Mystical Journey, by Laura Lynn Gatzow
Friday, April 23 2010 @ 12:00 AM MST
Views: 125
Views: 125
An interesting story about faith and hope from a new contributor. We think you'll enjoy the twist at the end. Fiction Editor
Mystical Journey, by Laura Lynn Gatzow
A gritty road zippered its way through the desert landscape that lay on each side of Lana. There hadn’t been a car for over an hour, until now, until she heard the sweet whir of tires on asphalt. Lana hooked one thumb in the belt loop of her shorts and jutted the other out toward the road at the oncoming car, which kicked up sand as it swooshed by. She turned and flipped the bird. “Son of a bitch! Aaahhhgg! I hope you crash your Cadillac and end up with a cactus up your ass!” She would have thrown something too, had there been anything handy. But all Lana had was sand in her Sketchers, a diaper bag over her shoulder, a panting beagle, and a bawling six-month-old wiggling like a capsized beetle in a car seat at her feet.
“Shhh…Shhh…it’s okay. We’re okay, little one. Some folks just don’t have a heart. They’re too busy. Too busy chasin’ dreams. Right, Angus?” The dog wagged his tail and whined. “Atta boy. Well, I’m done chasin’ dreams—done with God, with your daddy, with the marriage, with the house in the burbs. It’s just not worth it. It’ll be you and me, baby. And we’ll do damn fine.” Lana rocked the car seat as she squatted and stared at the cherubic face of her child. His eyes seemed to brim with disbelief. Lana sighed, as if she could decipher little Dylan’s not-yet-coherent thoughts.
Once he quieted down, she scanned her surroundings again. Nothing but sand dotted with brown and sickly green shrubs stretched out to the north, abutted by a mass of moody blue mountains in the distance. To the south, cacti stood like strange totems worshipping the sun, arms raised high, as if at gunpoint. Lana reflected on the devastating beauty all around her. The yellow orb in the sky consumed everything; even cirrus clouds basking on the horizon looked sunburned. They promised perhaps another hour of light. Lana shuddered, even though she was soaked wet with sweat. The futility of her situation gripped her like a boa constrictor. Dead car, dead cell, dead…everything.
The Jeep Liberty sat a few paces in front of her, hood agape to expose its mechanical innards, which hissed and spat like an angry snake. Regret began to eat away at Lana’s determination. Had she bit off more than she could chew? If only she could find someone to help her off this God forsaken road! Then she’d show Mike what a real family should be. She touched her swollen eye with tentative fingers. No. Regret can kiss my ass, she thought.
***
Lana woke to Angus barking. She struggled to sit up, her skin so moist that the back of her thighs stuck to the leather interior. It was so black outside that if it hadn’t been for solidity of the passenger seat beneath her, she would have felt like she was floating in the void of space. Through the moonroof Lana could see so many stars that the sky seemed like a fantastic sequined evening gown. She had to pee. She realized Angus did, too. “Okay, boy. Let’s go.”
As she climbed out of the SUV, she grabbed a flashlight from the glove compartment and flicked it on. There really wasn’t a need to seek privacy, but Lana felt less vulnerable relieving herself behind a clump of brush nearby. She could hear Dylan starting to fuss, so she hastily zipped up and started back for the car. “C’mon, Angus.” That’s when she felt the double bite pierce her ankle like a hot tapestry needle. By the time Lana shined the flashlight on her attacker, it had bit again, this time further up her shin. She brushed the scorpion off, and stomped her foot in finality. “Let’s get outta here, boy.”
As Lana traced her way back to the vehicle, she could feel a fiery, tingling sensation race up her leg, then the whole leg went numb and she fell. She felt like she was suffocating, and spittle started running out of her mouth. Lana called for Angus, who obediently came, but his form was so blurry she didn’t recognize him until he nuzzled her face and whined. Oh, dear God, help me, she thought, as she listened to Dylan’s wails. There are no atheists in foxholes. It was the last thing Lana remembered before she passed out.
***
Lana opened her eyes and almost swatted at Angus, who had been pawing her arm. He wagged his tail and barked. “Good to see you, too, old friend.” The stars were still glimmering in the sky, and Dylan was still crying, so she figured she hadn’t been unconscious very long. “I’ve got to get back to my baby. Lord, give me strength.”
