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Macy's Dream

By Tabitha Bouldin

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Justin watched the Chevy Silverado approach with avid interest. It was the first vehicle he’d seen appear on the dirt road since his own arrival last week. It was so covered with dust and dirt he couldn’t even discern the original color, but he assumed it had once been black due to the dark hue under the layers of grime.
The rumble of the engine caused a commotion from inside the house, and Justin made room for Grandma and Grandpa to join him on the small covered porch. They had insisted he call them by the monikers and he had gladly complied. It made his job slightly easier when he could connect with the people he was interviewing, and the couple had been the most cooperative he’d ever encountered.
When he’d shown up on their doorstep last week, they had welcomed him with open arms and a home-cooked meal. Justin had felt instantly at home in their presence. He gratefully accepted the small room they offered him while he worked on his book.
Grandma poked Grandpa in the ribs and motioned toward the truck. There was excitement threading its way through the feebleness of her voice. “Told you she’d be here today. That girl is never late.”
Grandpa grunted and grinned while moving away from her probing finger.
Grandpa chuckled with pleasure. “I never doubted you, my love.” He turned to Justin and the smile widened. “You’re in for a treat, my boy.”
Justin turned around in confusion as he asked, “Oh, how so?”
Grandpa just smiled and sipped his coffee as a new light danced in his eyes. “You’ll see.”
The truck rolled to a stop behind Grandpa’s old grey Ford and Justin sucked in a breath as the young woman hopped from the cab. She was slight of frame, with sun-streaked blond hair that she’d pulled back into a series of braids that looped intricately around her head. She was absolutely stunning, with a heart-shaped face and eyes as blue as the sky. She was dressed much the same as he was in blue jeans, boots, and a bright red t-shirt with a red bandana tied around her neck.
He estimated her age to be early twenties, but it was difficult to be precise when she ran across the yard with a whoop of glee as her worn boots stirred up puffs of dust. She jumped onto the porch and wrapped Grandpa in a hug. “It’s so good to be home, Grandpa. I thought this semester might never end.” Her voice tinkled merrily across the small porch.
“Now, now, young lady, you know that education is important,” Grandpa scolded her gently but returned the hug with enthusiasm.
She sighed and pulled away.
Her voice held no apology, but it remained gentle. “I know, Grandpa. I’m not complaining about school. I just miss everything here so much. I’ll be glad when it’s done and I don’t have to leave anymore.”
Grandpa smiled and patted her back; the twisted and gnarled knuckles made it impossible for his hand to lay flat.
He dropped the scolding tone, unable to keep up the facade. “We’ll be glad to have you back, you can be sure of that. Now, before I forget. Let me introduce you to our visitor.”
He turned her by the shoulders until she was facing Justin, and she looked up at him in curiosity. Grandpa held out a hand toward him. “Justin Lane, I would like to introduce you to my granddaughter, Macy Brindle. Macy, this is Justin, he’s here to see about writing down some of our stories from the old days.”
Macy held out her hand and Justin enveloped it in his. She had a firm handshake that told of strength despite her slender build. Her blue eyes met his brown ones with interest and she sounded genuinely happy to meet him.
“It’s good to meet you, Justin. You’re in the right place if you want stories. Grandpa can keep you busy for years with the stories he has.”
Justin nodded in agreement, somehow finding his voice despite his surprise. “I’ve been privileged to hear quite a few already. I’m looking forward to many more.”
She released his hand with one final shake and moved toward her grandmother. Wrapping the woman in a warm embrace, Justin watched her eyes close in perfect happiness.
After a few seconds she leaned away and motioned to the mountain behind her grandparents as she spoke, “I’m heading up.”
Grandma made a noise and Macy raised one eyebrow. There was laughter in Macy’s reply. “Grandma, you know I have to get up there. Pop will have a fit if I’m late.” Grandma sighed and nodded while Macy grinned. “Expect me back by noon Saturday.” She motioned to Justin and called out to him with a wave, “It was good to meet you, Justin. Make sure Grandpa tells you about the first day he saw this place.”
