She stared me down with cold eyes. “Jake, let’s shift gears again so I can be the nice therapist who helps her patient understand the message. Think about a woman; about what she enjoys; about what makes her feel feminine and wanted. You know, it is as basic as what the eight-year-old Annette said when you went by her house that day after school. She asked you if you were going to buy her a gift.
“Think of things to give Sharon. This will show her your emotional bond; feed her and nurture that point in the triangle.
“Jake, you’re often a wise man, but when you make sex the object of your affection, you’re not acting wise; you’re showing Sharon you do not understand her. I taught you to take the journey of life and to ‘dig deep’ into those emotional layers of your being and her being. You need to recognize those layers, honor them, respect them, and create your relationship with those emotional layers as the building blocks of your life together. It’s not going to be easy; you’ll need to work at it.
“I am going to leave you with one more thought. There’s a saying ‘one may see the hair, but the wise man will see the curl in the hair.’ You’ve told me how you complimented Sharon on her inner and outer beauty. That’s great, but I want you to look at how she relates to you by sharing her inner thoughts. Are you like the wise man? Do you see the curl which is the essence of Sharon? The wise man understands the joy of sex, but he clearly sees Sharon as a woman of great substance. He realizes the greater satisfaction life offers by sharing deeper emotional levels with her; respecting who she is and her reluctance to rush into a physical relationship.
“It’s my expressed hope that you and Sharon will dig, explore, share, and enhance your life together.
“Jake, you’ve been very quiet these past few minutes, as you should. I commend you for listening to me; taking the abuse I’ve put upon you during this therapeutic session. Hopefully, my point is loud and clear.
“I have another way for you to feed and explore Sharon. It will cause you to look deeper within yourself. Take her to a place that inspires you; let her share an experience that excites you; that makes you feel at peace. It may serve several purposes; along with being a true gift from you to Sharon. I’m confident you’ll learn something valuable. In turn, she may share something special with you.”
The session ended; I sat speechless.
Chapter 51
July 1998
I called Sharon with my idea.
“Honey, it’s time we went to my temple.”
“Great. I’m so happy to hear that. Will we be going to services on Friday night or Saturday morning? Do you belong to a reform temple?”
“No, Sharon. You’ve got the wrong idea. My temple is a place that comforts me and connects me with God, but it’s not a synagogue; it’s Yosemite National Park. Have you ever been there; have you ever been hiking?”
“I’ve never been there, but I hiked once with some girlfriends in the Santa Monica Mountains; I enjoyed it. Remember San Francisco; we walked all over the city, up and down the hills. I didn’t have any trouble keeping up with you; I enjoyed the exercise too.”
“Sharon, you have a great attitude. I’m going to take you on a hike to see a beautiful waterfall. How does next Thursday sound to you? We’ll leave in the morning and drive to the park. I’ll book two rooms in the Ahwahnee Hotel.”
“Next Thursday is fine; my assistant can cover for me. Is this hotel clean? You know that’s important to me.”
“Yes, it’s definitely clean. It’s one of the country’s greatest hotels.”
“I’m excited, Jake. Now, we’ll be doing something you enjoy and I’ll get to understand more about your spiritual side.”
My first visit to Yosemite was back when I was twenty years old; I vowed then to return as often as I could; I was inspired by all of the great images from the Park. My first sight of Yosemite Valley was from Inspiration Point; it’s one of the most beautiful views of nature I’ve ever seen.
Since Sharon had never been to Yosemite, I planned to show it to her in style. I booked two rooms at the Ahwahnee Hotel, a historic lodge located near the base of Yosemite Falls. While dining at the lodge, we’d be able to look up through the floor-to-ceiling windows at the magnificent falls, which at that time of the year, would thunder with cascading water.
I was at Sharon’s by ten in the morning to start our drive up highway 99 in the central valley, turning onto highway 41 for the last winding leg to the Park. We stopped for lunch along the way; I expected to arrive at the lodge by five-thirty. Our dinner reservation was set for seven.
