by Ann Patty
Cliff listened and empathized, “I understand. It was a hard night for all concerned. Hey, during a time like this I hate to get right to the point, but, well, first off the mortician at the city mortuary is asking how to treat Cairn's body.”
“Yes, of course. Well Cairn wanted to be cremated. I imagine that is pretty doable even in your parts,” Kelly stated.
“That would be the most logical method,” Cliff commented and said, “And yes cremation is doable even in my area,” he said with a chuckle under his breath because the statement seemed odd when they were only states apart, not worlds away.
“Okay can you arrange that if I sent a fax copy of my POA to the mortician? I'll call of course, but I would appreciate you being a point person for local contact. Is that okay?” Kelly asked as she plowed her way through the logistics.
“Sure, no problem,” Cliff confirmed then asked, “Are you wanting to take her ashes back home or do you want me to ship them?”
“Oh, gosh, I'm not thinking straight yet. I think she'd like to have a travel companion to her final resting spot,” Kelly said.
“Can I make a suggestion?” Cliff asked as he thought.
“Yes, of course,” Kelly waited for his answer.
“You know Cairn's wagon is in my driveway. It seems logical that you might want to fly out here, get her remains, and drive her back home,” Cliff said delicately.
“Hmmm,” Kelly mulled the idea over then said, “Cliff, I think that is an excellent idea. Thank you. Yes, I will do that. Is there a hotel you can suggest nearby?”
“Sure there are a few motels. I'll get you their names and phone numbers,” Cliff stopped for a bit, then changed his tone and said, “I don't want to sound to forward. My barn house has four bedrooms, so you are welcome to stay here. It's rustic, but has all the comforts of home. Cairn kept herself in one of the bedrooms. I won't touch her things. If you want to stay in there you are welcome to do so. It may bring you comfort. I don't know. Maybe that is a premature, silly notion at this point.”
There was a long pause after Cliff stopped talking. Finally, Kelly said, “That is a downright nice offer Cliff. I just can't make a decision right now. Can I tell you later?” Kelly asked.
“Oh sure, just planting an idea is all,” Cliff answered. “Why don't we get her body cremated and go from there.”
“Yes, that works. In the meanwhile I'll inform work and arrange for time off to come get her remains and her car. I'll also find her brother, if possible, and notify him. Thanks, Cliff, thanks an awful lot.” Kelly said appreciatively.
“Welcome. Listen it'll work out. It will. With the body cremated there is no rush, so take however much time you need. Just keep me informed what time table you are using. I'll do the same, okay?” Cliff reassured Kelly.
“Okay. Sounds good. I'll talk to you later,” Kelly said.
“Bye Kelly,” Cliff ended the call then recoiled to sit slumped in his easy chair.
Arrangements
Cliff marveled how things can swiftly change in just a 24-hour period, and not always for the better. Outside an engine rumbled then shut off. Cliff got up and peered through the thin curtains of the high above the ground barn room window. The truck door opened and shut and there stood Engine Jo casting his curious eyes around the farmyard. Cliff knew exactly what he wanted. He pulled on his boots, walked with purpose to the stairwell and descended. It was time to let the neighbors know what happened, although Cliff was certain Engine Jo already did.
The next couple days were a blur, especially for Kelly. She was the one who had to uproot her schedule and make sound decisions on behalf of honoring her friend's wishes. Kelly made a couple of stellar attempts at contacting Cairn's brother with little success. Every shred of an address that Kelly could find in Cairn's town home, or at work were exhausted dead ends. Finally Kelly just resorted to calling and leaving a message at every single string of numbers she could find. Time would only tell whether contact had been made. On the third night thereafter Kelly decided to call Cliff.
“Cliff, it's Kelly. Call me back when...” Kelly was answering the machine when Cliff picked up the phone.
“I'm here, don't hang up,” Cliff said, out of breath.
“Oh, good. Is now a good time to talk? I can call back later.” Kelly asked.
“No it's fine. Just downstairs feeding the critters is all,” Cliff told her, then added, “What's up?”
“Well, a few things. First, I have arranged a flight in for next week, Thursday. I just need to know if there is a bus service nearby, or a taxi.” Kelly wondered.
Cliff chuckled and said, “Yeah, the bus runs a lot. At your service ma’am.”
“Oh, I don't want to disrupt you,” Kelly said.
“No prob. I'm in and out a lot. Anyway. no services in my neck of the woods so you'd be walking. By the way are you staying here or elsewhere?” Cliff asked.
Kelly bit her lip and then said, “I'd like to stay at your ranch. Is that too much trouble?”
“Heck no. I'd like the company. You know Cairn kept saying I should know you. 'Two peas in a pod' she used to say to me. Maybe we should settle her spirit and meet,” Cliff said.
Kelly laughed lighthearted and said, “Yup. Cairn said that to me, too. Okay it's settled then. You will be my taxi and provide me accommodations. Sure will make my life easier. My flight is coming in at 3:40 pm.”