As she tried to stand, Lana became acutely aware of an intense pounding throb in her leg. She wobbled on one foot, then gingerly set weight on the other. Pain shot up her calf and thigh like a searing hot brand and she crumpled to the ground. Lana’s breathing was labored. It felt as though she was climbing a mountain. Tears welled up in her eyes. “God, where are you?” Just then, away in the distance, Lana caught the faint purr of a diesel engine. It was getting louder. Then the stars started to whirl in the heavens and their shimmering lights went out.
***
“Ma’am?” Lana thought she was dreaming at first. “Darlin’, can you hear me?"
She stirred, then stared at the figure kneeling next to her—a ruddy-faced man with a moustache and a balding pate he wore like a tonsure. He wasn’t quite in focus, but he was real. “Thank God. I thought I was going to die out here and become carrion for all the wild animals. My son…is he alright?”
“Well, now, it’s a good thing I got young uns of my own. He’s been fed and changed. I dare say he’ll not be a fussin’ any time soon. Called a tow for your four by four, too.”
“Wow. This is better than roadside assistance.” Lana smiled, gratefully.
“Now. How about you?” The man frowned and shined the light over Lana’s puffy eye.
“Oh, that. That’s a whole other story. My husband…well, it’s complicated.” Lana brushed a hand over her eye as if to dismiss it.
“Complicated looks like it hurts.”
“Yeah, well, it’s my leg that is killing me. Got stung by a scorpion three times.” She held up three fingers to emphasize that fact.
“Good God, it’s a miracle you’re still alive. Can you walk?”
“Not on water!” Lana laughed like she hadn’t in months.
The man shook his head. “Looks like that scorpion really did a number on you.”
“Yeah, maybe. But you should see him.” Lana smiled as the man helped her to her feet.
“Ma’am, I have you at a disadvantage. I know your name is Lana Nichols from the papers in your car. My name’s Rollie.”
“You’re my hero, Rollie. Good to know…you…sorry, I’m a little woozy yet.” Now that they were both standing, Lana could see how tall he was.
“Can you make it to my rig, or do you want me call an ambulance?” Rollie steadied her with his strong arms.
Lana frowned. “Where’s Angus?”
Rollie stared at her blankly for a moment. “Oh, the dog! He’s in the cab of my truck. Mighty fine animal. Led me right to you.”
“What a good boy! Special treats for him when we get to Phoenix. I don’t think an ambulance is necessary. With a little help, I can make it to the road.”
Lana winced each time she stepped with the bad leg. But she was breathing easier, and for the first time in what seemed like hours, she didn’t feel like passing out.
***
Even at 4:14 a.m., Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center’s emergency department was chock full of ailing patients. Lana sat in an exam room with Dylan for what seemed like eons before the doctor finally saw her. She made up a lame excuse for the swollen eye. “I fell.”
“Sand must be getting harder these days.”
“Not in the desert. At home.”
“Ah.” The doctor gave her a steroid medication to help her breathing, then cleaned and iced the bite sites. He told her to elevate the bad leg above heart level and advised against going to the bathroom at night in the middle of the desert, since scorpions are nocturnal creatures. Who knew? Lana didn’t. She was fifteen hundred miles from home, in a place so foreign to her, she might as well have been in the Sahara desert. But this is what she had wanted—a fresh start in new city where no one knew her name. Except Rollie. He was waiting outside with Angus, a mere animal that knew how to treat another human being better than her own husband.
As she slipped out of the patient gown and dressed, Lana realized she must thank Rollie properly for his act of kindness. She set her mind to treating him to a hearty breakfast. It was already 6:15 a.m., and the hospital’s coffee shop would be open. Lana quickly donned her salt-stained tee, scooped up baby Dylan, and headed for the main lobby. She ordered two pancake specials to go, complete with bacon and eggs on the side. She had never eaten breakfast in a semi-trailer cab before, and smiled at the thought of it.
Rollie grinned from ear to ear. “Hot damn, you read my mind!”
“I figured you must have worked up an appetite rescuing a damsel in distress.” Lana batted her eyelashes and rolled her eyes with a touch of drama.
“If ya’ll don’t mind me sayin’, I think Angus here deserves my bacon.” Rollie winked.
