Touch of Loneliness

       When you write it is best to be alone with your thoughts.  That’s why years ago I decided to move into the mountains.  Solitude was my greatest ally.  Free from the distractions of others I was able to hone my craft exclusively.  Technology had gifted me the ability to still send my manuscripts to my editor and go over her notes without having to endure the comings and goings of so many random people.  It was easier for everyone this way.  Nobody ever got me or felt all that comfortable around me anyway.  Likewise I never got anyone else or felt all that comfortable around them.

        I had just finished my morning routine of a bowl of oatmeal and two cups of coffee.  I walked to my computer to begin my writing.  I always felt more creative in the morning.  I saved the editing for later parts of the day.  I had just laid my fingers on the keyboard when I heard a knock on the door.  No one ever knocked on my door so at first I ignored it as just my imaginative mind playing tricks on me.  But it came again.  

        I walked to the door and called out.  “Who is there?”

        From the other side came a deep gravely voice. “Just a man in need of a favor.”

        I hesitantly opened the door a crack and saw a well dressed but very elderly man.  He looked as though he was easily in his nineties.  “What is the favor?”

        “My car broke down about a mile from here and I need to call AAA.”

        “Don’t you have a cell phone to place that call?”

        “Never owned one.”

        “Well you should look into them.  They are quite handy for situations like this.”

        “Noted but can I use your phone in the meantime.”

        “Very well”, I grumbled.  I opened the door and let the man in.  He thanked me as I showed him the phone.  I noticed he walked slowly and wondered how a man at his age could make a mile trek.

        “You said your car broke down a mile from here?”

        “Do you think me a liar?”

        “You must be in very good shape then.”

        “I suppose you could say I get around alright.”

        I overheard his call and then silence.  I walked into the kitchen where he stood there staring at me.  I felt all of a sudden very awkward.

       “They said they won’t be able to get to the car for at least an hour.  Do you mind if I wait here?  My legs are quite tired.”

        I fumbled in my mind for an excuse as to why he couldn’t stay.  But couldn’t find one that didn’t make me seem like a complete jerk so I simply gestured my hand to the single kitchen chair I kept.  

        “Thank you”, the elderly man said between grunts as he seated himself.  

        “Would you like a glass of water or anything?”

        “Please.”

        I filled a glass and placed it in front of him on the small table I used to eat my meals.  I couldn’t honestly remember the last time I had seen someone in the flesh.  I even get my groceries dropped on my door step.  

        “Well, if you will excuse me I must get back to my work.”

        “And what is it you do for work?”

        I sighed heavily.  I wasn’t going to let this guy drag me into a meaningless conversation.  “I’m a writer and I have a deadline so if you will excuse me.”

       “How do you write about life when you are so far removed from it out here?”

       The nerve of this guy judging my abilities.  I quickly became quite perturbed with him and regretted even letting him enter my home.  “I get by just fine.  Thank you.”

        “Do you now?”

        “Look here you, I don’t know you and you don’t know me.  I’m gracious enough to allow you to take rest in my home but I’ll be damned if I’m going to let some stranger criticize my talents.”

        The old man seemed unfazed.  “I was an artist you know.  Back before my hands became too weak to hold brush or pen steady enough.”

        “Would I have heard of your name?”

        “No.  I had someone else claim my art as their own because I didn’t wish to have to deal with people.  I just wanted to create.”

        Suddenly I found myself feeling somewhat empathetic toward the man.  Like maybe we were cut from more similar cloth than I initially felt.  “Then we are alike.  We both just wish to create without the interference of others.”

        “Oh I spent much time walking silently among crowds or sitting on benches observing others.  They were my inspiration for my art.  I just never knew how to make myself known to them.  They passed me by without notice but they always made a deep impression on me.  That’s the only way I knew how to communicate with them through my art.  Does that sound familiar?”

        I said nothing in response and the old man continued.  “Now look at me no one knows I even existed.”

        “They know you through your art”, I offered.

        “I suppose that will have to be enough but still it would have been nice to know more.”

        “What more is there to know?  I talk to people on the phone and the computer.  I touch others with my words.”

        “You will understand the meaning of touch when it is nearing the time of no longer being an option.”  I looked in his eyes and saw a deep sadness and longing.  It stirred something inside me that I couldn’t quite put a finger on.  “Thank you for your assistance today.  I think it’s best I get going.”  