She took off running again before he could reply, an ear-splitting whistle erupted from her mouth as she leapt over a fallen log, and Justin winced. Suddenly, a large grey wolf appeared from the woods, and Macy ran toward him. Justin turned to Grandpa and he just smiled.
The older man shook his head. “That’s Gray. Macy found him about four years ago, when he was just a pup, and raised him. He’s been her companion ever since.”
“Where is she going?” Justin couldn’t help asking the question. Everything about Macy made him want to ask questions. She was currently running flat out across the meadow toward the high mountain range with nothing but a wolf beside her. Grandma and Grandpa acted as though this was completely normal behavior, and it left him baffled. She had said she was heading up-up where- and why?
Grandma turned back toward the house, leaving Grandpa to answer Justin’s questions.
“She’s going to see her parents. Then I’m sure she’ll stop by her house before heading on up to the mountain range to pick up the horses.”
“Horses? I thought we were on the mountain range?” Justin asked in confusion. This was just getting more and more strange.
Grandpa laughed and patted him on the back. Now that the excitement was over, his voice grew tired. “Saturday at noon you’ll see what I’m talking about. Some things are easier to explain when you can see them. But Macy, there’s no explaining Macy. She is a force all her own. She’s as wild as the mountain herself.”
Justin could only nod in agreement. He heard the pride in Grandpa’s voice and he knew Grandpa would not have Macy act any other way. He’d only seen the woman for ten minutes and he felt more confused than he could ever remember feeling. She’d blown through like a hurricane, only instead of leaving devastation in her wake, she left him standing with a mind whirling with questions.
The next day was Friday, and Justin spent the morning the same way he always did. He sat on the porch with Grandpa, drinking coffee and listening to stories of things the man had seen and done during the early days of moving to the mountain. His thoughts were only halfway on the stories as he waited for Saturday and the return of Macy. The woman had him intrigued, to say the least.
Before they finished their first cup of coffee, Grandma came out to join them. She pointed her cup at the mountain and frowned, the action causing a cascade of wrinkles across her plump face. “Storm’s coming. Looks like a bad one.” She spoke with the absolute certainty of someone who had seen and endured many a storm.
Grandpa moved further out onto the porch to get a better view of the mountain and Justin joined him. He’d not seen a storm yet. They watched as dark clouds boiled up in rivers, cloaking the mountaintop in their gloom while the sun disappeared behind a grey wall of rain. Justin could feel the weather descending upon them as the hairs on his arms stood up.
Grandpa sighed as the wind whipped through his white hair. “I hope it passes soon. It’s too early for the stormy season.”
Justin watched the wind bend trees until their branches nearly swept the ground. Within minutes, the rain had arrived and they were forced inside the tiny cabin, where the pounding rain made anything short of shouting impossible.
Lightning flashed and thunder crashed for half an hour before the lightning finished flickering in the windows. They sat in silence for what felt like an eternity, waiting to ensure it was truly over, but, as quickly as it had come upon them, the storm was gone. Within minutes of its passing, the mountain apologized for her rudeness by filling the sky with light. Blue skies once again reigned supreme and birds chirped in happiness as they shook the water from their feathers.
Grandpa radioed in with the rest of the family and happily reported no damage to person or property. Justin made his way outside again and looked up at the mountain. Although the skies were now blue, the mountain remained covered in shadow, and Justin thought of Macy. How did she fare in the storm, he wondered silently. Grandma and Grandpa didn’t seem to be worried, so he tried to calm the worry that scurried through his veins.
The rest of the day passed in peace, just the same as every day that he had spent here. They all waited eagerly for Macy to arrive the following day.
Justin shook his head at the fury and suddenness of the mountain the next morning when he went outside with his first cup of coffee. The storm had appeared yesterday without notice and disappeared as though it had never been. The only evidence of her destruction was the wild abandon of leaves and limbs all around the yard outside.