“You’re right. I promised him treats. Here. He can have mine, too.”
“Lady Lana, would you like a beer to toast to a new day?”
“Beer and pancakes? No thanks” Lana wrinkled her nose.
“Well then, how about a bottle of Evian to wet the whistle?”
“I’ll drink to that.”
“Here’s to beautiful sunrises and beautiful ladies.” Rollie drawled the last two words in the most melodious southern twang.
“Ah, Rollie…you’re such a charmer. But I’m not beautiful. Where are your glasses?” Lana put her fork down for a moment and shook her head.
Rollie chewed thoughtfully. “Someone made you feel that way. Don’t let them win.”
Lana looked at him dubiously, then started a new attack on her stack of pancakes. “How’d you get to be so smart?”
“Well now, I’ve nigh been just about all over God’s green earth, and a hurtin’ soul in Mountain Brook, Alabama isn’t any different than a hurtin’ soul in Jebel Marra, Sudan. Folks are much more alike than they are different. They just don’t realize it.”
Lana’s vision had cleared, and she could see a wistful look in Rollie’s cloudy cerulean eyes. “Don’t be sad.” She touched his arm.
“Tell me, Lana, what do you see in that there sunrise?”
“I see…a violet, pink, yellow, and blue pastel masterpiece. I see faithfulness. I see hope.”
“Even after all you’ve been through?” Rollie gave Lana a penetrating glance.
“Yes. Especially…especially after meeting you.”
Rollie gave her a fatherly smile, and they sat savoring the sweet peace between them. He was the first to speak again. “I have to go now.”
“Yeah. I know. Next time you haul it to Phoenix, come and see me?” Lana’s voice wavered. She knew it was a silly question.
Rollie nodded as if it were a given. “I think you know how to get in touch with me.”
Lana narrowed her eyes and whisked a strand of her hair over her shoulder. “Yes…I think I do.”
She picked up Dylan out of the sleeper and carefully climbed down out of Rollie’s rig. Angus jumped out after her. As they walked away, Lana watched a single white dove circling overhead. It drew near, fluttered in midair not two feet from her head, then flew away. She turned to wave goodbye, but the parking lot behind her was empty. The semi and Rollie had vanished. Only a single white feather remained.
Mystical Journey, by Laura Lynn Gatzow
A gritty road zippered its way through the desert landscape that lay on each side of Lana. There hadn’t been a car for over an hour, until now, until she heard the sweet whir of tires on asphalt. Lana hooked one thumb in the belt loop of her shorts and jutted the other out toward the road at the oncoming car, which kicked up sand as it swooshed by. She turned and flipped the bird. “Son of a bitch! Aaahhhgg! I hope you crash your Cadillac and end up with a cactus up your ass!” She would have thrown something too, had there been anything handy. But all Lana had was sand in her Sketchers, a diaper bag over her shoulder, a panting beagle, and a bawling six-month-old wiggling like a capsized beetle in a car seat at her feet.
“Shhh…Shhh…it’s okay. We’re okay, little one. Some folks just don’t have a heart. They’re too busy. Too busy chasin’ dreams. Right, Angus?” The dog wagged his tail and whined. “Atta boy. Well, I’m done chasin’ dreams—done with God, with your daddy, with the marriage, with the house in the burbs. It’s just not worth it. It’ll be you and me, baby. And we’ll do damn fine.” Lana rocked the car seat as she squatted and stared at the cherubic face of her child. His eyes seemed to brim with disbelief. Lana sighed, as if she could decipher little Dylan’s not-yet-coherent thoughts.
Once he quieted down, she scanned her surroundings again. Nothing but sand dotted with brown and sickly green shrubs stretched out to the north, abutted by a mass of moody blue mountains in the distance. To the south, cacti stood like strange totems worshipping the sun, arms raised high, as if at gunpoint. Lana reflected on the devastating beauty all around her. The yellow orb in the sky consumed everything; even cirrus clouds basking on the horizon looked sunburned. They promised perhaps another hour of light. Lana shuddered, even though she was soaked wet with sweat. The futility of her situation gripped her like a boa constrictor. Dead car, dead cell, dead…everything.