“Okay. Sounds like we just made a plan. Whatever else can be worked out once you are here. Make sense?” Cliff sounded confident that everything would work out. He then said, “Kelly, take it a day at a time. Take care of yourself.”
“Thanks Cliff, I will,” Kelly then added on, “Cliff despite the circumstances, do you ever feel like we've known each other previously?”
“Yeah. I don't know if it is our mutual connection with Cairn. After all your name came up in every other sentence. I'm sure mine was the talk of her town. So there is a predisposition of familiarity. But there is another factor. From the first time we talked, even under stress, it was easy. I don't know how to account for that.”
“Yes, I felt it too. Do you believe in past lives?” Kelly asked curiously.
Cliff didn't respond right then. A long pause put Kelly to wondering if she should have left that subject alone. Then Cliff spoke, “You know I try to remain open to such beliefs, but I am not sure about past lives. But then I have experienced knowings specific to me that could not have come from the collective conscious. And, I often wonder why we all are the way we are, each with specific journeys. It might be entrenched in our DNA, but then how did it get there without the experience behind it? I just have more questions than answers is all.”
“Cliff, if it helps, I too have many more questions than answers when it comes to the metaphysical. It's good to remain open to possibilities. Life is about seeking and having the curiosity to do so. I have a feeling we are going to have some late night conversations around this subject, which I welcome. Anyway for now I bid you goodbye. If the plane arrival changes or I decide to go straight to Bora-Bora and sit on a beach I'll let you know. Cliff, I'll see you on Thursday of next week.” Kelly closed their conversation with a jump-start in her spirit knowing Cliff was more than just a cowboy from Drewsey. Then she did a double take and thought: What am I doing talking about other worlds when my best friend had just gone there!
“Okay, Kelly, see you then,” Cliff hung up the phone reflecting. He was thinking that despite Cairn's death, something new like a friendship with common ground might be uplifting.
New Chapter
Thursday afternoon came all too soon for Cliff. He had cleaned the house, top to bottom and had a dinner in the oven. This was not even the case with Cairn and he wondered why this time with Kelly it should be so different. But he reasoned that he should pave the way kindly, as somehow he felt responsible for Cairn's death, even though logic told him otherwise. As he pulled up to the arrival curb Kelly was already waiting, one small bag in hand. Cliff steered over to t
he curb and in a stupor he parked as if he was doing head on parking. Leaving the engine running, Cliff hopped out and quickly shook Kelly's hand with a gentlemanly nod and took her bag. “This all you got?” Cliff lifted the bag with his pinky while smiling.
“You'd be surprised what I can stuff in a small space,” Kelly added and jumped into the other side of the cab. Then they were off. “So this is Burns, eh?” Kelly said it more as a statement than a question. “Hey, would you mind stopping at the funeral parlor before heading home?”
Cliff looked at Kelly sideways and asked, “For what?” he asked naively.
“For Cairn,” Kelly said flatly, then said, “If you don't mind I'd just like to have her ashes with me and out of that dark morgue. She would hate being there if she were here.”
“Oh, of course we can swing by there,” Cliff condoned her request. “Anyplace else you need to go?”
“Yes, afterward please pick out a restaurant, so I can buy you dinner for all you've done,” Kelly said in appreciation.
“Not necessary. There is a full dinner roasting at home. Sort of figured you just wanted to chill for the night is all,” Cliff said it casually enough that his vibe even sounded good to him. In fact Cliff wanted to get to know Kelly after all Cairn had gloated about her time and again.
“Really? Gosh, I'd like that a lot. Thanks,” Kelly responded. And with that they set off to pick up Cairn's remains. Thereafter they headed towards the ranch for the evening. Along the way their conversation was simple chit-chat. The weather. The farms. Nothing more and nothing about Cairn.
When they returned, four dogs varying from mutts to purebreds greeted and almost knocked Kelly over with glee. Kelly got down on the ground and let every last dog lick and sniff her to their satisfaction. Cliff just leaned against his truck holding her bag and shaking his head. “I can say I honestly don't know another living soul who would let my dogs do that to them,” Cliff said amused then extended a hand to Kelly and helped her get on her feet.
“Well, Cliff, I am not just any other living soul,” Kelly winked, started for the house and then reversed to head back to Cliffs truck. “Cairn's ashes can sit in her own car for the time being.” Kelly shifted the simple box from truck to wagon, then headed up the stairs with Cliff, all dogs following happy as pups should be.
The house smelled of pot roast. Cliff pulled it from the oven and set it on the stove, “Dinner is ready. If you want to wash up, the bathroom is over there. Make yourself comfortable. Mi Casa, Su Casa. Translated it means...”
“My house is your house,” Kelly finished his statement, then added, “I'll go wash the dogs off my lips.”
