1
Lazily riding a thermal, the large red-tailed hawk silently glided over the valley below hoping for a light evening snack. Spotting a rabbit scampering across the snow, he called out knowing his cohort below would flush out the rest of the herd. They would soon have a great game of chase, before enjoying the taste.
The man watched from the mountainside, having been witness to this ‘play’ many times. He had been on the mountain going on six years now - nearest neighbor was eight miles away and he preferred it that way. He visited the local general store maybe four times a year. No one in the small community cared a twit who he was or why he was there; they each had their own reason for seeking the solitude of the mountain. For him it was simple; he had found peace on the mountain.
He had almost lost his mind after the death of his entire family. The wrong choice by a teenager having one more for the road - driving with a buzz on an icy road. The papers had a field day afterwards; ‘Family of six wiped out as father watches’, ‘Drunken teen to blame survives’. The teenager survived the crash yes, but he would live out the rest of his life in a wheelchair as a paraplegic.
Months later at his trial the man had stood up and asked to speak. A hush had fallen over the courtroom as everyone expected him to lash into the boy. Instead he asked the judge to be lenient. God had punished the boy already he said; it was enough. The boy knew the depth of his error; it was time for everyone to heal. The judge gave the boy 5 years probation, with the stipulation that he go and speak to fellow teens at High Schools.
The boy had broken down sobbing as the man passed, begging him for forgiveness saying he was so, so sorry. The man had looked into the boy’s eyes and recognized his anguish. He had knelt beside the boy putting his arms about him telling him he was forgiven. He could not go on hating him for what amounted to a horrible accident. He told him to be strong, and even wished him well. Then he walked away amid flashing cameras and reporters shouting questions. They hounded him, wanting ‘his’ story; wouldn’t leave him alone no matter where he went. He finally had to get a court order to keep them away.
As time went by he could feel the panic rising; knew that he had to get away from people; from civilization. So he set a plan in motion; he took courses from the local junior high college; woodworking, survival skills, learned the use of a bow and arrow, (became a pretty decent shot), and learned to shoot a gun, and a rifle. He took a beginners course in horticulture, farming, etc. and also studied the religions of the world and their effects on society. When he felt he was ready, he cashed in his IRA and 401k, bought an old truck, packed his things and the kids cat, and headed for the mountains.
It took him nine months to find the right place, when he saw the small valley in the hills of Montana, he knew. He bought two acres on the mountainside just above the small lake, and set his cabin not far from the lake. The work erecting the cabin helped him to heal; the long hours of toil kept his mind busy, and in the evenings he would fall into bed exhausted. He settled into a routine and was comfortable with his life.
He had worked thru his pain and accepted what had happened. The way he accepted it might be considered strange, but then he had always looked at things differently.
Finishing up the evening meal Brent rose from the table and cleared away his plate. A meow from Rusty told him that he was finished also and wanted out. He opened the side door and saw Red waiting in the tree across from the cabin. He chuckled as Rusty ran out and headed for the woods with the large bird following.
Ever since settling here he had watched the lazy red tabby slowly revert to his wild side; the large cat had come back to life in the mountainside. He began by chasing butterflies, then mice, soon squirrels followed, and then rabbits. Over the years his skills had sharpened, and so had his physique; hard muscles and sinew under that fluffy red coat. He was very fast and had improved to the point that one-day he came prancing home proudly displaying a red hawk in his mouth – alive. It took the man a devil of a time getting the bird from him, but he did; and after caring for the bird he released it back into the wild.
The damn bird came back time and again landing on the weather vane and calling out in its high-pitched voice. The cat would come running and the bird would take off just as he struck; he would taunt the cat all afternoon like this – his revenge.
And then one day a cantankerous, old raccoon twice his size attacked Rusty. The cat held his own pretty good, but he was no match for the razor sharp claws of the coon. High above the large hawk circled and watched what was taking place below. As the raccoon pinned the cat the hawk screeched loudly and dove straight down. It struck the raccoon with such force that it knocked it down and sent it rolling. The hawk’s talons made short work of the raccoon’s head and eyes. The hawk then flew to the cat and seeing the blood headed to the cabin screeching wildly. Brent seemed to understand something was amiss and followed the hawk back to the cat.
It took Rusty two weeks to heal properly, the hawk coming every day to check on him from the large tree at the side of the cabin. The man began to call him Red and put small bits of meat out for him; the magnificent hawk allowed the man to come close, but not to touch him. When Rusty was fully healed and back outside, Brent discovered the cat and the hawk had become fast friends.
Watching them go off to do God knows what, he took a deep breath.
Fresh air, honey, the sweet scent of wild jasmine; mmm, glad I brought the plant with me. It’s going to be a great evening. Should be clear, plenty of stars out tonight; I might get to see some new ones.
He went back in the cabin taking the plant with him and putting it on the window ledge on the east side of the house. Then he washed and dried his plate and glass. He took down and filled his canteen, went to a side room and returned with his telescope and tripod. He grabbed his camera, jacket and walking stick and set out for his evening perch. It wasn’t far, but it gave him a magnificent view of the valley below; this evening was particularly beautiful. The valley was covered in a soft blanket of snow; it reflected the bright moonlight like a thousand glittering stars.
You certainly do have a way with nature, Lord. Just when I think you can’t outdo yourself, you come up with a scene like this. It evokes deep feelings within; not sure I like that. Anyway, thank you for allowing me a glimpse into your world.
He set up the tripod, mounted the telescope, and began refining the angle and trajectory. He was so intent that he didn’t see the bright flash out in space until it was almost gone. He tried to bring the image into sharp focus but it seemed to be moving. He looked and then looked again; he could have sworn it looked like a ship of some kind. He became excited as he looked away and wiped his eyeglasses and then looked back. Whatever he thought he saw up there was gone.
Are you yanking my chain Lord? Did I see what we both know I think I saw?
He looked again and slowly panned across the night sky.
Aha! What the…?
The image of two dark shapes firing on each other in front of the moon was there for only a few seconds, but he had seen it. He blinked and the images disappeared.
Oh I am on to you guys… something happened up there. Last night it was a strange set of lights flying around and buzzing the planet. Tonight it appears something blew up – what is going on? I wonder if the space lab is still up there; they would surely have seen it.
He stayed up for several hours looking for what he believed to be a spaceship. Finally he gave up and took down the telescope and headed back towards the cabin. He put everything away, called Rusty in, drank his tea and thought about what might have happened up there. When his eyes began to droop, he closed everything up and went to bed. He called out during the night as many strange dreams engulfed him.
The International Space Lab did indeed see what had occurred; in fact they had some grainy pictures, a little out of focus yes, but still proof that we were not alone in the universe. The scientists on the Lab held discussions on the momentous impact this was going to have on the world and the ramifications this could have on the different religions around the world. There was a sense of jubilation on their part until the military told them not to discuss this or say a word to anyone about it. It was to be regarded as national security and they were forbidden, under penalty of prosecution for treason, from discussing it even among themselves.