Geoffrey came down the hall grumbling under his breath as he bumped into Sophia. She held out the bag, “Here are some of your favorite foods, some coffee, and a pillow and blanket. Can I at least have a hug for old time’s sake?”
Geoffrey took the bag of groceries and the blanket bundle from her, “No hug, but thanks for the goodies. I can’t get too close to a Pino right now. My head isn’t finding any forgiveness as of yet.” He dragged his suitcase behind him out into the dark night.
Sophia leaned against the closed door. “Oh, damn, now we come to the part where Granger mentioned ‘divorce’ as an option.”
She closed her eyes and slid down to the floor. “Oh, Papa, what are we going to do now? Papa, why did you attempt to shoot yourself in front of Granger! Oh, why did you have to die?”
8
Rocoso, New Mexico
Saturday, January, 1988
The television’s muffled sound reached Sophia before the concept of morning was absorbed. She rolled over to touch the other side of the bed. Empty. There was no one there, again, no one. The reality of Geoffrey leaving last night was hard to accept for he was not a person who ran from a problem. He usually hit it with his hard head. Rolling over to slowly open her eyes, Sophia saw the sun was shining and had been for some time. “Oh, yes, we must endure another day of this confusion! I wonder if Geoffrey made it to Pecos.”
“Mom, are you awake yet?” Sybil quietly tiptoed into the room.
“Yes, I am awake but not happy. What is it?”
“Mom, there was a phone call. Someone left a message really early this morning. Do you want me to bring you the phone and a piece of chocolate?”
Sophia burst out laughing, “First the chocolate and then the phone please!”
Sybil ran down the hall to quickly return with a large piece of dark chocolate in one hand and the phone in the other. “Here you go! Mom, we both noticed that Dad wasn’t here this morning. Is everything all right?”
Sophia took the chocolate, “First let me eat this and get some joy into my blood. Then let’s hear the message and we shall have a womanly breakfast of pancakes and talk. How does that sound?”
Sybil gave her mother’s hand a squeeze, “All right!” Then she hurried back to the family room and the television.
Sophia sat up, brushing the chocolate crumbs off of her nightgown. The cordless phone was cold, but the message necessary. Sophia punched in the numbers to listen to the message: “Sophia, I am at the cabin. It’s six thirty and stopped only once for a pit stop. Fred is here and we’re going fishing. For some reason I’m not tired. Will call you tonight and speak with the girls. Hope you women have a good day, don’t worry about me.” Click.
She threw the phone at the end of the bed where it bounced and hit the floor. “Damn, no thought as to love or when he would be home or even if he gives a damn about any of us! He just runs away to his buddy’s cabin and has a day of fishing!” Sophia threw back the covers and went into the bathroom.
The Saturday events were planned by all of them. They were off in the freezing cold weather to go to the Puerco Mountains and sled down the most dangerous of slopes. Sybil had put on her thermal pink underwear with two layers of socks. She wore two t-shirts, one turtleneck, one sweater, and her double lined winter jacket with the hood. Pulled down over her shoulder length hair was a crocheted stocking cap of reindeer pulling a sleigh and on her hands were not only one pair of mittens, but two. Her heavy hiking boots had been sprayed with water repellent, which gave off a strange odor.
Donna was more affluent in her clothing for it was all pink. She had her pink cap pulled over her ears with her pink thermal underwear, her new pink socks, her handed down cousin’s pink ski pants and her pink faux fur lined snow boots. Donna also carried with her a small pink purse that held everyone’s lip gloss and some band-aides just in case. Sophia wore her thermal underwear, old jeans, and two pairs of socks, sprayed hiking boots, and two turtlenecks under her heavy polyester sweater of Care Bears and her red wool cap Geoffrey had given her. She wore Geoffrey’s gloves and her crocheted scarf. They were ready for the snow and the cold.
The picnic basket was a group effort as well. It was filled with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, a bag of potato chips, and a box of chocolate chip cookies. Sophia had a thermos of hot cocoa for the girls and a thermos of hot cocoa with rum for her. Two sleds were in the back of the family van along with three blankets, one sleeping bag, and a bag of twigs and matches just in case. There was shovel and a bag of fireplace ash neatly put in the front seat on the floor in case they hit an icy patch.
“We are off!” Sophia backed the van out of the driveway while she and Sybil sang The Keeper’s song. Donna was busy inventorying her seat holders for spare candy.
The glorious blue sky appeared to push away the constant wind, allowing them to appreciate the stillness of the forest snow. The top branches of the ponderosa pines reached for the heavens with fingers draped with crystallized snow. Off in the distance, the trill of a warbler gently echoed through the deep canyon. White barked aspen trees leaned under the weight of the frozen water clinging to their naked skins. Bushes of wild oak lay split and flattened by the moisture’s weight. Small critters hid under their arched branches providing shelter and the earth underneath dry and warm. There were only two other vehicles parked at the sledding area both of which were Jeeps.
“Mom, there is no one else here. The snow crunches when we walk on top of it.” Sybil dragged her boot over the small ice balls under her foot. “Let’s make the most of this then, Come on grab a sled!” Sophia handed Sybil the round blue disc. Sleds unloaded and mittens pulled firmly on, the three of them ran through the crunching snow to the sled platform. Donna repeated her sister’s words as she stared out at the great expanse of snow, trees, and canyons. “Hey, we do have this place all to ourselves, isn’t this cool?”
The altitude of the cliff edge where they stood allowed them to observe Mount Taylor and Cabazon Peak hundreds of miles away. Ravens in pairs winged their way to great heights only to ride the air currents with wings spread wide. Sybil’s mouth was covered with her mittened hand as she stated, “I can’t see any houses or roads. Did they disappear?” Sophia hugged Sybil’s shoulders, “No, this is the country of unending land. Where a person can see forever with uninterrupted beauty and appreciate nature prior to the coming of man and his technology. It is amazing, isn’t it?”
Donna’s soft voice asked, “Mom, can we see all the way to China?” Sophia knelt down to point to the west with her gloved finger, “You know I believe we can. It’s right over there beyond Cabazon peak. If you squint your eyes just a little you can see Russia right over the ridge line there to the north.”
Donna giggled, “Mom, when you talk the steam comes out of your mouth and it tickles my face.” Sophia smiled, “Yes, and I can see the mist coming out of your mouth, but I can’t catch it. Can you?”
Sybil chortled, “It’s quiet here. You can hear the snow melting on the tree branches. Listen. Do ghosts come here? Do you think Grandpa is dancing here in the freezing forest?”
Sophia leaned forward with her arms around the girls, “We are alone here in the forest. It is too cold for those who have passed. They have been called to the Great Beyond. They’re in a place of safety and comfort with views even more fantastic.”
She stood and opened her arms wide, “Be cautious of the elves and the grumble bears. They are hungry in the wintertime and would just love to catch a beautiful young maiden. You two stay close to me, all right? If you hear growling or mumbling from the trees, run to me. Grumble bears and elves know mothers are deadly when protecting their young.”
Sybil wanted to slide down first with her mother. Donna clapped her hands as she watched. Sophia loved the thrill of the drop, but Sybil was holding onto her for dear life. Finally at the bottom, Sophia asked her, “Sybil, what’s wrong?”
“Mom, I’m terrified that I’ll die. I really