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Marita
told me where I might be able to find
Miguel so I went up this trail into the
hills not far from his house. I'm not much
into Nature, I mean, it's not that I don't
like it, I just have always felt safer in
cities and stuff. Probably doesn't make a
whole lot of sense, considering the bad
stuff that happens in cities, but all the
wide openness of nature, just makes me
feel, I dunno, overpowered.
I
used to think the black people didn't get
into the hiking and camping stuff like
white people because we've just spent too
much time living in cities. But then when
you really think about it, where are our
people from... Africa! Probably the most
natural Nature spot on the whole planet.
That's where we're from. And all those
generations in the south... we'll sure, we
were exactly backpacking and roasting
marshmallows around a campfire, but we
certainly were living close to nature.
I
remember listening to Grandma Webster tell
about different plants she knew that had
healing powers. And how she could tell
each morning, which animal had visited
during the night by looking the tracks in
the yard. And where was the best place to
find running water when you were in a
forest. And how to tell what direction
north was by which side of the tree the
moss was growing. She didn't learn any of
that stuff in a city!
So
as I was walking up this trail and feeling
a little scared by the quietness all
around me, I tried to keep telling myself
that I was descendant of a people who
lived close to the land. And that there
was nothing to be afraid of, because the
land always provides... food, shelter, and
comfort.
I
was starting to feel the comfort, or at
least less of the nervousness as I
breathed in the wet moisture of the trees
lining that trail. I remember Miguel
telling me about this place, and how much
he liked coming up here by himself,
especially when he needed to clear his
mind.
All
of a sudden I heard someone singing. It
was a guy's voice. I couldn't exactly hear
the words, but it sounded like it could
have been Spanish! I looked up on the
ridge above me, and I saw guy, standing on
a rock, overlooking the trail below. I
ducked behind a tree so I could get a
better look without him seeing me. I
peeked out and saw a familiar black
sweatshirt. It was Miguel. And he was
singing. I wish I knew what the words
meant, but even without knowing, I could
feel the sadness and the love in the
song.
I
spotted a small trail off the main one. It
was way steeper, but it looked like it
would take me up to the ridge where Miguel
was standing. If I could climb it, I could
get to him without him seeing me. I
figured I'd just stand there next to him,
quietly. And then when he was done
singing, he'd turn to leave and he'd see
me.
The
trail was a lot steeper than it looked and
like I said, I'm not really into Nature.
But while I was climbing, I kept thinking,
this is kinda fun, being here, and having
to count on my own strength along this
trail. And all the while I climbed, trying
to grab on to whatever I could to pull
myself along, I could hear Miguel's sweet
voice, and I felt like I was climbing to
heaven or something and Jesus was singing
out to encourage me along the way. I was
pretty close to the top of the ridge when
I stepped on a loose rock and lost my
footing. I must have yelled out or
something (I honestly don't remember) or
maybe it was the sound of the rock,
crashing down the trail, but whatever it
was, Miguel stopped singing and said,
"Who's there?"
I
wished I was able to see his face when I
shouted out, "Miguel, it's me! Dee!" the
next thing I knew, Miguel appeared over
the top of the ridge and he was reaching
down his arm and offering me a hand. I
grabbed his hand, but by then I had gotten
my footing, so even though I held on to
him, I climbed up to the ridge on my own.
When I was standing next to him, we didn't
say anything, we just hugged.
He
told me that he had gotten suspended for
fighting with Juan. I told him I knew. He
told me he wasn't looking for trouble but
when Juan called me a slut, he just
couldn't control himself. He just had to
smash him in the face. He asked me if I
forgave him.
I
told him, of course I did. I just was
upset because I didn't want him to throw
away any of his future because of a creep
like Juan. And he said that the only
future that made any sense to him was one
that included me! We stayed up on the
ridge for about an hour... watching the
clouds and the birds and the trees and
just being together. It was the nicest
time I ever spent outside.
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