10. Returns
6:04 pm, Saturday, 27 April
I run like I have never run before. My feet flying over the gravel path. I run and never feel tired. The overwhelming impact of what has happened courses through my body making me feel more alive than ever before. I have seen The Lord. I have seen and heard things that are inexpressible. I have touched the unseen. Within minutes I burst through the door searching eagerly for Dana. She is nowhere to be seen. How long have I been gone? It seemed like ages. My brain is racing.
"Dana! Dana!" I call out urgently. "Where are you?"
A moment later the bathroom door opens and Dana emerges with a towel wrapped around her head and a white bathrobe on.
"Aah, there you are Malo. Good timing. Why don't you grab a quick shower and we will have time for some drinks before dinner," she says as she seats herself in front of the dressing table mirror.
"Dana, you won't believe what happened to me," I gasp, "In fact I don't even know how to tell you."
"Well, why don't you have a shower and tell me all about it over drinks," she replies.
"Dana, I met Jesus!"
She stops brushing her long brown hair and turns slowly to look at me. She smiles, that Dana smile and says, "Malo, I am so pleased. I have prayed that you might come to Jesus and there is no better place than in quiet meditation."
"What?" I reply. "No, not like that. I mean not in quiet meditation and not "meet" like that. I really met him. I really, really met him."
Tears begin to pour down my face. I can feel the emotional strain of all that has happened catching up with me. I slump to my knees on the floor. "I really met him Dana, I really did." She is up and has her arms around me. I feel her love and comfort.
After a while I am able to compose myself and I share my story with Dana. She does not say anything until I have finished.
"Malo," Dana finally says, "I don't know what happened to you on the mountain, but whatever it was I have no doubt Jesus is working in your life. What it means and how things will work out I just don't know, but I rest in the certain knowledge that he directs all our ways."
"But Dana, do you think this really happened? That I really met Jesus in that place?" I ask.
"I don't know Malo. Human reason says, how could you have done all this and only have been gone just over three hours? Human reason says, why has no one else seen this place at the pass? But then this is all human reasoning. With God all things are possible.”
I can see that Dana desperately wants to believe me, but then my story is so unbelievable I don't blame her if she is unsure. Especially as I have been so crazy lately. I then remember the stone I was given. “Wait, look at this,” I say reaching into my pocket. It’s empty! In a panic I start searching through all my pockets.
“What’s wrong?” Dana asks, concern on her face.
“My stone, my stone. I had it. I really did.”
And then I remember I placed it in my backpack so it wouldn’t fall out of my pocket while I ran back. I hurriedly search through the backpack. There are lots of other stones in here. At first I am confused, and then I remember they were the ones Dana collected from the stream. But then I spot it. A beautiful smooth white stone with the comma shaped profile of a hand on it. Reverently I take it out. “Here it is,” I say. “This is what he gave me.” I hand it to Dana.
“It’s beautiful,” she says, “but are you sure this isn’t one of the stones I picked up at the stream?”
“No! Here are yours,” I say reaching into the bag and taking out the other stones. I look at them. A beautiful collection of smooth stones. My stone does not look much different to these, besides the mark on it which could just be anything. I need something else to convince Dana. I know what I saw, I know who I met.
"I tell you what," I reply, "tomorrow I am taking you to this place, and then you will see for yourself."
"Dana! Dana!" I call out urgently. "Where are you?"
A moment later the bathroom door opens and Dana emerges with a towel wrapped around her head and a white bathrobe on.
"Aah, there you are Malo. Good timing. Why don't you grab a quick shower and we will have time for some drinks before dinner," she says as she seats herself in front of the dressing table mirror.
"Dana, you won't believe what happened to me," I gasp, "In fact I don't even know how to tell you."
"Well, why don't you have a shower and tell me all about it over drinks," she replies.
"Dana, I met Jesus!"
She stops brushing her long brown hair and turns slowly to look at me. She smiles, that Dana smile and says, "Malo, I am so pleased. I have prayed that you might come to Jesus and there is no better place than in quiet meditation."
"What?" I reply. "No, not like that. I mean not in quiet meditation and not "meet" like that. I really met him. I really, really met him."
Tears begin to pour down my face. I can feel the emotional strain of all that has happened catching up with me. I slump to my knees on the floor. "I really met him Dana, I really did." She is up and has her arms around me. I feel her love and comfort.
After a while I am able to compose myself and I share my story with Dana. She does not say anything until I have finished.
"Malo," Dana finally says, "I don't know what happened to you on the mountain, but whatever it was I have no doubt Jesus is working in your life. What it means and how things will work out I just don't know, but I rest in the certain knowledge that he directs all our ways."
"But Dana, do you think this really happened? That I really met Jesus in that place?" I ask.
"I don't know Malo. Human reason says, how could you have done all this and only have been gone just over three hours? Human reason says, why has no one else seen this place at the pass? But then this is all human reasoning. With God all things are possible.”
I can see that Dana desperately wants to believe me, but then my story is so unbelievable I don't blame her if she is unsure. Especially as I have been so crazy lately. I then remember the stone I was given. “Wait, look at this,” I say reaching into my pocket. It’s empty! In a panic I start searching through all my pockets.
“What’s wrong?” Dana asks, concern on her face.
“My stone, my stone. I had it. I really did.”
And then I remember I placed it in my backpack so it wouldn’t fall out of my pocket while I ran back. I hurriedly search through the backpack. There are lots of other stones in here. At first I am confused, and then I remember they were the ones Dana collected from the stream. But then I spot it. A beautiful smooth white stone with the comma shaped profile of a hand on it. Reverently I take it out. “Here it is,” I say. “This is what he gave me.” I hand it to Dana.
“It’s beautiful,” she says, “but are you sure this isn’t one of the stones I picked up at the stream?”
