Bridging the Gap
Mama
Thunder still lingered in the muggy air flowing through the streets of Tree Gap. Once again Jesse had opted for the silence of the town to the growl of his motor vehicle. He pushed up the hem of the navy hood he wore. The sweatshirt was years worn and a constant reminder of the semester he had once attended at Yale University. The streets were misted with sprinkles of water as thunder rolled once more. Up ahead Jesse spotted a figure clad in white. His heart started at the sight, but only settled when the figure turned to be Michelle.
A smile a mile wide appeared on her face as he gained ground on the house, “Hey! You ready for a bit of a hike?”
“A hike? That’s why I’m here?”
Michelle gave a nod, “Yes. Now, if we don’t hurry, we’ll miss it.”
She grabbed a handful of his sweatshirt sleeve and tugged him along behind. The sidewalk ended in a broken slope toward the highway a little way’s down. Weeds were tall and green, and sprouting up through the cracks and over the edges of the road. There was not a soul on the road. Jesse remembered the path by which the road waved, it was the same path the cattle of the wood had walked many years even before the Fosters’ claimed land. Here the trees were thick and abnormally tall, with green bushing from the limbs stories above. He barely noticed when Michelle let go of his arm. It took him more than a moment of trudging along to realize it was too quiet for two people to be walking alongside each other. He turned back to the tree line with a crease between his gray eyes.
“Michelle?” He took a step off the road to the trees, leaving behind patterned prints in the thick dirt. He palmed tree bark as he peered into the green haze of the wood, “Michelle?”
Jesse stepped further into the dense mug of the wood. He did not see where the girl Foster had gone. A twig snapped beneath his shoe, and he recognized the worn path hidden beneath dead leaves. His head jerked up at the slight noise of splash not far off, and he broke into a run to reach the cliff, his hood falling in the rush. As he sped past the Birch and Willow and leapt over rotting logs, a presence in the wood took him over and it was as if he had never left their home outside of Tree Gap. The actions he took were all memory of the muscle. He darted through the last feet of shrubbery to tip-toe to a stop at the sight of the cliff face standing before him. He knew what was on the other side of the rock. His fingers and toes found the familiar nicks missing from the face, and pulled himself up. Sweat beads formed at his hairline and behind his ears. With one last pull the flat head of the cliff came to view and he pushed himself to stand.
“What took you so long?!”
He gazed down below into the water pool. The waterfall had long fell to a mere trickle, as the river had dried out a bit the summers before. It was no secret, the look of relief on Jesse’s face, “You shouldn’t be down there! It can’t be safe!”
She laughed and pushed off from the shallow edge of the pond, keeping her shoulders exposed to the day air. The water was dark, but her pale skin shone against the green backdrop. Jesse made his way carefully down the nature-made steps to a lower level, it was from here she had jumped. Her white tank-top, washed-out jeans were thrown in a pile over her shoes. Michelle was in her underwear. Michelle’s undergarments weren’t anything near as conservative as Winnie’s had been. She showed so much skin. Jesse watched as her arms and feet slipped through the water as she float on her back, her eyes closed to the gray sky.
“Come on, you’ll catch a cold.”
Michelle smiled and stuck her tongue out in playful manner before diving under the water. A bubble popped on the surface. Jesse waited for her to resurface. A minute passed, no sign. His heart began to race the longer she stayed underwater. She did not come up.
“Michelle?!” She did not answer. In one swift movement Jesse tugged off his sweatshirt and shoes, to dive into the cold water. He pushed his way as quickly as he could through the liquid glass. His eyes scoured the bottom of the pool for her body. There, she was swimming to him. He took her by the wrist and launched her to the surface for air. The calm water broke and the gasping couple cleared their eyes and throats of the water. Jesse held on to Michelle’s shoulders, supporting her as they backed to the stone ledge. The rain had started up again, searing their skin. Jesse hopped up to the ledge first and quickly hoisted Michelle up to join him. She grabbed her clothes and slipped her shoes on in unison with Jesse before running hand in hand to the shelter of the old trees.
Both were shaking with adrenaline as Jesse pulled off his soaked t-shirt and Michelle pulled on her dry tank-top and jeans. Jesse’s hair was slick and all Michelle’s did was curl. Michelle sat on a large stone catching her breath as Jesse wrung out his shirt. She watched him as he moved to flop on a log. This stirred up a jumble of smells, such as the gritty scent of the dirt, the musk of the mushrooms, and the dust of the pollen. She closed her eyes in the fire of a shiver. Jesse noticed the way her shirt had absorbed the water around her breasts and her stomach, sticking to her skin. He offered her his sweatshirt to cover up with.
“Such a gentleman.” She pulled her arms through the sleeves and her head through the over-sized neck. She pushed the hood back and began combing her tangles with her fingers. Not much caring to notice the stark look in his eyes.
“You could have died.”
“No, I couldn’t have,” She glanced to his eyes, noticing the small reaction in his face, “Besides, you were there to save me.”
The rain pattered in the treetop, and drizzled down to the forest floor. Jesse stared at her. She had just said she couldn’t have died, not that she wouldn’t have. He stood and pulled her to her feet, never minding her protests. The trail the Tucks had blazed through the wood was still faint. He followed along the narrow path to a large Oak tree, larger than any other in the forest. In its bark was carved the letter T, now blackened with age. Michelle grew quiet when he said nothing to her questions. Jesse let go of her arm and went to the tree, running a finger over the letter.
Michelle was beside him, an hand on his shoulder. She spoke with her eyes downcast, beads of pond water still sitting atop her lashes, “Mama said I was stuck like a Tuck. That’s what she called it.”
Jesse turned to her ever so cautiously, “Mama?”
