touched Jocko’s hand, noticing that it was nearly identical to her own. When they touched, Gert’s anxiety was gone and a flood of warm feelings flowed into her. Then, to her amazement, an unfamiliar scene filled her mind.
She saw an expanse of deep forest. She was there, walking a trail. Ahead of her, on the trail, a group of figures walked in single file. Over her head, an eagle swooped and lighted on a dead pine branch.
Gert sighed and rocked on unsteady feet. Johnny grabbed her waist, but she quickly recovered her footing.
“Goodness!” she whispered. “Thank you, Johnny. You can let go, now. Thought I was having one of my ‘spells’ but …”
Gert looked Jocko up and down. “Oh my,” she said to the sasquatch. “I certainly wasn’t prepared for you, was I?”
Jocko grabbed Johnny’s hand and led him around the side of the house. He paused a moment and sniffed the air when he saw the vegetable garden, then he continued leading Johnny past the garden. Gertrude and the dog followed behind. “Maybe I should get a lantern, Johnny,” she called out. “It’s a bit dark for a tour of the farm.”
Johnny only looked over his shoulder and smiled. “Jocko’s takin’ m e to the shed. He knew about it, and the garden, when I touched him. It’s the damnedest thing!”
“Goodness!” said Gert, still feeling a bit light headed.
As expected, Jocko led them directly to the shed. Once there he pointed to the garden and then to his mouth.
“Yes, you can have some of those vegetables,” said Gert with a smile. “But please leave some of the carrots for me and Johnny.”
Jocko looked up and smiled at the moon glowing brightly in a cloudless sky. He was happy he was able to join to Johnny, and happier still that he could communicate to the humans.
He’d feared it would be impossible. Perhaps the humans weren’t so different after all .
Over the ridge a mile or two next to the water run and past the mill at Fat Goose Falls, a rock fall led into a deep canyon.
Past the canyon and farther on, well to the east of the towns of Yale and Lytton, the forest expanded outward toward the great interior of Canada. Out there, somewhere, a string of dark shapes moved among the trees. Jocko’s family.
With the moon to guide them, they walked with great steps, ever farther from the lost son. They must move, always. It is their way – the source of the greatest power. The power of motion.
And night is a friend. Night, the brother and sustainer. The cool night. The wondrous night with the twinkling lights that always showed the way to go. Points of light. Out there, always moving – away.
Johnny awoke with the sun. The first thing he thought of was the sasquatch.
As Johnny left the back of the house buttoning his britches, he saw Jocko seated happily in the midst of a pile of vegetables beside the garden shed. Jocko displayed a rack of green stained teeth as Johnny approached. Rocky suddenly appeared from the direction of the house and ran to join them.
“Golly, Jocko,” exclaimed Johnny. “It looks like you’ve tried everything in the garden. Lemmesee …” He inspected the rubble. “You been busy, Jocko. Let’s see. That’s turnip, potato greens,” he laughed and continued listing Jocko’s garden sampling. “Corn – you oughta shuck it first. Beets. Oh, you like onions, eh? More corn,” continued Johnny, “and also you got green tomatoes and squash. I see you found out about the rhubarb leaves …”
Jocko ignored Johnny and watched the dog circling around the two of them. He wasn’t necessarily afraid of Rocky. He just watched, keeping tabs on the dog’s position. To him, Rocky was simply a kind of wolf.
As he thought this he heard Johnny say, “Don’t be afraid of Rocky. He never hurt nobody.”
But Jocko wasn’t touching the boy so he didn’t understand. There was a lot he wanted to tell to Johnny. With every passing moment his family got farther away. During the night, Jocko had
She saw an expanse of deep forest. She was there, walking a trail. Ahead of her, on the trail, a group of figures walked in single file. Over her head, an eagle swooped and lighted on a dead pine branch.
Gert sighed and rocked on unsteady feet. Johnny grabbed her waist, but she quickly recovered her footing.
“Goodness!” she whispered. “Thank you, Johnny. You can let go, now. Thought I was having one of my ‘spells’ but …”
Gert looked Jocko up and down. “Oh my,” she said to the sasquatch. “I certainly wasn’t prepared for you, was I?”
Jocko grabbed Johnny’s hand and led him around the side of the house. He paused a moment and sniffed the air when he saw the vegetable garden, then he continued leading Johnny past the garden. Gertrude and the dog followed behind. “Maybe I should get a lantern, Johnny,” she called out. “It’s a bit dark for a tour of the farm.”
Johnny only looked over his shoulder and smiled. “Jocko’s takin’ m e to the shed. He knew about it, and the garden, when I touched him. It’s the damnedest thing!”
“Goodness!” said Gert, still feeling a bit light headed.
As expected, Jocko led them directly to the shed. Once there he pointed to the garden and then to his mouth.
“Yes, you can have some of those vegetables,” said Gert with a smile. “But please leave some of the carrots for me and Johnny.”
Jocko looked up and smiled at the moon glowing brightly in a cloudless sky. He was happy he was able to join to Johnny, and happier still that he could communicate to the humans.
He’d feared it would be impossible. Perhaps the humans weren’t so different after all .
Over the ridge a mile or two next to the water run and past the mill at Fat Goose Falls, a rock fall led into a deep canyon.
Past the canyon and farther on, well to the east of the towns of Yale and Lytton, the forest expanded outward toward the great interior of Canada. Out there, somewhere, a string of dark shapes moved among the trees. Jocko’s family.
With the moon to guide them, they walked with great steps, ever farther from the lost son. They must move, always. It is their way – the source of the greatest power. The power of motion.
And night is a friend. Night, the brother and sustainer. The cool night. The wondrous night with the twinkling lights that always showed the way to go. Points of light. Out there, always moving – away.
Johnny awoke with the sun. The first thing he thought of was the sasquatch.
As Johnny left the back of the house buttoning his britches, he saw Jocko seated happily in the midst of a pile of vegetables beside the garden shed. Jocko displayed a rack of green stained teeth as Johnny approached. Rocky suddenly appeared from the direction of the house and ran to join them.
“Golly, Jocko,” exclaimed Johnny. “It looks like you’ve tried everything in the garden. Lemmesee …” He inspected the rubble. “You been busy, Jocko. Let’s see. That’s turnip, potato greens,” he laughed and continued listing Jocko’s garden sampling. “Corn – you oughta shuck it first. Beets. Oh, you like onions, eh? More corn,” continued Johnny, “and also you got green tomatoes and squash. I see you found out about the rhubarb leaves …”
Jocko ignored Johnny and watched the dog circling around the two of them. He wasn’t necessarily afraid of Rocky. He just watched, keeping tabs on the dog’s position. To him, Rocky was simply a kind of wolf.
As he thought this he heard Johnny say, “Don’t be afraid of Rocky. He never hurt nobody.”
But Jocko wasn’t touching the boy so he didn’t understand. There was a lot he wanted to tell to Johnny. With every passing moment his family got farther away. During the night, Jocko had