car shovel, and a bag of chocolate candies—as usual, he traveled prepared. He lay flat on the ground next to the hole, while Galen tied one end of the rope around a nearby tree. Edison tied a smaller string to the rope, attached the flashlight to it, and then spoke as calmly as he could.
“Freddie. I’m going to lower the flashlight to you. It will be on, so you should see the light. When you get it, hold onto it very tightly. Shine the light back up, so we can see where you are.”
Nancy piped in.
“¿Todo a la derecha? All right? ¿Usted entendía? Do you understand?”
She had made it a habit to mix English and Spanish when speaking to the children.
“Yes,” was the sheepish reply.
Edison lowered the rope slowly. About six feet played out before he felt a tug on it.
Good! He’s not too deep.
He stuck his head as far in as he could and saw the light beam.
“Good boy, Freddie!” Edison said. “Now turn the flashlight around toward you so I can see where you are.”
“Brille la linterna en se,” Nancy added.
The light moved and Freddie’s face appeared. Edison saw the frightened boy sitting in a small, natural, cave-like formation with his knees drawn up to his chin.
“Freddie, remember when you and Tonio and I played cowboys, and I made a lasso out of the big electrical cable, and we practiced making loops with it?”
He didn’t wait for a reply.
“Make the same loop with the rope then put the lasso under your arms.”
“¿Usted entendía?” Nancy asked again.
Edison called down, “Did you do that, Freddie?”
“Yes.”
“Shine the light on yourself again, so I can see what a good job you’ve done.”
The light moved erratically then outlined the boy. He had done it right, just like when they were playing.
“Freddie, I want you to raise your arms up high and grab the rope. It’s going to feel very tight across your chest. Tio Galen and I will pull you up, so hang on.”
He felt the rope moving. Galen stood behind him, wrapping the cord around his powerful forearm for traction.
“Edison, keep lying there to help guide the rope, while Nancy and I do the pulling. Keep your flashlight trained on it to make sure nothing sharp is in the way.”
Edison nodded. Galen and Nancy began a slow, steady, backward motion. They felt the weight increase, as they pulled the boy toward the opening.
Edison held the light in his teeth, while he used both hands to prevent the rope from rubbing the sidewall of the tunnel. The other two children stood wide-eyed, watching the determination of the three adults to save their brother.
Little hands clutching the rope appeared first, and then Freddie’s head, torso, rump, and legs slid through the opening.
Galen experienced a strange thought: Good Lord! The forest just gave birth to Edison’s new son!
Nancy removed the “umbilical cord” from Freddie, who was blinking at the sudden burst of leaf-dappled sunlight hitting his dark-acclimated eyes.
Carmelita and Tonio moved toward him with the bag of candy, and Tonio put the coonskin cap back on his brother’s head. He examined Freddie, dirt-streaked all over, and made the remark that broke the tension-filled moment.
“Freddie, you smell like dog poo!”
Galen’s face creased in a rare smile.
“Congratulations, Edison, you have a bouncing new son!”
Nancy cleaned up Freddie as best she could and wrapped him in one of the car blankets. Edison carried him at the head of a triumphant procession back to the vehicle. By the time they reached it, Freddie had scarfed down most of the candy and was falling asleep in Edison’s arms.
“It must have been a fox den at one time,” Nancy guessed.
“Most likely, since Freddie got covered in their refuse,” Galen replied.
“I think we need to get him washed up at a gas station,” Edison chimed in. “Otherwise this car will be uninhabitable.”
Galen couldn’t resist. “Better learn how to change diapers, little brother.”
As they headed back down the mountain, they once again passed the wildlife-service signs, and then and there Galen decided his mountain refuge would forever remain a safe haven for its animal inhabitants. He would donate the land to the Commonwealth of Virginia, and it would become part of the preserve.
Cathy would like that, he mused, and the wind blowing through the open car window seemed to whisper, “Yes, Tony.”
The water-hose-improvised shower at the gas station sufficiently deodorized Freddie to allow the rest of the passengers to breathe through their noses again.
As they drove away, Galen noticed that Edison was exhibiting signs of post-traumatic anxiety letdown, which he had seen so often in new parents.
Nancy also seemed a little disconcerted, sitting in the back with the three kids, who by now were sufficiently sugar-loaded that they bounced between buzz and somnolence.
“Why don’t we salvage the day, Edison,” Galen said softly. “I know a campground and portage site along the river not too far from here. We brought the kids’ swimsuits, and you and Nancy could do a bit of canoeing—just like in the old days, eh?”
He nudged his friend gently, and Edison laughed.
“What about you? You can’t just sit in the car and pretend you’re Buddha.”
“No problem,” Galen replied. “There’s a bunch of trails along the Shenandoah. I’ll commune with nature while the rest of you get wet.”
Twenty minutes later they pulled into the campground.
“Bob, why don’t you and Galen go rent the canoe?” Nancy said, as she guided Carmelita, Freddie, and Tonio toward the bathhouse.
The two men headed to the rental desk, and Edison picked out what he called a “nice shell.” When Galen paid for the rental, Edison seemed surprised by the gesture.
“Hey, this was my idea,” Galen quipped.
They turned back toward the bathhouse and saw Nancy emerging with only two of the children in swimsuits. Tonio stood apart, still in his day clothes, looking pouty.
“He doesn’t want to go in the canoe,” Nancy said in exasperation.
Galen walked over to the boy.
“What’s wrong, Tonio?”
He lowered his eyes then looked up at Galen.
“No tengo gusto del agua.”
Galen’s Spanish was minimal, but he understood.
Strange, he understands and speaks English fluently now but reverts to his early childhood tongue when upset.
“That’s okay, Tonio. You can walk with me through the woods instead.”
He turned to Edison, who had been watching the exchange.
“Why don’t you and Nancy show the kids some of your old-style canoeing? I’ll rent a second shell. Nancy and Carmelita can go in one, and you and Freddie can take the other. You could make it a race between the guys and the gals.”
Edison opened his mouth, but before he could speak Galen had taken out his wallet and turned toward the desk, where he rented another canoe. When he rejoined his friend, he said with a feinted grumble: “This better not