As we were driving toward the hotel, I looked over at Sharon’s face; she had something on her mind.
“Jake, you’ve been very patient with me; I want to make this trip perfect for you. This was a hard decision for me to make, but one I think you’ll be pleased with,” she gulped. “You can cancel one of the rooms.”
I almost ran off the road in total shock. Now, after waiting anxiously for this moment to arrive, I got nervous wondering how we’d handle our first night together.
We checked in and the bellman escorted us to our room. As we entered our corner room, the view of the upper falls was magical. I stood by the window mesmerized by the falling water. As though returning from a trance, I suddenly remembered the bellman; giving him a tip. After he left our room, I thought about what we’d do until diner. If I kissed her; we’d never leave our room. I had to take charge.
“Isn’t this a wonderful room with a spectacular view of the falls?”
“Yes, Jake, it’s absolutely wonderful. I never imagined Yosemite would be this beautiful.”
“I have a great idea. Why don’t we change; then we’ll take a walk around the hotel to stretch our legs. There’s a great bar by the pool where we can get a drink before dinner.”
“What? Jake, don’t you want to make love to me right now?”
“Sharon, I want you so badly, but I don’t want to rush and we have to be on time for dinner. If we miss dinner, there’s no way to get a meal until morning. So, let’s change; you can use this corner of the room, I’ll move to the other side so I don’t see you and get excited.”
“What about me? If I see you, I’ll get excited.”
“Good point. You should use the bathroom, but knock before you come out. Then, we’ll go out and discover the hotel.”
Sharon smiled, “Jake, you can have your way now. Starting tomorrow, no fighting the urges, if our hormones take over, so be it.”
The dramatic big tree landscape became part of the dining experience of the Ahwahnee Hotel, blending it with a frontier lodge motif. At night, hundreds of candles sparkled against the glass windows and stemware creating a magical atmosphere further accentuated by the music from a grand piano. For me, it is the finest romantic dining spot in California.
Sharon ordered trout while I chose the free range chicken. Both were paired with California wines, a sweeter one for me. As dinner was winding down, my thoughts turned to the night ahead; I’d finally be alone with Sharon in an intimate setting and I started to feel anxiety in all the right places. Yet, I needed a diversion to wind the evening down; something to further enhance the romantic mood; I had something in mind: The Yosemite night sky.
“Sharon honey, how about we take a short detour before going upstairs?”
“Of course, lead on.”
Behind the hotel ran a path from the back of the hotel toward cabin hideaways dotting the path to the nearby Merced River. As we walked hand-in-hand towards the river, the lights from the hotel started to fade, leaving us with an incredible sight.
“Sharon, look up.”
Sharon gasped as she viewed the night sky through an opening in a cluster of trees. Every star in the heavens sparkled against the velvet sky.
“This is wonderful. I’ve never seen so many stars.”
When our eyes met, I took her into my
arms for a long, passionate kiss; her soft lips fit mine perfectly. Her relaxed body blended smoothly into mine as our embrace felt different tonight; I felt more content. As I held her close to my body, I was greatly aroused. This was a wonderful moment for us; I’d never experienced a kiss like that before.
When we broke our hold, I almost fell over. “Wow. That was something.”
With my legs a little wobbly, we walked over to a love seat next to the pathway to savior the setting; this seat was perfect for us.
With my arm firmly around Sharon, I felt secure knowing everything between us was on the right path.
Then my heart and head began a fierce debate. While I enjoyed this moment, alternating my view from the stars above to Sharon’s beautiful face, I knew our room was just a short distance away as I experienced a burning desire to become one with her.
My head won a temporary victory; Sharon and I sat a while longer under the stars.
“When I first visited Yosemite in 1970, I remember walking to this very spot after sunset, just as we are now, marveling at the sight of so many stars. Tonight, I’m lucky enough to have two beautiful views; one of them is you.”
