The Cave and the Cottage

"When it happened, I wasn't alone"

The voice echoed through the cave, pitching slightly off drops of water and old ceramic pots laying sideways across the floor. A wrinkled and mistreated looking man sat calmly against the back wall.

"I don't know how I got here alone, when I began, when everyone began before it all...made me alone here." "I was with someone"

A pause between the rambling sentence and the authoritative one. Between those words his voice grew strong and clear, and crumbled again against the sound of the dripping water.

"I was. We were together, I was coming from the bottom, when we stopped here to look back, behind us at the sky. My dear Maria, she must have been with me. I wouldn't have gone alone, not without her, not before this happened. I would never do that. She knew it. She was with me as they all burned quietly away beyond our sight, out of range. Beyond our power to help or heed their warnings, all we could do was sit there, on an old boulder."

A facial spasm spat through his features. When it subsided a tick remained. The corner of his mouth, on the right side was twisted, with each few words it pulled itself out of shape. In the light from the cave mouth, a shadow appeared, hiding the speckled glow of what should have been sunlight.

"I was sitting alone on the boulder, I was thinking for her. She wanted me home, to sit with her until her friend Kathy came, for them to go together to the store. She told me it was the grocer's. She was always trying to surprise me. I knew she was going to get fabric for a new dress coat for me. Little hints."

The shadow didn't move towards the man. It wavered slightly as a gust of wind and heat spread itself into the cave but otherwise showed no inclination to reach him.

"She told me so as we sat on the boulder. For miles I could see the flames spreading and when the fire came over the little hill, which for so long was the highest point in sight...

I knew she'd miss the cottage and I held her to me. For her comfort. She was so afraid and so very concerned about all her little sewing things and pretty clothes. In her worry she let the intention for the jacket slip but I cautioned her that this wasn't the time to talk about such things. We would have time for that later. And we did. I found the time. After the way I just up and left her waiting there for the car, I ought to be more considerate now, just think what could have happened."

The weathered eyes of the man became less docile, his gaze never rested on the shadow in the entrance but they darted around it, looking to the walls and tilting his head slightly as he tried to look into the pots laying on the floor. The only ones open to his field of vision were cracked, and small pieces of them lay strewn about the entire chamber. He continued speaking throughout his restless search, almost no perceived change in the tone and pitch of his voice but for a subtle shift towards lower and longer sounds, suggesting a wail to anyone who would have been around to hear it.

"Oh, I know, I know she told me she needed my help to the car. The path down our garden was of a moderate length, and over the years I had been less and less careful of it's maintenance. But truly she just wanted the familiar rhythm of my words, the warmth of my presence to her. And on most days I'd agree and stay in myself just to sit by the fire and the bookcase. But I was feeling invigorated. I wanted a hike. I wanted to traverse the mighty mountains, eyeing birds and deer, I wanted to feel young with her again, but when her true and earned age showed itself in frail muscles and constitution, I was just resentful."

His movements slowed. The restless gaze was locked into a small fragment, that was laying near a largish piece of rubble. It was glinting slightly from some ill-gotten light, and it seemed to blind the man.

"She understood though. She was even talking about finishing the jacket, for our anniversary. Oh the fires might have turned the thread slightly, she told me it would be alright anyhow. She was fine in the cottage, she made sure the jacket was alright. All she needed was a few more pieces for the cuff's and the collar.

Oh she did keep talking too about it. I listened for awhile, and I held her as the heat grew. I could see the light of it through the haze drawing closer, and I looked around for a little bit of shelter. I did find a fine place too. Thick granite rock. Probably a fine metal mine in the soon days too when they get around to it. Oh and I gave her a kiss. She was still fussing about the jacket as I tried to make a way through the rubble and stones around the opening. It was barely big enough for myself inside there, but I knew it'd be alright despite that. She was waiting for me out there as the fires came. Kept telling me how it would be almost beautiful except the frightful way it played around the hills of our cottage.

I yelled for her, I called for her until the screaming roar of the rock and the heat combining forced the screaming air from my lungs. Oh and she tells me it would be okay though. She says she's waiting for me out there, when it settles down enough out there for me to clear the rocks. Says she loves me.

Was she out there? Oh lord I couldn't take it if she was. Probably fussing about some little thing right through it all. And here I am making a fool of myself in a cave like a ruffian, yelling myself hoarse and all like a pack dog.She was happiest in the cottage and she was a precious lady. I suppose it's alright then. Life's alot harder now. I'll have to work alot harder with her by my side.