Dinner was complete with rib roast, grilled red potatoes, whole onions, and carrots. The salad was a blend of fruits. A bottle of red wine sat square between them on the table. Cliff lifted the bottle as a gesture to Kelly. She raised her glass and Cliff filled it up; and then his own.
Kelly nodded her head emphatically when Cliff asked her if dinner was okay. Then she remarked, “You can cook for me any day, anytime.”
Neither wanted to talk about Cairn. The subject was suspended on this evening by both parties. The previous week had been heavy for Kelly in particular. So another conversation took hold after the pair consumed their meal. But for the dinner hour silence seemed most fitting. Cliff cleared the dishes from the table and set them in the sink. He put up a hand when Kelly started to get up to help. It was clear she was to do nothing, but be served. And for once that was okay by her.
Kelly did get up and moved to the corner of the living room couch. She tucked her feet up under herself and reached over to thumb through a farm implement magazine. Cliff looked over and instantly felt a soft spot for her. All the emotions she must have felt during the past week and here she sat on his sofa in a relaxed at-home peace filled state. From the kitchen, Cliff took an assessment of Kelly as his four dogs wandered from their beds in the corner to gather around this newcomer. Leaning on the counter Cliff said, “The black with white paws is a border collie. Mattie loves to cuddle.” And so Mattie proceeded to get up on the sofa next to Kelly and put her head into Kelly's lap. Cliff continued, “Her identical litter mate there, is a bit stand offish. Paddy waits for Mattie to make a move before she does,” Paddy inched up on the couch beside her sister Mattie and laid down cautiously. Cliff saw the younger males approach the sofa. Kelly held her hand out as encouragement. Both of these dogs looked to be Austrian Shepard or a mix thereto. Multicolored, one had a single blue eye, the other had two.
“What are the names of these two? They look to be related, too,” Kelly asked.
“Freckles has the two blues and Vomit has the one. Those two are not related. Just appeared at different times. Freckles is the sharper of the two... so I guess that tells you a bit about Vomit. I swear our pets chose their names and Vomit, well, he ate everything in sight when he was a pup. Then threw it up in odd places. All of them are spayed and neutered. Four dogs is plenty and so are three, make that, two horses.
Kelly bent over and scratched Freckles’ and Vomit's heads. They were happy to sit on the floor below Kelly. Cliff smiled. “You are a sight with all those dogs begging for a bit of female attention.”
“Oh, I love dogs, and truth be told, horses, and cats, and cows, and any living creature with four legs,” Kelly said as she stroked Mattie's head still on her lap. Lapsing in thought Kelly told Cliff her wish. “One of my dreams is to have a foundation to help animals. There are so many left in shelters, so much irresponsible breeding, so much needless euthanasia. People need the training and perspective that the suffering that they extend to animals is just an extension of their own sorry state. Until we treat the animals with the respect we want ourselves, none of us can ascend to a high dimension. All of us, even animals are in this together.” Kelly stopped shortly, looked at Cliff and said, “Sorry, it just came out. Didn't mean to offend you if I did.” Kelly's eyes fell to Cliff's four dogs wondering how she could have been animal free for so long. She just kept taking turns stroking each dog who relished her hands on their heads.
Cliff carrying a cup brought it over to Kelly handing it to her. “It's hot cocoa with a bit of peppermint schnapps added. And, no, your opinion did not offend me in the least. I actually quite agree with your ideas.” Cliff took a seat opposite Kelly in his lazy boy chair. He pulled up the lever to put up his legs and relax. Then he asked, “ I hear your passion. Have you done anything about working towards this cause?”
Kelly put her free hand to her chin and strummed her fingers while in thought. She looked at Cliff, squinted her eyes and said, “No, not really. I send money to a few organizations, the ones I know where and how my money is used. You know most of these non-profits are not... well lets just say the real cause does not always get the giving. I have a plan though. Do you want to hear it?” Kelly asked and was reticent as she had never shared her ideas with anyone, not even Cairn.
Cliff nodded yes and gestured with his hand to come on with the information. He also put down a magazine he had just picked up to read and took off his reading glasses. His attention was focused on Kelly. He instinctively knew she was going to tell him something of significance to her.
“Okay, well I want to create a foundation. I guess it would need to also be a non-profit for tax reasons. But, of course I need money because the founder should be the example of how this organization would run. I want to seed the foundation with at least a half a million. I'm working on it and have been for a number of years. You know I work in a brokerage firm. I've been privy to some insider info, which has netted me a portfolio. Now the market for stocks is not great, so most is in municipal bonds and CDs, slow growers. Nonetheless, I'm thinking within five to seven years time I will have my goal saved and I will have enough income generated to support me while I get established.” Kelly looked at Cliff while she spoke. He did not move a muscle and she wondered if she was boring him to death or he was just being polite.
“Okay. I get how you are ac
cumulating the money. Now tell me about your vision. What plan do you see for your organization, I mean on the brass-tacks level. How are you specifically going to help the animals?” Cliff spoke direct like a businessman wanting to know about his investment.