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Saturdays in spring brought a flood of humanity to Pine Mountain. Some travelers were returning to repair and re-open long shuttered weekend cabins, and some came to witness the final gasps of snow on the slopes of that noble rock. Still others came to find their past. Perhaps, they thought, in the mysteries of long ago, the answers to today’s questions would be found. It was on such a Saturday that a minivan with a small family rounded the many curves of a mountain highway called Mil Potrero. They came looking for a house from their past. “Tim, I think we should stop for some drinks before we go up the hill,” a pretty young woman advised the man driving. She wore her hair up, in braids. “With the kids asleep, wouldn’t it be better to just drive by, turn around and head back? We could get something to drink in Lake of the Woods, at the mini-mart,” the driver responded. He was a handsome man in a rugged way. It was obvious, from looking at his hands, that he earned his wages with some physical labor. “But I’d like to stop and look...” “Again? Look for what? Of all the times we’ve been up here you’ve never known what you’re looking for!” Tim frowned. “It meant something, Tim. He didn’t just say it,” Shannon looked out of the side window. She was angry. “I know it meant something.” “Look, I’ll make a deal with you.” Tim gestured with his right hand. “Keep both hands on the wheel up here. You know how much I hate this road!” Shannon tensed further, her body molded into her seat. “Come on hon, I’ve driven this road a thousand times. Hey...there’re guard rails now!” Tim snickered as he teased. “What’s the deal?” Shannon said, momentarily over her fear of the curved road. “I’ll stop this time, but it’s the last time. I just don’t see the point. If you don’t find whatever it is you think is there this time, then we’ll do it my way from now on. Deal?” Shannon looked back out the window at the passing trees. She knew she had been pursuing this strange passion for too long. Tim had been patient. Still, the idea of actually giving up left butterflies in her stomach. “Shannon? Well? Is it a deal?” Tim whispered the words as one of the children stirred in the back seat. “You know I don’t even know what I’m looking for,” Shannon matched his whispered tone. “But I know he meant it—it’s too important to walk away from.” “How long, Shannon? We’ve been coming up here for more than a decade. It’s bugged me, too. But I think it’s time to write this off as just one of those mysteries we can never solve. Let’s just treasure the fond memories and let it go...” Tim trailed off. He bit his lower lip. “I’ll tell you what. If no one is there, then we’ll turn around and never try this again,” Shannon offered. Her stomach sank as she said the words, but she knew Tim was right. Sooner or later they would have to put this behind them. Maybe some answers weren’t meant to be found. “Okay, it’s a deal then?” Tim extended his right hand. “Both hands on the steering wheel!” Shannon urged. “I’ll take that to mean it’s a deal.” Shannon nodded. “That’ll be five-twenty-seven, sir,” the clerk announced. She pulled out a grocery bag and started putting in the cold drinks. “Shoot,” Tim rummaged through his pockets. “What’s wrong?” Shannon asked. Two children stood behind her. “All I have is a twenty and a five. Do you have any change?” “I think so,” Shannon opened her purse and pulled out her wallet. “Here it is, I knew I had a buck in that pocket somewhere.” “I can’t believe how much money I’ve collected from the couch because of your habit of crumbling dollar bills into your pockets, Tim!” Shannon shook her head. “I wonder how much we have lost that I haven’t found?” “Hey, why should you complain? You’ve done just fine!” Tim pointed at her new blouse and purse. “You’re right. I make quite a bit of money scavenging your droppings!” Shannon smiled. It was their usual banter. “Mom...can we eat? I wanna sandwich!” a pre-teen boy demanded. “Your father wants to get sandwiches after we look at a house, Joey.” “Are we going to look at that house again?” A girl, a bit younger than the boy, whined. “That’s right, Annie. Mom’s gotta do this again!” Tim leaned over and glared at Shannon. He picked up the bag of drinks and headed for the door. “Tim! Why do you do this? You cared as much about the Stone Man as I did!” Shannon was losing her patience. “Excuse me, ma’am...did you say ‘Stone Man’?” The words came from an older woman in line behind Shannon. “Yes. why?” Shannon turned to face her. Tim stopped and slowly turned to look at the older woman. “I knew someone once, a long time ago, who we used to call ‘the Stone Man’.” Shannon looked behind the woman. The tiny aisle was choked with people trying to check out. It was Saturday afternoon. The visitors needed groceries here on Pine Mountain. “My husband and I did, too,” Shannon replied eagerly. “Can we move over here? I don’t want to hold up the line.” Tim walked back toward his wife. “Do I know you?” Tim asked. He had a confused look on his face. “I don’t know. You look familiar.” The woman returned the same puzzled gaze. “I used to live here. Both Shannon and I did,” Tim said while gesturing toward his wife. “We used to help Grandpa Marino with his place.” “Oh! You’re his grandchildren, then!” The older lady brightened. “No...oh, no. We just called him that. We kind of adopted him.” Shannon corrected the woman. “Oh...I see. Which ones were you?” “Which ones?” Tim asked. “He was ‘adopted’ by a few kids over the years.” “We were the last ones, probably.” The woman thought a moment, her eyes turned upward as if looking back in time. “Was that about eleven years ago?” “Yeah... about that,” Tim answered. “I remember you, then! You were in the car… in the post office!” Tim’s eyebrows rose. “The post office! You’re that woman that had a thing for Grandpa!” Tim was surprised. “Well, I did find him attractive!” The woman smiled fondly while offering her hand. “My name is Mary.” “Wait a minute... ‘a thing’? What is a ‘thing’?” Shannon’s inquiry was interrupted by an older man who nearly pushed her over while tugging at his teenage son. “Come on...stop whining! You’re never grateful for anything. That’s the last time I give you the choice of dinners.” The man strengthened his hold on the boy’s arm. “I’m in a rush and all you can do is whine.” “Hasn’t changed, has it, Shan?” Tim watched the father and son leave the store. “No,” Shannon’s voice was barely audible as she found herself caught in her own memories. “No, it hasn’t. Sad. I can’t tell you how many kids grow up like that,” Mary agreed. “So...what’s a ‘thing’?” Shannon shook herself from her private thoughts and returned to her original question. “Well, I had a crush on him for years. Only I’m not sure he noticed.” Mary looked down. “He did...he did.” Tim smiled.
“Slow down, Tim! There’s somebody there!” Shannon
blurted.
Shannon walked slowly up the aspen-lined driveway.
She stopped to touch one of the trees, the one nearest the
walkway.
“This hasn’t changed a bit!” Shannon smiled as she
took a place on the couch.
“Yes, I know it’s strange but he was so insistent when
he mumbled those words to me. I know he was trying to
tell me something.”
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