The uninvited guest
Sunday June 9, 2012 4:15 A.M.
[he was not present until the guests arrived] As much as I wanted to find that mouse and set him free in the woods - in the elements - in his home - my efforts were fruitless. The mouse was determined to hide in the laundry room, where we wash our skeletons away and nibble on a tiny piece of stolen fruit [apple] that he won from the droppings of our own little treasures, Kareem, Leila, Josephine, Arabella and Arianna. He was determined to sit in the back of my mind, int he darkness of my thoughts, in the roots of my fears and emerge occasionally to say "Hello. How are you doing? Como esta? Ahlan wa sahlan." Everyone seemed to carry on with whatever they were doing, scrambling the eggs, toasting the bread, flipping the pancakes, brewing the coffee and setting the table without a care, a thought a fear of that furry four-legged tail dragging forrest rat. I don't care if he was actually a field mouse or if his family roamed this forrest, these hills, that river and ground beneath my feet. I wanted him out. He was an uninvited guest in the last party of my youth, the first journey of my adulthood, the last passage of my soul down that river as it flowed across the valley and into the ocean, the final body of water, the resting place of all living creates on this planet.
After breakfast those of us present [accounted for] decided to take a trip, while we waited for the others to arrive. A trip that followed the creek, the river and the ocean to Fort Ross, a Russian settlement constructed for the speculation of the fur trade. It was an unsuccessful venture, but has become a nice tourist attraction in the region.
We drove to the general store in Cazadero proper, the heart of this town that sits along the creek, that feeds the river and empties into the ocean. Our kids were busy snacking on the various stretchy all-natural fruit tapes, saucy mixes of vegetables and more [all-natural] fruits. We were preoccupied with out navigation systems. My wife consulted her phone, but the signal was weak. She left the car in a huff of frustration and proceeded up the wooden steps of the store.
"Heidi," I yelled.
"What?" she said with that look she always gives me. The look that really says "why are you slowing me down?"
"Kareem wants to go with you." I gestured with my thumb pointing hand at his car seat in the back.
"Oh," she said happily. "Kareemee. Of course mommy didn't forget you."
She came running around his side of the car and unbuckled his harness and set him down on the ground next to her.
"Carry me mommy!" he would always beg holding both arms out.
"No. Mommy is too tired for that. Besides you're a big boy now. Here. Hold my hand," she said endearingly as she lowered her hand to meet his.
The walked back up the steps and into the store. I began to take in the facade of the redwood era construction, when I noticed Ardis, in the next compact SUV next to mine gesturing to lower the window.
"She's telling me to take this direction." as he pointed down the road to my left.
"Oh. Hi Jen," I said. "Is that what you recommend?"
"Huh?" She looked at me confused.
Ardis interrupted. "No. My GPS is telling me to go that way because it's thirteen miles from her if we go that way."
"Oh. Okay. But why did you say she?" I said somewhat confused.
"Oh that," he said as he began to laugh lightly.
"It's my GPS. It speaks with the voice of a woman."
"Dude! That's pretty funny."