by J.P. Medved
Chapter Two
I walked outside, a cool breeze brushing my hair, the world seemingly in front of me.
I looked up, Holy Cross stared back down at me. It seemed especially intimidating with the snow at the top blowing around. It's spiky top looked more and more like a dagger, a dagger that would stab our souls. Little did I know that it would be something completely different would hurt our souls.
I had to keep reminding myself that this is actually what I love. Actually something that has given me a life's worth of joy in so few years.
I walk off my rickety porch knowing that my greatest challenge lay just a few days away.
I walked to that narrow trail that I love to take my long soul-searching walks on, the one that slivers from side-to-side like a snake, and headed out on it.
Just as I was approaching the trailhead I got a strange feeling in my stomach, something strange was going on. I ignored this weird feeling and proceeded to filling out the required paperwork and heading in.
A few hundred meters into my journey, I decided to sit down and just observe the magnificent world around me.
I sat down on a log sitting on the side of the trail, still moist from a night's worth of rain, and looked to the other side of the trail. On the other side was the most beautiful collage of leaves. Red, yellow, and orange these leaves were a wonder to see.
They reminded of an elaborate frosting on a cake. The frosting is so awesome to look at that you almost forget that there is something under it. And under this natural frosting was a ground bracing itself for the seemingly endless winter, not knowing when it would be frozen for months on end. It was a sad thought.
I heard the rushing of a mountain stream, it's small waves crashing into the muddy sides of the river. I heard the sound of small fish jumping up, getting a rare glimpse of the world around them, before crashing back into their cage. That's how my father described water to sea creatures and land for men
I distinctively remember when, after seeing a dog cage ad in a magazine, he claimed bitterly, “Why are they advertising dog cages when humans are just as caged up as their pets.” A typical Dad moment.
I got up and continued down the path, thinking to myself, why don't all of the homeless people in this world move to Colorado?
I eventually settle down next to a small lake in the middle of the woods. Little flies danced on the surfaced of the water and birds chirped in the nearby trees. A mist hovered over much of the water. It was a surreal scene.
It was around this time that a little ray of sun peaked through the dark, menacing clouds. That ray was almost like a liberator to the solemn sky. Then, another ray of light and before I knew it, there was blue sky in front of me. I have never been happier.
I headed back and walked back to my house to get my stuff before heading off to school.
It was around that time that I asked myself if my father would really be angry if he knew I skipped school to go walk on a trail. Nature meant so much to him. It was his life. Without nature, without the purity that nature brings, he would be nothing. I decided, with that, he would not be too mad.
In case you haven’t realized, I like thinking out situations.
I got to my house and got my book bag before heading off to school. I wondered to myself what excuse I would use as for why I am so late to school.
I got to school a few minutes later and stepped into Algebra class. My teacher gave me a glaring look and said, “Sleeping in, David?”
“No maim, I opened myself up and let the wind take me.” I responded.
All she could say was a meek, “Whatever, sit yourself down, and get to work”, before moving on with the class.
Sitting in my desk, a small smirk settling across my face, I knew right there and then why I went on that walk.
Now, it was time for algebra.