W-O. It was another curiosity. A pair of something, that was a twain, a “1” followed by a “2” was twelve, a “2” followed by a “0” was twenty; all pronounced with the tell-tale “W.” He thought that his native tongue was wrong. He longed for a proper language to use where the words “to, too,” and “two” would be pronounced differently; pronounced correctly.
He kept walking and noticed that a pair of people was behind him. People again. He hated people. It’s not that he did not like anybody, but people in general, all six point five billion of them, made him uneasy. People seemed so domestic, messy, boring. He thought that he must be a bore as well; that his life would be a bore if it were not for the great outdoors. He found nature beautiful, fascinating, exciting. Other beautiful things included music and visual art. He could enjoy these without interference from fellow humans. He didn’t listen to the radio much. It was mostly CDs to which he listened. No chatter of news reports or senseless commercials. Talk, talk, talk; blah, blah, blah; boredom, boredom, boredom. Music, art was pure, unspoiled expression.
People were no match for this. Then he thought of that one person who wasn’t boring. She was fascinating, like nature. Her name was Amber. Amber had a wild look in her eye, a tigress of a person, not domesticated. He had guessed her middle name: Theresa. And it was not pronounced in the bland American style. The mouth was poised; the eyebrows raised unnecessarily high. Each consonant rolled out of the mouth quickly, daintily, but sharply. He mouthed the name Theresa with a to-the-point “T,” a short, rolling “R,” and a naso-dental “S,” like a very short hiss of a snake. Perfection.
But no, her middle name was really Michelle. He thought about this for a moment; the initials “A.M.” The young woman was as fresh as the morning. He did not know what exactly the term “fresh” meant in this strange usage, but he knew it was something positive. He thought about Amber Michelle a bit longer. He was not in love with her, he knew that for sure. He was in love once. But she became dull and boring to him, annoying, maybe aggravating. He was content being a loner now. He didn’t need or want anybody getting in his way of enjoying life…
Adding your comment: