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4. A TRUE FRIEND
After a moment of sheer terror, Renee finally saw the silhouette of a young man amongst the trees. When she determined the figure was Sam Kale, she released the entrapped air from her lungs. “Whew!” Though Sam was not entirely unintimidating in his own regard, at least Renee’s concern of being lunch was completely alleviated, for now at least.
"Oh I’m sorry, did I scare you?" Sam asked with the slightest curling of his lips. He had approached her amongst the trees and she felt free to resume a normal stance away from the oak.
"Me, scared? No, of course not, I just thought you were a wild animal I’d have to erm...…" She twirled her hair as she struggled with the words.
Sam couldn’t hold back his reaction any longer. He released a roaring stream of laughter. "I’m sorry, it’s just...." His sentence was cut up by several moments of laughing. He eventually calmed down, leaving them standing in silence.
Looking around, Renee was getting antsy to get farther away from the church and her father; so not letting another second slip past her, she asked Sam as simply as she could. "I’m going to run away, do you want to come?"
"What?! When I saw you run out of the church, I thought you just wanted a temporary escape…not a permanent one!" Renee didn’t reply but, instead, maintained her steadfast pose and wasted another precious minute waiting for him to re-think his words. "I mean…you can’t just run away." He flung his open palms into the air, as if the gesture would help Renee listen. It did not.
"Why not?" Renee's confidence shocked even her. The trees surrounding them appeared ordinary enough. She could see no logical reason to be intimated by this forest, or any other for that matter.
"Why not? I’ll tell you why not, because your parents love you, and what about all your friends? You’re just going to leave them without so much as a goodbye?!" Sam was obviously flabbergasted at the idea.
"First of all, my mom hasn’t ever taken my side over my father's, so she must not love me too much….and my father, ugh, don’t even get me started! As far as friends are concerned, you’re my only true friend, so no one else will care that I’m gone." This newfound assurance excited her to all the possibilities that could be waiting outside this small town.
Sam did not seem to share her enthusiasm. He paused a few seconds, rubbing one hand across his chin, clearly deep in thought. Finally, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a worn fifty cent piece.
She immediately recognized it as the one his father had given him years before. “You still carry around that old coin?” She was surprised at his dedication.
“Yep, everywhere; now watch this.” He proudly flipped the coin in the air, catching it perfectly in his palm, covering the results. “If I get heads, then I’ll go with you, ok?” Renee nodded and then held her breath. Slowly, Sam pulled back his fingers, revealing…..“Heads! Looks like we’re running away!”
"Oh, Sam, thank you!" She rushed forward and hugged him like it was their first day of kindergarten again. Even at her youthful age of thirteen, she felt they had already spent an entire lifetime as friends. After all, they had numerous memories over the past eight years, and it excited her this could be another opportunity for their friendship to grow.
She released her grip on him and returned to her steadfast pose, prepared for the adventure on which they were about to embark. "Alright, well we better get going unless you want the church choir finding us..." She let out a chuckle but Sam didn’t laugh. Not thinking anything of it, she went back to the mission of which way she wanted to go.
Scanning the numerous, nearly identical trees, she now realized she was clueless as to which way she had even come from, let alone where she should lead. Desperately wanting to embrace her new found sense of adventure, she was thoroughly tempted to select a direction at random.
Wait….Sam will not follow blindly…there must be a reason…she scanned the forest again, hoping some of her father’s logic would come to her now. She had to admit, her father had always been a plethora of information. Her eyes instantaneously caught sight of a dead tree lying across the forest floor a few feet from them. Then it hit her and she embraced the impulse to slap herself on the forehead. Moss! It always grows facing north….that’s it! She approached it quickly, desperately hoping to identify the fluffy green substance resting on the tormented, dead trunk. Sure enough there was a layer of scruffy moss on one side of the fallen oak. She pointed the opposite direction as she explained her reasoning. “This way….the moss always faces north….so in this case towards the church….we should go the opposite direction.” Renee smiled, feeling quite proud of her explanation.
“Sounds good to me…” Sam did not know a thing about tracking, but Renee had successfully convinced him, so he followed her lead. They proceeded on in silence for some time with only the sound of crunching leaves to confirm they were still moving.
Renee’s mind began to wonder as she soaked in all the beauty the forest had to offer. Trees seemed to sparkle in the sunlight as a variety of plant and wildlife surrounded them. She intermittently identified the sound of squirrels scrambling up and down trees. She often envied their ability, and dreamt of having such climbing skills herself. She watched now as one to her right stuffed an acorn into its oversized cheek. She could not help but smile at the sight.
It was certainly true that, despite her thicker weight, she had always been an outdoorsy girl. She loved swimming, hiking, anything that brought her and nature together. She and her mother had recently developed a new tradition of mountain biking together. They would ride for hours without stopping. Her favorite spots were always those amongst the wooded trails. Unfortunately for them, her adventures alongside her mother had always occurred in the northern woods that rested opposite of the southern chapel. She had grown to know those woods well on the back of her metal contraption. The area they were in now, however, was completely new to her. Looking around at these unfamiliar trees, she continued to reflect on her past trips with her mom. She had discovered the act of biking instead of hiking provided a few distinct advantages. For one, it allowed her to see far more of the forest in a shorter time span. Also it helped avoid, not entirely though, the attachment of ticks. Those horrid little creatures were one of nature’s downfalls. There was only one dweller she despised more than those, cockroaches.
Her fear of the nasty, little things had truly developed a year prior. She was taking a shower before school, like any other day. Stepping out of the water’s embrace, she plucked her towel from its resting place, and prepared to dry off. She flung her hair downward and was just about to wrap it in the fluffy, comforting cloth. It was at that moment she discovered a visitor on her towel. It was a cockroach at least three inches in length. She immediately dropped the towel, screamed, and ran to her room in her birthday suit. Thankfully, her father was already at work and her mother was downstairs reading, clueless to her daughter’s peril. Renee quickly corrected her ignorance by repeatedly yelling for her mother. It felt like an eternity before Merlot was finally knocking on her bedroom door, demanding to know what was wrong. When she explained what happened, her mother burst into laughter. Renee insisted that her mother should just kill the dreadful thing and bring her a fresh towel. In hindsight, she now felt guilty, recognizing how she may have come off as a tad rude. Her mother seemed to understand the demands were merely out of panic. She always had a way of understanding Renee’s true intent even when others could not. Ever since that day, she had developed an odd habit of never drying off without thoroughly scanning her towel beforehand.
Suddenly her attention was drawn back to the present. She and Sam must have been walking along for at least twenty minutes. She now heard a loud crunching of leaves behind them. There’s no way that was just a squirrel. “Sam, get down.” While quietly barking out the order, she followed her own advice, crouching near the ground. Sam obeyed and watched attentively for any sign of movement.
Nothing…
“Shh!” She lifted a finger to accompany the command. She knew she had heard something. She was sure of it. Sam followed her orders and did not move another muscle.
It had been five minutes now and Renee had come up with two possibilities: Either I’m crazy, but of course I can’t be, right?...they always say if one is questioning their sanity that person must not be mad…the other possibility is that what I heard…this person…is my father. An avid hunter, her father prided himself with the ability to remain motionless for hours. She debated which of the two was worse; believing she was crazy, or that her father was here, now.
Before she could come to a conclusion, Sam burst through the buzzing with a suppressed shriek. “Renee!” His voice was desperate, his breathing heavy. When she finally looked in front of her, she saw it. There, four feet from her face, slithered a snake with bands of black, yellow, and red. Remembering a common phrase about a boy named Jack, she determined immediately that the creature in front of her was in fact…
“RENEE! RUN! IT’S A CORAL SNAKE!” The extremely exasperated female tone was clearly not that of Sam Kale, who was now scrambling to his feet. However, to Renee’s surprise, neither was it the voice of her father. Who said that? Renee’s mind spun as her eyes searched for an answer. Sam jerked her up by the arm, yelling as he did so: “COME ON!!”
Renee continued to scan the area for any sign of the woman who had identified the snake, but was disappointed to discover no one. As her arm pulled ahead of her, she came to her senses and caught up with Sam. The forest flew past them in a blur. Their feet pressed onward almost automatically; shear adrenaline had clearly overtaken Sam. Her mind attempted to reflect on what had happened. Despite her body’s frantic movements, her psyche was oddly relieved. The thought of a total stranger following them was somehow more comforting than either of her two previous assumptions. The trees continued to fly by, as though they had a life of their own. Wait, they do, don’t they? As they finally came to halt, she had to smile at her own foolishness, happily admiring the forest and its beauty. Her breathing was labored, but her mind was now at ease. Sam, however, was pale as a ghost. Upon meeting his gaze, she felt her own smile melt away. He turned from her with a pained expression. As he did so, she caught a glimpse of moisture in his eyes. “What’s wrong? We’re both ok.” She placed her hand on his shoulder, hoping to draw back his attention, but Sam just stared at the ground, refusing to look at her. She removed her palm from its perch and decided to take a different approach. “I’m sorry I shushed you. It was wrong of me. I should’ve listened to you sooner. I really didn’t…”
“No.” His response cut her short.
“I don’t understand, what’s wrong?” Renee was truly lost, in more ways than one. She had no idea what could have upset him like this. In all the years she’d known him, he had only cried once, and that was when his nine-year-old dog, Midnight, died. Seeing a snake in the grass shouldn’t have caused this sort of reaction from him. After all, they had both grown up in the country and were quite accustomed to wildlife.
“I’ve never….” Sam seemed to be trying so hard to contain his concern, but without much luck. “What happened to you, Renee?” His face shifted and he was staring at her directly.
She was even more confused now. “Huh, what are you talking about? I thought I heard something which ended up being that lady, and then….”
“What lady?” Sam’s expression filled with worry. Renee felt a chill run up her spine.
“The one who called it a Coral snake!” She started to panic. Sam’s face said it all; he had heard no voice. Goosebumps began to sprout all over her body. “You didn’t hear her?” As Renee voiced the question, Sam’s pale face grew lighter.
“No. I knew something was wrong with you.” His voice faded into a mumble. “You’re just as crazy as your father…”
“What did you say?!” Adding to her other symptoms, Renee’s face grew red with fury and her hands made fists.
“You heard me!” Sam snapped suddenly, getting defensive. Then he froze; his mood instantly changed. “Oh my gosh, did you hear that?!” Sam now seemed to be panicking.
“Very funny, Sam. Now you’re just mocking me, I’m telling you, I really heard someone, a woman and….”
“Did she have an extremely soft voice?” Sam was no longer looking at Renee. His eyes were scanning, searching for something…or someone.
“Yeah, how’d you….”
“And she knew your name?”
“Sam, you did hear her, didn’t you?”
“Just now.”
“What’d she say?” Renee was excited. She knew she wasn’t crazy, or at least she wasn’t the only one, which was a relief. Somehow too, she found the situation not horrific but, rather, thrilling.
“When I started getting snappy with you she said, ‘That won’t get you anywhere, Sam.’” Sam’s feelings were quite different, and he began regretting ever leaving church.
“Well, she’s got a point…you shouldn’t have treated me like that.”
“I thought you were losing it!”
“Look, let’s just get out of this area of the forest, okay? With all these…. um…. complications...”
“Ha! Complications?! Is that what you call it?”
Renee could tell he was still pretty shaken up, so she calmly continued her line of thought: “My point is that we’re lucky the church members haven’t caught us yet.”
“Yeah, I guess.” Sam’s eyes shifted toward the ground, as though the statement was a lie.
“Come on, let’s jog a bit.” She hoped the offer would lift his spirits, knowing how much he loved to run.
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5. Learning Time
“Now class, line up, recess is over!” Ms. Morrison watched as her pupils scrambled into a line at her command. They learned over the last half a year that she was not one to be trifled with. Little Danny, the class clown, particularly learned this lesson after placing a whoopee cushion on her chair. Ms. Morrison punished the child by making him spend a grueling hour in time-out writing over and over again the sentence “I will show my teacher, parents and all adults respect.” Some claimed her methods as too extreme and strict. However, the school board determined she did not cross any boundaries and supported her stern teaching environment. Ms. Morrison developed a strong appreciation for her team and felt no remorse for disciplining the children as she did. Luckily for her, the principal especially approved of her work, possibly for reasons less than entirely appropriate. Nevertheless, he always kept things within the guidelines of professionalism and Ms. Morrison respected him for that. After all, the principal knew she adored every child in her class and merely wished the best for each one. Therefore, she would not allow her standards to be compromised. She experienced too much in life to allow that.
Her past struggles only made her stronger, more determined to succeed. At the age of only twenty seven years old, she was the youngest teacher in the entire school. Ms. Morrison stood proud knowing she obtained her Master’s Degree and teaching license in almost record time. Though she stood satisfied with her accomplishments, her journey up to this point was certainly not an easy one.
The decision to teach at this particular school was an especially challenging one. After all, Ms. Morrison avoided her small home town for many years. After experiencing a difficult youth and a major tragedy here, Ms. Morrison despised this place for some time. The true source of her disdain was her terror of this town. However, irony had a cruel way of making her come face to face with her fears. After she finished her schooling, Ms. Morrison set
out on the task of finding a teaching position. She applied to school after school, but was denied several available positions. Perhaps it was her age that deterred the schools from qualifying her. Maybe it was the fact that she had no children of her own. In recent times, Ms. Morrison wondered if it was not simply the hand of fate that brought her back. She was at the point of desperation when the small town principal called her personally. He cheerily informed her there was an opening at the school for their 3rd grade classroom. It was the exact grade Ms. Morrison longed to teach. She was hesitant to accept the position and return to the very elementary school she attended as a child. However, after several more positions were handed to older, more experienced teachers, she decided to give in.
When Ms. Morrison arrived in the town and met her students, everything changed. The group was an unorganized mess. The children were disrespectful, late to class, and often cruel to one another. They needed her desperately. Her strict and rigid ways did not go over too smoothly at first. However, the children learned to adjust to her stern learning environment. Of course, she still dealt with the occasional questioning parent, but her logic overruled their objections every time.
Looking now at the children as they rushed toward her and filed into formation, she couldn’t help but notice how much they changed. They were now obedient, respectful students who always arrived on time, for the most part at least. It was truly ironic she finally found her place in this world and it was here, where all her misery originally began. Despite this, Ms. Morrison never felt so at home in her life. At last, this is where I am meant to be. A tear began to form in her eye, but was interrupted by the frantically waving hand of her pupil, Billy.
Wait a minute….that reminds me of something…Her mind started to drift but at last, she asked, “Yes, Billy, what is your request?”
Fear rose in the child’s eyes. He knew he should have made this request sooner. “Ms. Morrison…I needa go to the bathroom.”
R.E.M.: The Hidden World Page 3