Michelle licked her lips and looked to his baby-face, “I am a Foster.”
Just then an orange glow lit the sky, following pink and purple clouds; sunrise. The beauty was quickly covered by the rain and thunder, and turned to another dreary day.
A smile a mile wide appeared on her face as he gained ground on the house, “Hey! You ready for a bit of a hike?”
“A hike? That’s why I’m here?”
Michelle gave a nod, “Yes. Now, if we don’t hurry, we’ll miss it.”
She grabbed a handful of his sweatshirt sleeve and tugged him along behind. The sidewalk ended in a broken slope toward the highway a little way’s down. Weeds were tall and green, and sprouting up through the cracks and over the edges of the road. There was not a soul on the road. Jesse remembered the path by which the road waved, it was the same path the cattle of the wood had walked many years even before the Fosters’ claimed land. Here the trees were thick and abnormally tall, with green bushing from the limbs stories above. He barely noticed when Michelle let go of his arm. It took him more than a moment of trudging along to realize it was too quiet for two people to be walking alongside each other. He turned back to the tree line with a crease between his gray eyes.
“Michelle?” He took a step off the road to the trees, leaving behind patterned prints in the thick dirt. He palmed tree bark as he peered into the green haze of the wood, “Michelle?”
Jesse stepped further into the dense mug of the wood. He did not see where the girl Foster had gone. A twig snapped beneath his shoe, and he recognized the worn path hidden beneath dead leaves. His head jerked up at the slight noise of splash not far off, and he broke into a run to reach the cliff, his hood falling in the rush. As he sped past the Birch and Willow and leapt over rotting logs, a presence in the wood took him over and it was as if he had never left their home outside of Tree Gap. The actions he took were all memory of the muscle. He darted through the last feet of shrubbery to tip-toe to a stop at the sight of the cliff face standing before him. He knew what was on the other side of the rock. His fingers and toes found the familiar nicks missing from the face, and pulled himself up. Sweat beads formed at his hairline and behind his ears. With one last pull the flat head of the cliff came to view and he pushed himself to stand.
“What took you so long?!”
He gazed down below into the water pool. The waterfall had long fell to a mere trickle, as the river had dried out a bit the summers before. It was no secret, the look of relief on Jesse’s face, “You shouldn’t be down there! It can’t be safe!”
She laughed and pushed off from the shallow edge of the pond, keeping her shoulders exposed to the day air. The water was dark, but her pale skin shone against the green backdrop. Jesse made his way carefully down the nature-made steps to a lower level, it was from here she had jumped. Her white tank-top, washed-out jeans were thrown in a pile over her shoes. Michelle was in her underwear. Michelle’s undergarments weren’t anything near as conservative as Winnie’s had been. She showed so much skin. Jesse watched as her arms and feet slipped through the water as she float on her back, her eyes closed to the gray sky.
“Come on, you’ll catch a cold.”
Michelle smiled and stuck her tongue out in playful manner before diving under the water. A bubble popped on the surface. Jesse waited for her to resurface. A minute passed, no sign. His heart began to race the longer she stayed underwater. She did not come up.
“Michelle?!” She did not answer. In one swift movement Jesse tugged off his sweatshirt and shoes, to dive into the cold water. He pushed his way as quickly as he could through the liquid glass. His eyes scoured the bottom of the pool for her body. There, she was swimming to him. He took her by the wrist and launched her to the surface for air. The calm water broke and the gasping couple cleared their eyes and throats of the water. Jesse held on to Michelle’s shoulders, supporting her as they backed to the stone ledge. The rain had started up again, searing their skin. Jesse hopped up to the ledge first and quickly hoisted Michelle up to join him. She grabbed her clothes and slipped her shoes on in unison with Jesse before running hand in hand to the shelter of the old trees.
Both were shaking with adrenaline as Jesse pulled off his soaked t-shirt and Michelle pulled on her dry tank-top and jeans. Jesse’s hair was slick and all Michelle’s did was curl. Michelle sat on a large stone catching her breath as Jesse wrung out his shirt. She watched him as he moved to flop on a log. This stirred up a jumble of smells, such as the gritty scent of the dirt, the musk of the mushrooms, and the dust of the pollen. She closed her eyes in the fire of a shiver. Jesse noticed the way her shirt had absorbed the water around her breasts and her stomach, sticking to her skin. He offered her his sweatshirt to cover up with.
“Such a gentleman.” She pulled her arms through the sleeves and her head through the over-sized neck. She pushed the hood back and began combing her tangles with her fingers. Not much caring to notice the stark look in his eyes.
“You could have died.”
“No, I couldn’t have,” She glanced to his eyes, noticing the small reaction in his face, “Besides, you were there to save me.”
The rain pattered in the treetop, and drizzled down to the forest floor. Jesse stared at her. She had just said she couldn’t have died, not that she wouldn’t have. He stood and pulled her to her feet, never minding her protests. The trail the Tucks had blazed through the wood was still faint. He followed along the narrow path to a large Oak tree, larger than any other in the forest. In its bark was carved the letter T, now blackened with age. Michelle grew quiet when he said nothing to her questions. Jesse let go of her arm and went to the tree, running a finger over the letter.
Michelle was beside him, an hand on his shoulder. She spoke with her eyes downcast, beads of pond water still sitting atop her lashes, “Mama said I was stuck like a Tuck. That’s what she called it.”
Jesse turned to her ever so cautiously, “Mama?”
Michelle licked her lips and looked to his baby-face, “I am a Foster.”
Just then an orange glow lit the sky, following pink and purple clouds; sunrise. The beauty was quickly covered by the rain and thunder, and turned to another dreary day.