The Wonder of You

Paula drove through the mountain paths with a large smile spread across her face. Being on the motorcycle, leaving town, leaving everyone she ever has ever known to go out and discover the secrets and mystery that the universe held for her was the greatest joy and comfort that she had ever had in her life.

At noon Paula got off of her bike and parked it in the forest. She found an apple tree and decided that she would be having apples for breakfast.

Paula slipped the apples into her pockets and climbed up a large oak tree. She found a comfortable spot and took the apple out, she sighed as she bit into it.

This was heaven.

Paula pulled out her favorite book Into the Wild, and began reading it. She was rationing off the pages, yes it is strange, but for her this book was gold and she would allow herself only two pages a day in order to truly experience it’s greatness.

When the clock hit three Paula decided that it was time to get on her bike and drive towards Portland. She had never been there and decided that she needed to visit it.

The streets of Portland were alive when she reached it, there were musicians on the streets performing and people dancing in drum circles. She smiled as she drove by them, she would first get a room at a cheap motel and then go join them in the festivities.

Paula stayed in Portland for three days; she immersed herself in the local culture and attended many local indie band shows.

She hopped on her motorcycle again and drove fourteen hours straight until she reached Humboldt County. Paula’s eyes widened as she reached Humboldt county she had never seen a more beautiful and tranquil place in all her life.

The trees were large and green, just like in Cherryville but the atmosphere was completely different.

She rode into the small town and saw old hippies walking through the streets dressed in bohemian fashions and openly smoking.

Paula sat there on her motorcycle with confusion spread across her face. An elderly woman walked towards her, a beautiful smile spread on her wrinkled face she put her hand on top of Paula’s and said, “What are you running from?”

“Pardon?”

“You’re running. I see it on your face, but what are you running from?”

“I fear that you are mistaken mam. I’m not running from anything, I’m trying to discover my purpose.”

“Well you can’t go around discovering the world on an empty stomach! You look like you haven’t eaten a home cooked meal in days. You will come to my house, and I will cook for you.”

Paula was about to open her mouth in protest, but the old woman raised her hand and shook her head.

Paula walked side by side with the old lady, pushing her motorcycle along. It seemed like the lady was a huge hit in the town, everyone that passed smiled at her and sent kind words her way.

After twenty minutes of walking, they ended up in front of a cozy looking house. The woman held the gate open for Paula and showed her the shed where she could put her motorcycle.

Paula followed her into the living room and couldn’t help but stare at the wall that was decorated with family portraits and art. Paula looked and found a certificate of PHD in Psychology from Harvard for a Susanne O’Neal.

“You went to Harvard?”

“Yes.”

“Why isn’t this up where everyone can see it?”

“It’s not my proudest accomplishment dear now sit and do tell me your name.”

“I’m Paula Marie Lombardi, pleasure to meet you.”

“Marie, I love that name.”

Suzy saw Paula flinch when she said Marie, she looked at her and said, “I think Marie is such a pretty name, and it suits you, you are a very beautiful girl.”

“I don’t think you’ll say that after you see my tattoos.”

“There are more? I thought it was just stars on your face.”

“No, I have a whole sleeve.”

“Please show me.”

Paula took off her jacket and showed Suzy her right arm. Suzy smiled as she gently traced the different figures on Paula’s arm.

“I think you are even more beautiful now!”

“You’re not grossed out by my tats?”

“No! How can one be disgusted by art? And on such a canvas, the body is the ultimate canvas and to decorate it, is to show your true feelings to the world! Now stay here and feel free to explore my home, I’m going to make dinner.”

“Do you need help?”

“NO I’m fine in the kitchen.”

“What about anything around the house. You’re being really kind and I want to help however I can.”

“You can chop some wood for the fire place. Darn you’re gonna have to go out and buy the wood first. Never mind.”

“Just tell me where the store is.”

“There is no store dear. You have to take the wheelbarrow and walk about a mile to a green cottage, that’s where this town gets their lumber from.”

“Oh ok, just point the direction and I’ll be back soon.”

Paula walked to the shed and stared at the rusty old wheel Barrow

Flashback

“Emmett don’t push her!”

“Emmett push the fucking wheelbarrow I’m aging here.”

“Emmett no!”

“Sorry Edward but my lady wants a wheelbarrow ride, and a wheelbarrow ride she will get!”

Emmett secured Paula’s helmet and kissed her on the lips softly and began pushing her through the forest. Paula sat in the wheelbarrow gripping onto the sides for dear life as she laughed at the top of her lungs.

Emmett loved hearing Paula’s loud laughter. He kept pushing her faster and faster, and closed his eyes for a split second, and didn’t see the rock that was in their path.

The wheelchair lunged forward and Paula was sent flying. Paula hit the ground covering her face with her hands. Emmett ran to her side and picked her up he moved her hands away from her face, and Paula was pretending to play dead.

Emmett thought that Paula really was injured. His face was pained as he looked at her face. Edward ran over to where Emmet and Paula were at, he heard Paula’s face and smiled discreetly and said, “Emmett! You see what happens when you don’t listen to me! I told you that this was dangerous!”

“I know! But she wanted to go and oh my god! Edward is she dead! Her eyes aren’t open is she dead?”

Emmett was busy looking at Edward asking him to do something to help him out with Paula. Paula opened her eyes and saw that Emmett wasn’t paying attention to her; she quickly latched onto his neck and licked it quickly. Emmett laughed when he felt Paula licking his neck.

He pulled apart and said, “You trickster! I thought you were hurt.”

“Nope. I just wanted to freak you out a bit.”