The Jeep Liberty sat a few paces in front of her, hood agape to expose its mechanical innards, which hissed and spat like an angry snake. Regret began to eat away at Lana’s determination. Had she bit off more than she could chew? If only she could find someone to help her off this God forsaken road! Then she’d show Mike what a real family should be. She touched her swollen eye with tentative fingers. No. Regret can kiss my ass, she thought.
***
Lana woke to Angus barking. She struggled to sit up, her skin so moist that the back of her thighs stuck to the leather interior. It was so black outside that if it hadn’t been for solidity of the passenger seat beneath her, she would have felt like she was floating in the void of space. Through the moonroof Lana could see so many stars that the sky seemed like a fantastic sequined evening gown. She had to pee. She realized Angus did, too. “Okay, boy. Let’s go.”
As she climbed out of the SUV, she grabbed a flashlight from the glove compartment and flicked it on. There really wasn’t a need to seek privacy, but Lana felt less vulnerable relieving herself behind a clump of brush nearby. She could hear Dylan starting to fuss, so she hastily zipped up and started back for the car. “C’mon, Angus.” That’s when she felt the double bite pierce her ankle like a hot tapestry needle. By the time Lana shined the flashlight on her attacker, it had bit again, this time further up her shin. She brushed the scorpion off, and stomped her foot in finality. “Let’s get outta here, boy.”
As Lana traced her way back to the vehicle, she could feel a fiery, tingling sensation race up her leg, then the whole leg went numb and she fell. She felt like she was suffocating, and spittle started running out of her mouth. Lana called for Angus, who obediently came, but his form was so blurry she didn’t recognize him until he nuzzled her face and whined. Oh, dear God, help me, she thought, as she listened to Dylan’s wails. There are no atheists in foxholes. It was the last thing Lana remembered before she passed out.
***
Lana opened her eyes and almost swatted at Angus, who had been pawing her arm. He wagged his tail and barked. “Good to see you, too, old friend.” The stars were still glimmering in the sky, and Dylan was still crying, so she figured she hadn’t been unconscious very long. “I’ve got to get back to my baby. Lord, give me strength.”
As she tried to stand, Lana became acutely aware of an intense pounding throb in her leg. She wobbled on one foot, then gingerly set weight on the other. Pain shot up her calf and thigh like a searing hot brand and she crumpled to the ground. Lana’s breathing was labored. It felt as though she was climbing a mountain. Tears welled up in her eyes. “God, where are you?” Just then, away in the distance, Lana caught the faint purr of a diesel engine. It was getting louder. Then the stars started to whirl in the heavens and their shimmering lights went out.
***
“Ma’am?” Lana thought she was dreaming at first. “Darlin’, can you hear me?"
She stirred, then stared at the figure kneeling next to her—a ruddy-faced man with a moustache and a balding pate he wore like a tonsure. He wasn’t quite in focus, but he was real. “Thank God. I thought I was going to die out here and become carrion for all the wild animals. My son…is he alright?”
“Well, now, it’s a good thing I got young uns of my own. He’s been fed and changed. I dare say he’ll not be a fussin’ any time soon. Called a tow for your four by four, too.”
“Wow. This is better than roadside assistance.” Lana smiled, gratefully.
“Now. How about you?” The man frowned and shined the light over Lana’s puffy eye.
“Oh, that. That’s a whole other story. My husband…well, it’s complicated.” Lana brushed a hand over her eye as if to dismiss it.
“Complicated looks like it hurts.”
“Yeah, well, it’s my leg that is killing me. Got stung by a scorpion three times.” She held up three fingers to emphasize that fact.
“Good God, it’s a miracle you’re still alive. Can you walk?”
“Not on water!” Lana laughed like she hadn’t in months.
The man shook his head. “Looks like that scorpion really did a number on you.”
“Yeah, maybe. But you should see him.” Lana smiled as the man helped her to her feet.
“Ma’am, I have you at a disadvantage. I know your name is Lana Nichols from the papers in your car. My name’s Rollie.”
“You’re my hero, Rollie. Good to know…you…sorry, I’m a little woozy yet.” Now that they were both standing, Lana could see how tall he was.
“Can you make it to my rig, or do you want me call an ambulance?” Rollie steadied her with his strong arms.
Lana frowned. “Where’s Angus?”
