When Love's Gone Country

Chapter Six



With their bellies full, bladders empty and map in hand, the group headed down the trail marked Lover’s Leap.

“I don’t get it,” Jeremy said. “If they love each other, why are they jumping off a cliff?”

“‘Cuz they can’t be together,” Jacob said.

“So, why don’t they just go find someone else to be happy with?”

“Some people believe that there’s only one true love for each person. They could search the entire world and never find someone else they would ever love as much.”

“Like you and Dad?”

Bobby put his hand around Meg’s waist and pulled her close. “Exactly. I’ll never love anyone else like I love your mom.”

Jeremy stared at them for a moment. “But you wouldn’t kill yourself if you couldn’t be together, right?”

Bobby shook his head. “No. I might feel like killing myself, though.”

“Do you think our original Mom and Dad love each other like you guys do?”

“You mean your biological parents?” Meg asked.

Jeremy shook his head.

“Probably, in their own sort of twisted way.”

“Those two don’t have the capability of loving anyone but themselves,” Courtney said.

Meg shot her a scowl.

“Just sayin’. I know we’re all supposed to turn the other cheek and all that, but I wouldn’t turn my back on those two if you paid me.”

“Hey, look,” Purity said. “There’s supposed to be a cave behind the waterfall. It’s closer than Lover’s Leap, too.”

Everyone gathered around the map to get a good look.

“The crossroad is just ahead,” Alex said.

“It’s called Atonga Falls Rendezvous. Sounds like Chief Atonga and Marion Little Bear knew about the cave.”

“And used it to their advantage,” Courtney said with a tilt of her eyebrow and a curve of her lips.

“To attack someone or hide from the tribe?” Jeremy asked.

“No. She means sex,” Jacob said.

“Grown-ups are always talking about sex.” Jeremy shrugged. “Most girls are stupid and I don’t want any of them touching me.”

“I have a feeling you’ll change your mind in a few years,” Bobby said.

“No, I won’t. Me and Jacob are gonna be bachelors forever.”

“Where did you learn that word?” Court asked, as they began walking toward the falls.

“This show on t.v. Two guys said they’d had it with women and all their games and they were going to be bachelors forever. I think it means no more women for them. I’m all for that.”

“No more women? What about me? I’m a woman.”

“We’re friends, that’s different.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” Courtney winked at Meg. She would have a good time ribbing Jeremy about this conversation when he was head-over-heels in love with some girl.

“Do you need to rest for a minute?” Alex asked Purity.

“No. I’m good.”

“How many times a day does he ask you that?” Courtney said.

“About fifteen.”

“You guys are so cute, I really do want to puke.”

“Do it over there.” Pure pointed to some bushes thirty yards to the right. “The smell would make me want to puke and I get nauseous enough.”

When they reached the falls, the boys raced ahead to find the trail.

“Careful boys,” Bob said. “Stay on the path.”

“We will,” they said in unison.

A few moments later they were running back to the group. “There’s no way to get behind the waterfall. The map is wrong.”

They all looked at the map again.

“Wait,” Purity said. “There’s a question mark by that big rock. What do you suppose that means?”

“A clue!” Jeremy shouted, then ran toward the rock. Jacob ran past him, then waited for him to catch up.

“It’s a riddle,” Jacob said. “Magic words, there are but three. Spoken aloud, reveal to thee. A path most will never see. When eyes are blind, you truly see.”

“The only magic words I know are please and thank you,” Jeremy said.

Meg stood before the rock, closed her eyes and said in a loud, clear voice, “I love you.”

The ground trembled slightly beneath their feet as the stone began to roll several feet to the right.

“How did you know that?” Jeremy asked, his eyes wide with astonishment.

“The feeling of love is often referred to as magic, like when you touch someone’s hand and you get this spark of something you can’t really name. I knew I needed to say it out loud because it said ‘spoken aloud.’ I figured there was a path somewhere because it was on the map and the clue said ‘a path most will never see.’ I closed my eyes because that is like being blind.”

“Wonderful job, honey,” Bob said, kissing her on the cheek.

“C’mon, let’s follow the path,” Jacob said.

The path wound around through dense brush, but it was easy to traverse as branches and shrubbery had been neatly trimmed to allow access.

“This is kind of fun,” Meg said. “I’m not usually up for this kind of thing. I’d rather know where I’m going and how I’m getting there.”

“Sometimes it’s good to give up control,” Bobby said.

Courtney and Brad exchanged glances. They’d had that very conversation last weekend. Of course they weren’t exploring a cave behind a waterfall. No, their exploration was of a different nature and included the words submission and dominance.

“Hey, Court, come here,” Jeremy yelled.

“Coming.” Courtney gave Brad a knowing look, then shimmied past everyone else until she had caught up with Jeremy. “What’s up?”

“Do you think we should cross this bridge? It looks kind of rickety.”

Courtney peered over the railing until she could see the undergirding of heavy support hidden underneath the bridge. “I think they want it to look unstable. More exciting and scary that way. I’ll go first.”

She walked bravely over the river flowing twenty feet below. The bridge swayed slightly under her weight. When she was across she waved Jeremy over.

He started off tentative, but quickly gained confidence. “Piece of cake,” he said when he reached Court’s side.

“You were smart to have someone check it out beforehand. Good thinking. Where’s Jacob?”

“He was right behind me.”

The rest of the group caught up to them. “Have you seen Jacob?” Courtney asked.

“I thought he was with you, Jeremy,” Bob said.

“He was. Then he was just gone.”

“Did he cross the bridge?” Meg asked.

“I didn’t see him cross it.”

“Jacob!” they all began to yell into the woods.

“Let’s not panic,” Alex said when he saw Meg’s worried face.

“I am Chief Atonga,” Jacob hollered from somewhere up in a tree.

“Jacob? Where are you? Get down here!” Meg said, her words laced with fear, annoyance and gratefulness that he had been found.

“I love Marion Little Bear and I want everyone to know it!” A rustling of tree branches overhead caught their attention, then Jacob came flying through the trees holding tightly to a vine as he sailed over their heads.

“Jacob!” Meg yelled, horrified that he was up so high and could fall at any minute.

“Look at him go,” Brad said. “He must be thirty or forty feet high.”

“Jacob Zyetta, you better get down here this instant!

“Can I go next?” Jeremy asked.

“Bobby, get him down from there. He’s going to fall and kill himself.”

“He’s fine. Look.”

Meg watched her son swing back and forth over the raging river. “Get him down, now.”

“He’s a boy. Boys do things like this.”

“Now!”

“I’ll help you,” Alex said, heading toward the tree the vine was attached to. Both Bob and Alex climbed the tree and when Jacob swung within reach, they snagged the vine and pulled it closer.

“Hey! I’m having fun. What are you doin’?”

“You’re scaring your mom. It’s not safe.”

“Seems safe to me.”

“That wasn’t a question,” Bob said, his voice neutral, but firm.

“It’s no big deal. I was just trying to have some fun.”

“You can have fun on the ground without worrying your mother.”

“She worries about everything. My being on the ground won’t stop that.”

“Jacob, we need to talk about your behavior lately.”

Jacob disentangled himself from the vine and began climbing down the tree.

“This conversation is not over.”

“It is as far as I’m concerned.”

“It was bound to happen sometime, Bob,” Alex said.

“I know. Our therapist kept telling us we probably wouldn’t see any real acting out behaviors from the boys until their teens.”

“Welcome to the teens.”

“Yeah. Welcome.”