“Never do that too me again.”

“I won’t I can’t handle listening to you complain about my being dead. You sounded like a mess!”

Emmett’s face grew serious and he softly caressed her cheek and said, “If anything ever happened to you, I don’t know what I would do. I really don’t.”

End

Paula shook her head fiercely and kicked the wheelbarrow muttering to herself. She walked down the small forest road until she reached the green cottage. When she got there she saw a man and woman in their forties standing outside the gate, as if they were waiting for her.

Paula smiled at them and said, “Good afternoon.”

“Hello dear, Suzy phoned us that there was a charming young woman on her way to our cottage.”

“She’s really nice.”

“Yes she is, now I hear you want lumber.”

“Yeah, Suzy wants to light a fire tonight.”

Paula placed the lumber in the wheelbarrow and made her way back to Suzy’s house. She admired the trees and the grass as she walked past them. Soon she was chopping the wood in the back of the house, getting it ready to be put on fire later on.

Paula was drenched in her sweat when she finally finished chopping the last piece of wood. She breathed heavily and wiped the sweat off her brow.

Paula was taken by surprise when she felt arms wrap around her. She opened her eyes and saw that Suzy was hugging her

“Thank you dear! You chopped all that wood up really fast. You must be famished! Let’s get you inside and have you eat this lasagna I made you.”

Two weeks passed and Paula found herself very well at home with Suzy. She spent her days helping Suzy around the house and exploring the forest in Humboldt County.

She found that she enjoyed the simply beauty of Humboldt, the beach and the plants made it an ideal place for an escape.

That night Paula and Suzy were sitting on the front porch, sharing a blunt. Paula took a hit and asked Suzy what ever happened to her husband. Paula realized that it wasn’t a polite question to ask, but was stopped by Suzy who had a beautiful smile on her face, a loving look in her eyes

“He passed a year ago.”

“I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”

“No, it’s ok dear. There’s nothing to be sorry about. I’m lucky I had him by my side for all those years.”

“How long were you married to him?”

“Sixty four wonderful years.”

“How’d you meet?”

“Oh, it was during the war. I was helping out as a nurse in France and he just happened to be my patient. I didn’t want to date him, because what would people think! That I enlisted as a nurse to get a man! No, sir. But he was very persistent and I gave him one date. When he recovered they sent him out to fight again and I thought that was the last I was ever going to see of him again and then one day I was walking through the streets down in San Francisco and,” she paused a few tears sliding down her face, “he was right there in front of the building where I worked. I said what are you doing here, and he said marry me. I married him, and I remembered that I asked him once why he had gone through so much trouble to find me when he could’ve just moved onto the next girl. He told me that he had gone through so much to find me because I had brought him back to life. I’ll never forget what he said, he said that he always thought he was strong because he could fight and lift a lot of weights. But he said the only day that he truly felt strong was the day that he got out of bed with my help for the first time after his accident in France. He made a little saying for it, its important in life not to necessarily be strong but to feel strong. I think that’s what we did for each other; we made each other feel strong that made us have a long happy life together.”

“You guys are just like a movie.”

“Yes. Now enough about me, who is this man in your life?”

“What are you talking about? I don’t have anyone in my life.”

“Yes you do, I see it in your eyes. There’s great pain but great love in them. So tell me why are you running from him?”

Paula put her face in her hands and started crying. She had been trying very hard to try and forget Emmett, to try and leave anything that would remind her of him but there was no escaping him.

He followed her everywhere she went, memories with him poured through her being even when she looked at a fork! Paula felt Suzy place a comforting hand on her back, Paula looked up and said, “He left me at the alter.”

“Oh dear.”

“I’m alright. Can we change the subject I don’t want to get you down.”

“You do that a lot don’t you? Change the subject when something makes you feel sad.”

“Yeah, it’s the only way I know how to deal with my emotions.”

“It’s unhealthy.”

“I know it is.”

“Then why do you do it?”

“Because I’m supposed to be tough. I’m not supposed to go around crying, that’s what other girls do, not me. I’m supposed to be strong. I listen to people talking about their feelings no ones supposed to listen to me.”

“That’s not true! You need to speak you need to talk all of this out! Tell me what did you do when you saw that girl walk in? Did you scream? Did you shout? Did you make a scene? Did you tell him he was a scoundrel and didn’t deserve YOU!”

“No.”

“What did you do then?”

“I left.”

Paula was taken aback when the 88 year old woman stood up and threw her chair off the porch; she spoke with great passion as she told Paula, “How could you just leave! You should’ve taken your dress off! Slapped him across the face. Cursed his name, his very existence and punched the girl! You’re supposed to make a scene to hurt him as much as he has hurt you!”

“I wanted to so bad, but I couldn’t. I just couldn’t. I don’t air my dirty laundry in public.”

“Tell me dear, did you at least confront him afterwards! Did you corner him and ask him what on earth he was thinking!? Did you ask his family why they didn’t do a thing to stop you two!?”

“No. A lot of drama happened and as soon as it was over I skipped town to get away from it all. I need to get some peace and quiet.”

Suzy took Paula in her arms and stroked her hair as she softly sang to her, when Paula calmed down Suzy looked at Paula and said, “It doesn’t matter where you run off too, you will have no peace until you settle this problem with this boy.”

“I can find peace though, I can find myself.”

“You can’t find yourself if you’ve got something weighing on your heart. Your heart won’t allow it.”

“What am I supposed to do then? What can I do?”

“You know what you have to do.”

“I can’t go back. I can’t face him.”

“If you want peace in your heart, in your soul you will go back.”