         As he slowly made his way to the door I opened it for him.  A pang of consciousness started to boil up in my gut.  Perhaps this man was right.  Perhaps I had pushed people away and would regret it when I looked back on my life like he was doing now.  I didn’t own a car.  Nowhere to really go but I felt at least I could walk with him.  Ensure he got back to his vehicle safely.  I reached out my hand for his arm as he walked through the door frame but to my utter disbelief it simply passed right through him.  My jaw dropped and my eyes widened.  The old man turned to me and smiled.  

       “Thanks for the conversation.”  He then walked down the dirt path and faded into the air.

       I stood there for who knows how long trying to process what had just happened.  Was I going insane?  Had I imagined the whole thing?  My stupor was interrupted by the ring of my phone.  

        “Uh hello?”  It was my editor calling to ask me if I would be willing to set up a video conference with some other writers who wished to collaborate with me.  I took a long time to respond.

        “You still there or did I lose you?”, my editor's voice came over the phone.

        “No.  You didn’t lose me.  But let’s do it in person.”  There was silence on the other end for a moment.  My editor surely stunned.

        “You serious?”

        I looked at the untouched glass of water sitting on the table and replied.  “Deadly serious.”

A Morning Stroll

       She walked along the black path feeling a warming on her paws.  The bright ball had only begun its journey across the sky.  She liked the warmth coming off the black surface on her body before the bright ball had spent too much time traveling.  Then it got too warm and she had to breathe out the warmth.  The scent of rot hit her nostrils.  She raised her snout and inhaled the beautiful aroma.  She loved it when the tall ones put out new rot, like they did it just for her.  She was making good time so she took a detour and followed the smell to its source.  She splayed on her back and wiggled around to make sure the wonderful odor would stay on her.  After she was confident she had gotten enough of the fragrance on her fur she decided to continue on her trek.  

       She stopped and waited for the fast meatless animals to move down the black path before she continued.  As she walked, she came upon a feathered and her children.  She thought about making a run for them but after she took a few trots she realized her time would be better spent getting to her destination.  Two tall ones crossed her path.  They stopped and called out to her but she didn’t recognize them.  She had a goal to obtain so she picked up her gait and moved quickly away from them into the domain of the shade keepers.  

      She then saw them in front of her.  The bushy tails scattered and she couldn’t resist.  She ran after them.  Their meat was too delectable and they gave such good chase.  They were the prize that every one of her kind sought.  It was a badge of honor to have caught one.  She was proud to say she had done so once when she was still relatively new to this world.  But now her joints didn’t move quite as fast as they used to and her body tired quicker.  She was still able to walk the ground just fine but she knew deep down that the bushy tailed one she had bested many seasons ago would probably have to suffice as her only victory in this game.  She watched the bushy tails climb the shade keepers.  She leaned tall against a shade keeper that held several bushy tails just out of her reach.  She then sang the song of her people to glorify the game that her kind and the bushy tailed ones have played since anyone could remember and would undoubtedly play long after her time on this world had come to its conclusion.

      She journeyed on and emerged from the domain of the shade keepers.  She saw another one of her kind yelling at her to get off his property.  She wasn’t about to pick a fight.  She knew she was almost at her objective.  She lowered her head and averted her eyes to show she meant no harm and did not wish to engage over dominion of this particular land.  It could be his.  She was just passing through.  

      As she turned the corner she stumbled upon a hisser.  Typically he arched his back and let out the sound they all seemed to make whenever she approached them.  She made a move toward him and then continued on her way.  She always did that just to show them she wasn’t afraid.  She had never understood them and she didn’t think she ever would.  The only thing she could say about them is that she usually found scrumptious treats buried in the dirt whenever they were around.  She could never tell whether it was just coincidence or if they had something to do with the treats.  That’s why she always played it safe and let them be.  

      She could tell now that she was almost there.  She tried to contain her excitement and keep her focus.  There were a few fast meatless animals roaming about so she had to be cautious.  Usually they were harmless but it seemed for some unknown reason they would lash out and kill from time to time.  So she had learned that to stay clear of them was the best policy.  

      Finally the odor hit her nose and she knew she had made it once more to the place.  This place was special.  It not only filled her body it filled her heart too.  She always felt at home and at peace while there.  She went directly to the hole that would open and close where nothing but good things emerged.  She sat there as her tail brushed the dust behind.  Then her favorite tall one in the entire universe opened the hole and approached her.  The tall one lifted a deformed hairless paw and used it to stroke her head.  The tall one then set down a pile of the most delicious of edibles.  The tall one made a sweet sound and stood there continuing to stroke her fur as she gobbled up the succulent array in front of her.  She savored this moment for it was truly what life was all about.   

