Laurel murmured a sigh of contentment as she lounged on the granite rock, warming herself by the sun’s radiating beams.  In haling deeply, the gentle fragrance of the nearby pine trees slowly wafted down to fill her nostrils.

Throwing back her head to catch the full effect of the sun,  she watched the fluffy white clouds as they drifted lazily by.  How soft they look, she thought. Like a huge cotton ball.  And the shapes!  One could almost imagine seeing a ferocious dragon.  Or a child, building a sand castle. Soft laughter rang out as she spotted a “knight in shining armor,riding his trusty white steed”.  In the distance,  snow gracefully laced the mountain tops.  Below her, in the ravine, rushing white rapids crested in peaks.

Across the abyss, a glinting of light off metal caught her attention. Curious for a closer look, she trained her binoculars on the sight.  As she focused, a young blonde man came into view.  He was too far away to be seen clearly, even with the binoculars.  But she watched in fascination.  Kneeling,  his arms spread out in gesture, the man appeared to be praying.  The light, which had first caught her attention, came from a gold medallion which laid unencumbered upon his bare chest.
 
 

Suddenly feeling uneasy, as thought she were intruding on some private and religious ritual,  Laurel decided to call it a day and headed for camp.  Had she stayed a moment longer, she would have seen the golden hue grow in intensity to encase his entire body.

Aroused from sleep by birds singing cheerfully, quickly dressing, she went into the fresh morning air.  A misting rain the night before had cleansed it, leaving it smelling sweet.

Running water from the nearby stream called to her.  Deciding to wash before breakfast, she headed towards it.  Pushing aside the thicket at the stream’s edge, she once again encountered the mysterious blonde stranger.  He stood on the opposite bank clothed only in the medallion.  Although slim in stature, muscles gracefully enhanced his physique.  Transfixed, she watched as he slowly entered the water and disappeared beneath its rippling surface.

Becoming increasingly worried as several minutes passed and still he did not reappear, Laurel dived into the water.  Searching frantically, she found no trace of the man.  Exhausted, she wearily pulled herself ashore and collapsed on its bank, breathing heavily.  Pinpoints of light shot off behind her eyes, bringing unconsciousness.

The blackness which had descended upon her, once frightening, now brought comfort.  It cradled her in fold of velvet embrace.  Reluctantly, she left this haven for the bright light which was calling to her.

From the depths of darkness to the reality of day, she awakened.  A shadowy figure, obscured from view by the sun behind it, huddled over her.

“Are you all right?”  a concerned but gentle voice inquired while helping her into a sitting position.

Shaking her head slightly to clear away the remaining traces of disorientation, Laurel looked up towards the voice that had spoken.  There, kneeling beside her, was the most attractive man she
had ever met.  Tousled, windblown hair, framing almost classical features, created a golden halo effect.  High cheek-bones, chiseled to such perfection that even a Greek god would be envious, enhanced a wide but sensitive mouth.  But the most striking feature about him were his eyes.  A piercing steel blue, they appeared to see into the very depths of Laurel’s inner being.  Yet she was unafraid, for in them she saw a gentleness and caring that erased all concern from her mind.

“Are you all right?”  he asked again, breaking the mesmerizing spell.

“What?"  she stammered, embarrassed by the realization she had been staring.  “Yes, I’m fine. “

The stranger smiled, amused, as she averted her gaze and blushed a deep crimson.  Noticing her discomfort as he sensed that she had just become aware of his still nude condition, he spoke with a firm sincerity.  “Where I come from the body is nothing to be embarrassed about or ashamed of.”

“Well yours certainly isn’t, but... ah.... Don’t you think that considering the circumstances, I should at least know your name?”

He smiled again.  “You’re right of course, Laurel.  I am called Bennu. “

Her mouth dropped open in astonishment.  “How did you know my name?”

His eyes sparkled innocently in response.

As Bennu came out of the tent, drying his still damp hair with a towel, Laurel looked up from stoking the fire and smiled at him.

“I don’t know about you, but our early morning swim has made me ravenous.  Care for some breakfast?”

Bennu hung the towel on the clothesline beside the tent.  “Yes, thank you.”  He joined her by the fire and soon they were enjoying a breakfast of bacon and eggs -- or at least he was.  He ate heartily while Laurel merely pushed the food around on her own plate.

“For someone who was ravenous, you’re not eating very much.”  Bennu commented with a concerned glance.

“I guess I’m still not up to par after what happened this morning,”  she said carefully,  putting the untouched food aside.

“I’m sorry about that,”  he apologized.  “I didn’t know you were watching.

Laurel blushed, bringing color to her formerly wan features.  “I was so worried about you when you didn’t resurface.  Then I couldn’t find you.  I thought for sure you had drowned....”