As she cuddled closer to me, we held on to each other for quite a while without saying a word. Though her desires were as strong as mine, her horsepower was on idle; she was waiting for me. Neither of us wanted to diminish the moment.
The struggle between my head and my heart continued as my heart finally won. “Sharon, I’m ready to go back to our room; how about you?”
Sharon nodded, “I’m yours.”
We walked arm-in-arm back to the hotel. Instead of waiting for an elevator, we took the stairs so as to not break the momentum of our purpose.
The setting was perfect; our room was softly illuminated by the light of a partial moon coming through our window. We walked toward the window still holding hands.
“Look Sharon, there’s the path to the clearing where we saw the stars.” But that view was no longer the one Sharon was interested in seeing.
She turned toward me, lightly kissing my lips and moving me back to view my body.
I brought her back, close to me, while I slowly removed her clothing; admiring the shape and the curve of each beautiful part of her body now being revealed by the moonlight.
When she stood naked in front of me, I marveled at God’s creation as her soul beckoned me to touch, caress, and love her.
Sharon moved to the bed pulling back the covers as she looked at me yearning for love. I removed my clothes and was beside her in seconds. There I was, finally, lying beside her, yet not sure what to do: Do I create distance between us to admire her or do I want her skin against mine?
I moved back and forth. Then, just like a magnet, I couldn’t separate from her. I started to touch her everywhere.
Knowing exactly what she wanted, Sharon showed me where to caress her as she arched with joy and satisfaction. The excitement of it all beckoned me on; I soon followed.
The next morning, I woke up with my love in my arms. Last night was the consummation of our spiritual relationship. We were both now ready to pursue new heights in our friendship, our love, and our hike.
We went to the dining room for a tasty breakfast to hold us through our day in nature; lattes for both of us with omelets and sourdough toast.
After breakfast, we went back to our room to prepare for the hike. Sharon put on the boots I bought her, along with her hiking pants and shirt. I also bought her a Safari Hat to shade her from the sun. Once we were dressed, we boarded a shuttle bus for Curry Village. At the village store, we bought bottled water and food for our hike.
With our supplies secured in my backpack, we took another shuttle to Happy Isles; the starting point for many of the Park’s back country wilderness hikes. Once at Happy Isles, we crossed a bridge over the Merced River; finding the sign for the John Muir Trail.
While the Vernal Falls hike is rated as moderate, with Sharon being an inexperienced hiker, I thought she might struggle with the elevation gain. I didn’t want her to feel pressured by how fast I could hike, so I planned a leisurely pace for us with lots of breaks.
I wanted to take Sharon up the one-and-a-half-mile leg of the John Muir Trail to the top of Vernal Falls. The rocky trail follows the Merced River upward as the water plunges three hundred feet to the valley floor. At the top of the falls, a fenced area separates the hikers from the rushing falls. Adjacent to the river is a picnic area on the rocks where we’d stop for lunch.
“Sharon, this is one of my favorite hikes in Yosemite,” I told her when we reached the trailhead. “We’re in no hurry to get to the top of the falls, so we’ll go slowly; I’ll help you. As we near the top, a heavy mist sprays the trail; I brought ponchos to keep us dry. I’ll tell you when we need to put them on. If you feel unsteady walking on the wet rocks, take my hand, I’ll get you up this trail safely.”
“Okay, Jake, I trust you. I walked a lot in college, but always on level ground and obviously a long time ago. Since this trail is really steep, I’m going to need to go slowly. Just looking at you in your trail garb and knowing a little bit about your hiking past, I assume you could take this trail like a mountain goat.”
I smiled, reassuring her with a kiss.
We started up toward the first view of the falls. At the eight-tenths of a mile mark, we came to a resting point at a bridge with a bathroom and drinking fountain on the other side. From the middle of the bridge, we looked up to the full height of the falls; downward we saw the water crashing toward the valley floor.
“You’re doing great, Sharon.” I said, taking my camera out of my pack. “I want to get a picture of you with the falls in the background.”