Rollie stared at her blankly for a moment. “Oh, the dog! He’s in the cab of my truck. Mighty fine animal. Led me right to you.”
“What a good boy! Special treats for him when we get to Phoenix. I don’t think an ambulance is necessary. With a little help, I can make it to the road.”
Lana winced each time she stepped with the bad leg. But she was breathing easier, and for the first time in what seemed like hours, she didn’t feel like passing out.
***
Even at 4:14 a.m., Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center’s emergency department was chock full of ailing patients. Lana sat in an exam room with Dylan for what seemed like eons before the doctor finally saw her. She made up a lame excuse for the swollen eye. “I fell.”
“Sand must be getting harder these days.”
“Not in the desert. At home.”
“Ah.” The doctor gave her a steroid medication to help her breathing, then cleaned and iced the bite sites. He told her to elevate the bad leg above heart level and advised against going to the bathroom at night in the middle of the desert, since scorpions are nocturnal creatures. Who knew? Lana didn’t. She was fifteen hundred miles from home, in a place so foreign to her, she might as well have been in the Sahara desert. But this is what she had wanted—a fresh start in new city where no one knew her name. Except Rollie. He was waiting outside with Angus, a mere animal that knew how to treat another human being better than her own husband.
As she slipped out of the patient gown and dressed, Lana realized she must thank Rollie properly for his act of kindness. She set her mind to treating him to a hearty breakfast. It was already 6:15 a.m., and the hospital’s coffee shop would be open. Lana quickly donned her salt-stained tee, scooped up baby Dylan, and headed for the main lobby. She ordered two pancake specials to go, complete with bacon and eggs on the side. She had never eaten breakfast in a semi-trailer cab before, and smiled at the thought of it.
Rollie grinned from ear to ear. “Hot damn, you read my mind!”
“I figured you must have worked up an appetite rescuing a damsel in distress.” Lana batted her eyelashes and rolled her eyes with a touch of drama.
“If ya’ll don’t mind me sayin’, I think Angus here deserves my bacon.” Rollie winked.
“You’re right. I promised him treats. Here. He can have mine, too.”
“Lady Lana, would you like a beer to toast to a new day?”
“Beer and pancakes? No thanks” Lana wrinkled her nose.
“Well then, how about a bottle of Evian to wet the whistle?”
“I’ll drink to that.”
“Here’s to beautiful sunrises and beautiful ladies.” Rollie drawled the last two words in the most melodious southern twang.
“Ah, Rollie…you’re such a charmer. But I’m not beautiful. Where are your glasses?” Lana put her fork down for a moment and shook her head.
Rollie chewed thoughtfully. “Someone made you feel that way. Don’t let them win.”
Lana looked at him dubiously, then started a new attack on her stack of pancakes. “How’d you get to be so smart?”
“Well now, I’ve nigh been just about all over God’s green earth, and a hurtin’ soul in Mountain Brook, Alabama isn’t any different than a hurtin’ soul in Jebel Marra, Sudan. Folks are much more alike than they are different. They just don’t realize it.”
Lana’s vision had cleared, and she could see a wistful look in Rollie’s cloudy cerulean eyes. “Don’t be sad.” She touched his arm.
“Tell me, Lana, what do you see in that there sunrise?”
“I see…a violet, pink, yellow, and blue pastel masterpiece. I see faithfulness. I see hope.”
“Even after all you’ve been through?” Rollie gave Lana a penetrating glance.
“Yes. Especially…especially after meeting you.”
Rollie gave her a fatherly smile, and they sat savoring the sweet peace between them. He was the first to speak again. “I have to go now.”
“Yeah. I know. Next time you haul it to Phoenix, come and see me?” Lana’s voice wavered. She knew it was a silly question.
Rollie nodded as if it were a given. “I think you know how to get in touch with me.”
Lana narrowed her eyes and whisked a strand of her hair over her shoulder. “Yes…I think I do.”
She picked up Dylan out of the sleeper and carefully climbed down out of Rollie’s rig. Angus jumped out after her. As they walked away, Lana watched a single white dove circling overhead. It drew near, fluttered in midair not two feet from her head, then flew away. She turned to wave goodbye, but the parking lot behind her was empty. The semi and Rollie had vanished. Only a single white feather remained.