The cabin where he stayed with Grandma and Grandpa sat at the edge of two acres with its back against the forest and its front facing the cleared ground where a trio of metal panel corrals occupied most of the available space. The dirt road led from the town at the bottom of the mountain up toward the left of the cabin before it continued on to where the rest of the family lived in different locations along the road.
Macy had taken off up the road. Based on what Grandma had said, she was heading toward her parents’ house. He wondered why she ran instead of driving her truck. He would just have to wait and hopefully find out in a few hours.
The mountain loomed directly above them on the right side of the cabin, and Justin felt his gaze pulled once again to the towering height. The small porch stretched from one end of the cabin to the other and was about six feet wide. Two rocking chairs sat in the middle of the porch and a wooden horizontal railing stretched around the entire thing. They all used the railing to set their coffee cups on while they waited.
Justin wasn’t sure who was more anxious to see Macy arrive. Grandma rocked with a sense of urgency in her movements. Grandpa tapped his coffee cup in a rapid staccato while Justin paced from one end of the porch to the other. They all lined up along the porch rail as they waited.
Eventually, Justin turned to Grandpa and asked, “Should it be taking this long?”
Macy had said noon and it had been just that when they walked outside to wait. Just as Grandpa opened his mouth to reply, a howl broke the silence and Grandpa turned toward the mountain. Justin just could make out the form of Gray as he ran for the house.
Grandma reached for Grandpa’s hand, and he patted her reassuringly while talking, “Now, don’t worry, dear. I’m sure she’s fine. Let’s not borrow trouble. We’ll just see what Gray has to say when he gets here.”
Justin looked at them in confusion but Gray arrived before he could ask any more questions.
Gray sat down in front of Grandpa and turned his head to the side for Grandpa to remove the collar around his neck. Tied to the collar was the red bandana that Justin remembered Macy having around her own neck when she had arrived.
Grandpa removed the collar, and Justin watched his hands tremble as he untied the knot to reveal a small piece of paper. A hastily scribbled note from Macy told them why she hadn’t yet arrived home.
The note simply read, “Storm flooded the river before we could cross. Estimate a few days for conditions to improve.”
Grandpa sighed and handed the note over to Grandma, who crumpled the paper. “Praise God,” she whispered.
Grandpa hugged her and whispered, “Amen.”
Justin watched the exchange with only a vague sense of discomfort. He was becoming more used to their constant professions of faith in God. It’s not that he didn’t believe in God, he just wasn’t used to people being so comfortable with giving Him so much credit for their lives.
“Go get the harness, my love,” Grandpa requested as he released Grandma and motioned her toward the house. His voice followed her through the open door. “She’ll be out there with not enough supplies. We can at least send Gray back with some food.”
Grandma nodded and headed inside. Justin watched the old man wipe a tear away from his eye as he turned to face him.
There was only a slight tremor in Grandpa’s voice when he spoke. “Can’t let her see me worry, she’ll just become inconsolable.”
Justin looked back at the mountain. “Is she in much danger?” he asked.
Grandpa shook his head in response. “No, not now, not unless another storm comes through. The worst should be over. I just don’t like having her stuck out there alone. At least we know where she is and that she’s safe.”
“Can’t you take one of the trucks and go get her?”
Grandpa shook his head, “We could try, but the trucks can’t make it to the river. The only way there is either on foot or on horseback. Plus, even if we did get there, Macy won’t leave without the horses. Until the river goes down there’s no way for her to get them across.”
“How did Gray get here if she can’t?” Justin asked. He felt like all he did was ask questions when it came to Macy.
He was thoroughly confused, and Grandpa took mercy on him with a full response, “There is a small bridge that crosses the river, Macy could cross and come home if she wanted to. But, like I said, she won’t leave the horses there alone and the bridge is dangerous in high water. She wouldn’t have sent Gray if she wasn’t sure he would have been able to make it. She knows how much we would have worried when she didn’t arrive on time.”

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