Why Did The Chicken Cross The Road?

       My cat went missing over a week ago.  It’s not unusual for him not to be seen for days.  I did name him Curious purposefully.  He had to be an indoor/outdoor cat, he’s my little explorer.  But a week is a bit much.  I tried to put my neighbors daughter Margo on the case since she is always looking for a mystery to solve but she has not gotten back to me with anything yet.  

       I started calling up the shelters but so far nothing.  I decided to put together a flyer for him.  As I stepped out the door to make photocopies I noticed there was a chicken pecking on my lawn.  An odd sight considering there are no farms nearby.  I know many people these days keep chickens in their yards even if they don’t run a farm.  Fresh eggs are supposed to be so much better.  But I had never seen anyone with chickens around here.

        I shrugged and continued my way to the car when I heard a voice say, “Are you Curious’ person?”

        I looked around but there was no one around.  ‘Great I’m hearing voices’, I thought as I went to open my car door.

        “Lady did you not hear me?”

        “Is someone speaking to me.  I don’t see you?”

        “I’m right in front of you”, came the shrill voice again.

        “No one is in front of me.”

        “Lower your head.”

        I instinctively titled my eyes toward the ground but all I saw was the bird.

        “All I see is a chicken.”

        “Yeah, exactly.”

        The thought I am going crazy crossed my mind.  I tried to shake it off.  Surely animals cannot talk but the voice continued.  

        “You think we chickens can only cluck.”

        I squatted down so I was eye level with the foul. “As a matter of fact yea”, I said out-loud.  ‘What am I doing having a conversation with a chicken?’ I thought.

        “Well, that’s mighty shortsighted of you if you don’t mind me saying so.”

        “Alright, let’s say I’m not losing my mind and you are talking to me.  You mentioned Curious.  Do you know where my cat is?”

        “He crossed the road and went to the other side.”

        “Okay now I know someone is playing a joke on me.  Where’s the speaker?”, I said as I stood up and pulled out my phone to see if someone was using it as a two way radio. 

        “Don’t worry though cats have nine lives.  Curious only used up five of them so far.”

        My heart jumped into my throat.  “Wait you mean Curious died?”

        “What do you think the other side meant?”

        “The other side of the road.”

        “Yea we chickens think it’s funny you humans never got that joke.”

        “I would hardly call it a joke if it’s about death.”

        “What’s a joke but a play on words.”

        “So my Curious is really gone.”  Tears began to start pooling in my eyes.

        “No one is really ever gone.  Just a change of costumes.  But don’t worry cats worked out some kind of special deal or something because they have nine chances each go around down here.  Think of life like a video game and they entered some kind of special code for bonus lives each time they play.”

        “How do chickens know about video games?”

        “We watch you humans a lot more than you watch us.”

        “So why isn’t Curious back home yet?”

        “Oh just as he got to the other side he got side tracked and tagged along with this guy named Bob for a while.”

        “So Curious is back?”

        “Eh it’s complicated.  This Bob guy is all over the place.  But Curious wanted me to tell you to not worry and he will return in another couple days.”

        “Why did my beloved send a chicken to give me this message?”

        “Let’s just say we have our own special codes for the video game.  There’s a reason we were picked for that joke.  Anyway I gotta get going but just wanted to pass along the message so you no longer had to worry.”

        “Can all animals talk?”, I blurted out as the peculiar avian started to walk away.

        “Sure.  You just need to listen.”

        I watched the chicken disappear from sight.  I pushed what just happened out of my head.  It was just my imagination playing tricks on me.  I just wanted my Curious back more than I had even realized.  I became all the more determined to put up those posters.  

        A couple days went by and still I heard nothing.  As I got ready for bed one night I heard a familiar meow.  I dashed to the door and there was my Curious unscathed. He waltzed right in and purred and rubbed against my leg.  I picked him up and cradled him in my arms.  I squeezed him and cooed, “Oh my baby I’m so happy your back safely.  Don’t scare Mommy like that again.”  I assumed it was just a coincidence that Curious showed up on my door step just as the chicken said.  Surely there was nothing strange about a cat finding their way back home.  But all the same I decided to lay off the Chickfila for a while.