She cooperated without saying much.
“Jake,” she said when the camera was put away. “I never told you, but I was pretty stupid, I used to smoke; something I regret now. Walking up that trail – and I mean up that trail because every step was up – I felt my lungs straining.”
“Sharon, you’ll be okay; you’re doing fine. Don’t be hard on yourself. Remember, we started at a high elevation where the air is thin making it tough to catch your breath. Now, we’re going even higher. Everyone feels fatigued the first time they take a hike like this; I’m sure you’ll acclimate. We’re not in a hurry; relax and take in the sights.
“If you need to use the restroom, now’s the time. There isn’t one at the top of the falls.”
Sharon nodded, following the side trail to the facilities. While she was gone, I watched the power of the water rushing under the bridge below my feet; it was an amazing sight.
When Sharon returned, she smiled and said, “I feel better. I’m determined to make it to the top; I don’t want to disappoint you.”
“Sharon, it’s important to me that we’re sharing this experience. We’re a team now; I’ll get you safely to the top. Just stay with me; let me know whenever you feel the need to stop.
“I’m going to tell you what to expect from this point on. We’re more than half way to the top; with the steepest part still ahead. We’ll follow the trail for a short distance and then we’ll stop and put on our ponchos. After that, the trail pushes out towards the falls where we’ll get wet. Don’t get scared; I’ll be right next to you. After we pass the mist area, we’ll be able to remove our ponchos. After that point, the trail gets steeper as it follows the side of the mountain that’s just below the top of the falls. You’ll see a railing on your left; hold on to it and go as slowly as you want; I’ll be right behind you. If you need encouragement, I’ll kiss your neck.”
She smiled.
“Are you okay, my sweet Sharon?”
“Yes, my he-man, let’s proceed.”
We climbed further until we could see the heavy mist just ahead.
“Let’s put on the ponchos. You’re going to feel the misting; ignore it and walk slowly. Also
, watch your steps so you don’t slip on the wet rocks. Remember, I’m here for you.”
She nodded; I put the poncho over her head. As she started to walk, I wanted to get a photo. “Wait, I want to take another picture of you; something we can laugh about later.” She looked like a big yellow bee in the poncho.
I put on my own poncho and took her hand. She looked lovingly at me.
“You’re wonderful, Jake. I feel so secure with you; please don’t ever leave me.”
“After last night, are you kidding? We’re now bonded forever.”
We began to walk side-by-side through the mist. At one point, the water hit us like a big rain gale, our eyes fluttering furiously to bat away the spray. Then, as a sign of hope, a rainbow became suspended across the thundering waters just in front of us.
Once safely out of the mist zone, I helped Sharon take off her poncho. I was so happy with our progress; I felt like a cheerleader.
“You did great. Give me a kiss.” As her soft lips met mine, I wished we were back in our room at the hotel.
“Okay, this is the last leg to the top. It runs along the mountainside. Remember to hold onto the railing to your left.”
Following my directions, within a few minutes, we were safely at the top of Vernal Falls. I took her hand as we walked to the fenced area, leaning over the rail to take in the spectacular view. Though I’d seen these falls many times before, seeing them through her eyes was like seeing them for the first time.
We spread out a small blanket, arranging our picnic atop the granite rocks slanting toward the river. This was one of my favorite places on Earth; I was now sharing it with the woman who made me whole.
While we enjoyed our picnic, I told Sharon about some of my hiking adventures including trips to Mt. Whitney and the Grand Canyon. She was amazed I hiked so many magnificent places; something she never imagined for herself.
“Jake, I’m happy you enjoy the outdoors. I now understand your love of nature, but my idea of roughing it is the Ahwahnee Hotel. I don’t want tents, backpacks, or bugs. Give me clean sheets and you. I’ll travel with you to the great parks, but once we’re there, I’ll be content with the views from the clean lodge while I await your return from the rugged trail.”
The Light in My Heart Page 22