The Winter Soujourn

The long, cruel day will never end, she amazed herself at the mere thought.


It was almost Christmas and she was here on 1-72 and the snow was piling too rapidly too see anything other than snow.


In her car and stuck with a flat in the outskirts of nowhere to try to get somewhere before the holidays were over and the new year would begin.


These are not easy times for her or for anyone.

She was going to lose her home, hand lost her job and now with the little stash of money left for her she decided to make one more winter's journey to visit her mom and dad who was old and ailing and may not live to see another birthday or holiday.


This year it had to be special. She had to be the Angel they had been seeking for so long.



But who would be her angel to deliver her from the potential of death on this cold and grey and snowy Montana winter, in the boondocks of which she may never return from.



She said this prayer on this fateful December day. Oh Angel of Mercy deliver me from this predicament and the perhaps loss of my life. I need to make it just one more year to help my dad stay alive. And with what may be his last year, his last holiday to be, keep me in your embrace until I can seek my higher place and help speed me along my way to make My parents Christmas the best Christmas they have ever had.



The day was freezing and interminably-long. She tasted the sweetness of hot cocoa with extra marshmallows upon her tongue, felt the warmth of the roaring fire, and smelled the turkey with sage stuffing, apple-bourbon sweet potatoes, green beans boiled for almost an whole day with bacon fatback and then fried with ocra, squash, slivered almonds, a bit of honey, carrots and corn.


This she knew was a test that God had put forth. Another one of many.

And this was her soul-seeking journey to find herself of which had always been lost. Alas she too was lost.


Lost in the winter and the grief that took her over so completely, without question or doubt.



She began to cry softly, miserably feeling the heat and tasting the stinging salt of her tears. to be continued........