He smiled reassuringly.  “Thank you for your concern.  But I’m as much at home in the water as I am on land.  Even more so.”  Noting the look of bewilderment on her face,  he continued before she could voice the question she was contemplating.  “It’s beautiful country up here,”  he said while surveying the area.  “Everything is so green and full of life.”  He inhaled deeply.  “And the air is so fresh that it has a crispness to it.”  He suddenly looked sad.  “Not many places like this still exist here.”

Laurel detected a wistfulness in his voice and was moved by his sorrow.  “You’re right.  There’s not.  It’s a shame that so much of this has been destroyed in the name of progress.”

“Progress is not at fault here.  Nature and progress are capable of co-existing.  And it’s not just the wilderness.”  His voice grew in intensity with his rising passion.  “In a country as rich in knowledge, technology and monetary value as this one is, you still have people who go to bed hungry, who don’t have decent housing and who go through life uneducated for the want of proper teaching.  There is so much that could -- should be done.  But these People are so wrapped up in their own lives and problems that unless something affects them directly, they don’t care.”

“That’s not true,”  Laurel protested.  “There are people who are concerned and try to help.”

“Yes, but not enough.  Most of their involvement is merely “discussion”.  I usually ends up being a case of too little - too late.  If something is not done and done soon, everyone will lose in the end.”

Laurel saw the wisdom in his words.  She herself was guilty of noninvolvement. “But where do we begin?  There’s so much to be done to achieve what you ask.”

“You begin by one person becoming involved.  Take you, for instance.  You’re a teacher,  are you not?”

“Yes,”  she replied, wondering how he knew.  “But what can I do?”

“Teach them.  And I don’t mean what’s only in your text books or part of the curriculum, but about what must be done.  Let them learn from history’s past mistakes and teach them not to repeat them...”

“It’s too late for me to help anyone.”  She rose and turned from him; her shoulders shook slightly as tears silently fell.  Bennu came to stand behind her.  He was aware of the cause of her sorrow, but waited patiently for her to explain.  His gentle touch on her shoulders brought forth the explanation.

The words came spilling out.  “I’m dying, Bennu.  It’s a rare blood disease -- the name is not important, but I don’t have much time left.  That’s why I came up here.  I needed time to think, to adjust to the inevitable.”  She turned to face him, teary green eyes met his blue ones.  He reached up and tenderly brushed her tear stained cheek.

She fell into his arms and held on tightly.  Bennu sensed her need to be comforted and held her close, his tone soothing.  “Time is merely a concept invented by Man to measure the space between events in their lives.  There is far too much preoccupation with it.  If it must be measured, then let it be measured by the quality and not the quantity for that is what’s important.”

“Oh Bennu,” her voice quaked.  “I’ve wasted so much!  And what have I done with my life?  What have I accomplished?  Nothing!  And now it’s too late..”  Her words dissolved into tears.

He held her until the tears were spend and she, through sheer exhaustion, fell asleep in his arms.  Gently picking her up, he carried her to the tent and laid her down on the sleeping bag.  Thus began his silent vigil throughout the rest of the day and night.  Outside, nocturnal creatures wondered at the golden light which peered through the tent flaps.

As morning sounds from the surrounding woods heralded in the new day, Laurel woke to find Bennu sitting cross legged, silently observing her.  Her warm smile was returned by a weary one.  “You’re looking much better this morning.  The rest must have done you some good.”

“I wish I could say the same about you.  You look as though you haven’t slept at all,”  she replied.

“Sleep is not what I’m lacking.”  Laurel’s eyebrows arched in question as he continued.  “What I need is some breakfast.  And then I’ll help you break camp so you can get an early start home.”

Laurel had long since given up wondering how Bennu knew such things.  “Sounds good to me.”

An hour and a half later, they were on the trail heading down the mountain. Laurel was amazed by Bennu’s knowledge of the wilderness around them.  She watched in astonishment as he seemed to “communicate” with a playful raccoon that they encountered on their journey.  The sun was high in the morning sky as they came to a halt.

“This is where I must leave you.”

Sadness was evident in her features at the thought of never seeing him again. He had touched her life in a way no one else ever had.  He was sensitive and kind.  He was special.  “Can’t you walk with me a little further?”  she implored.

“I’m sorry, but I need to remain here a little longer.”

“Bennu, I...”

“I know.”

She reached out and took his hand in her own.  Her eyes met his in a steady gaze.  “I may not have much time left, but I shall not concern myself with the quantity, but with the quality of that time.  And if I can accomplish but one thing before I go, then I’ll know that my existence will not have been in vain.” Brushing her lips lightly on his cheek, she whispered “Good bye”  and quickly
left before the threatening tears came again.

As Bennu watched the retreating figure, a slight smile played at his lips.  “You have more time than you realize.”  With one last look, he began the long trek back up the mountain.

And on the wind, a flute played a song  of promises and dreams.....

Printed in : Firebird No. 2 July 1983