We are the authors of our own stories throughout every circumstance in our lives. We are not in control of plot complications, but we can make resilient choices in the face of them . . . (author unknown)
Well, life don’t ever turn out quite like you think, does it? Mr. A (me) starts out for B (Miz Suze) at the other end of a straight line. Halfway there, he meets C (to be described later). That contact sidetracks him to D. D bein’ the situation of Fred ‘n me bein’ stuck on the Indian Trail. Nearly lost ole Fred when a bear (C) took him on a few miles from here and tore her up pretty bad. Fred, she did herself proud, fought to the end protectin’ me from that ole mama bear that was on a rampage, but in the end, Fred wasn’t no match for that bear’s fury over somethin’, who knows what. Mebbe her cubs had got killed. Just like I thought was gonna happen to Fred. Thought she was a goner for sure.
After the ole bear lumbered away, prob’ly leavin’ us both for dead (I was up in a tree), I gathered up Fred and found she was a’livin’ after all, just barely. Brought her here to an abandoned shack we found, and been nursin’ her back to health. And she’s a tough ole bird, or else that there angel (remember the Chick and the Vole??) that sent her here to be my guardian angel had somethin’ to do with it, cause she’s nearly healed now, and we’re a’talkin’ about heading on south to meet Miz Suze in Texas. It’s been a spell since she got in touch with me askin’ me to come, so mebbe whatever she needed me for has worked itself out already, but we’re still plannin’ on a’goin’.
Problem is, there’s some kinda sickness in the land. People say as how the soldiers brought it home with ’em from the war, but it don’t really matter where it came from. Right now what we gotta do is deal with it, and that means bein’ careful and stayin’ away from most people we meet if we’re gonna get to Texas. Gets right lonesome not talkin’ to folks along the trail, or stoppin’ at the little towns or settlements. And Fred, she hasn’t been able to hunt for us until just lately, so we’ve been eatin’ a lotta fish, and a lot more nuts and berries and roots than I ever wanna see again. But don’t get me wrong. I’m mighty grateful.
While we’ve been workin’ on gettin’ Fred better, I been doin’ a lotta thinkin’. Fred ‘n me, we’re writin’ our own story during this time, and all we’ve hadta deal with. I wanna make it the kinda story that I’d like to read.
And the next chapter is gonna be gettin’ on down the road . . . we plan to hit the trail tomorrow early . . .