“No! Here are yours,” I say reaching into the bag and taking out the other stones. I look at them. A beautiful collection of smooth stones. My stone does not look much different to these, besides the mark on it which could just be anything. I need something else to convince Dana. I know what I saw, I know who I met.
"I tell you what," I reply, "tomorrow I am taking you to this place, and then you will see for yourself."
2:17 am, Sunday, 28 April
I can't sleep. My mind is still buzzing with what happened. Dana is asleep next to me. "Oh Lord," I pray, "please let her meet you too."
6:45 am, Sunday, 28 April
"Wow, this is an early wakeup for a holiday," Dana says as I wake her with a cup of coffee I've made from the beverage set in our room.
"Yeah, I know, but I thought we could get a quick breakfast and head off to the pass before it gets too hot. I've already packed the backpack with some goodies and breakfast starts serving from seven."
"Yeah, I know, but I thought we could get a quick breakfast and head off to the pass before it gets too hot. I've already packed the backpack with some goodies and breakfast starts serving from seven."
7:05 am, Sunday, 28 April
We grab a quick breakfast of croissants and preserves and pop a few extra goodies in the bag for a snack along the way. I set off at an over eager pace and soon have to slow as I see Dana is battling to keep up. "Sorry Malo," she says panting. "I am obviously not as fit as I used to be."
When I met Dana at college she was doing a dance major and she spent a lot of her time dancing. I'd been asked by the head of the dance school to design a sequence of pictures for an upcoming production. It was while I was talking to him that I first saw Dana. She was helping another student practice for an upcoming performance. The moment I saw her I knew she was the one. It sounds clichéd, this love at first sight, but for me it was true. However Dana never even noticed me. I then made every excuse I could to be at the dance school so I could see Dana.
It was Randle who actually got us to meet. One day I was there working on one of the art sequences while Dana was rehearsing nearby when Randle walked in. "Aah, there you are Malo. I can never find you nowadays," he complained. "Now I see why I can never find you," he said looking at Dana, "it's the pretty brunette isn't it?" he said loud enough so she would hear. I could not stop my face from flushing, which just confirmed everything. Without missing a beat Randle strolled over to Dana and introduced himself. "Hi, I am Randle, and my red glowing friend is Malo. And you are?"
"Dana," she replied.
"Well Dana, could you do me a favor. My friend here is never going to pass if he spends all his time here. Would you be so kind as to join us at our house party this Friday, so he can finally talk to you and life can move on?"
Dana flashed her beautiful smile at me, and after a moment said, "Sure. Why not?" And the rest, as they say is history.
"No, I'm sorry Dana,” I say, “As usual I seem to forget everyone when I want something. The good news is that the lake is just over the hill there," I say pointing at the hill just ahead of us.
We arrive at the beautiful lake with its dark inky reflections of the mountain. "It's just on the other side," I say as I lead Dana on the path around the lake. As we get closer I can't help myself as I start jogging saying, "The pass is just there Dana, just there."
When I met Dana at college she was doing a dance major and she spent a lot of her time dancing. I'd been asked by the head of the dance school to design a sequence of pictures for an upcoming production. It was while I was talking to him that I first saw Dana. She was helping another student practice for an upcoming performance. The moment I saw her I knew she was the one. It sounds clichéd, this love at first sight, but for me it was true. However Dana never even noticed me. I then made every excuse I could to be at the dance school so I could see Dana.
It was Randle who actually got us to meet. One day I was there working on one of the art sequences while Dana was rehearsing nearby when Randle walked in. "Aah, there you are Malo. I can never find you nowadays," he complained. "Now I see why I can never find you," he said looking at Dana, "it's the pretty brunette isn't it?" he said loud enough so she would hear. I could not stop my face from flushing, which just confirmed everything. Without missing a beat Randle strolled over to Dana and introduced himself. "Hi, I am Randle, and my red glowing friend is Malo. And you are?"
"Dana," she replied.
"Well Dana, could you do me a favor. My friend here is never going to pass if he spends all his time here. Would you be so kind as to join us at our house party this Friday, so he can finally talk to you and life can move on?"
Dana flashed her beautiful smile at me, and after a moment said, "Sure. Why not?" And the rest, as they say is history.
"No, I'm sorry Dana,” I say, “As usual I seem to forget everyone when I want something. The good news is that the lake is just over the hill there," I say pointing at the hill just ahead of us.
We arrive at the beautiful lake with its dark inky reflections of the mountain. "It's just on the other side," I say as I lead Dana on the path around the lake. As we get closer I can't help myself as I start jogging saying, "The pass is just there Dana, just there."
7:45 am, Sunday, 28 April
I am standing in front of the sign. I read it. I reread it. I can't understand what I am seeing.
Dana arrives.
"Is this it?" she asks slightly out of breath.
"Yeah, but...I don't understand."
The sign reads
"The Wayne Pass 6.5 hours"
"It said ‘The Way Pass’ and it was just half an hour," I say looking around to see if I'm in the wrong place. "I don't understand."
"Maybe you just misread it yesterday," Dana suggests.
"No!" I say biting back my frustration. "No! I know what I saw. But it does look like the same place. Those are the same flowers," I say pointing towards the pale yellow flowers next to the path. "But the sign is wrong!"
"Why don't we walk up this path a bit and see where it goes," Dana suggests.
As before, as soon as we round the corner the lake is lost behind us and a narrow steep path stretches before us. I know this path is really steep and I'm immediately worried about Dana. I slow my pace and we slowly make our way up the steep path. After about an hour I see that the path turns sharply right up ahead. “This is the spot,” I think excitedly. “This is where the blockage was.”
We round the corner and I see the path continuing upward before it vanishes into a copse of trees. There is no rock slide. No blockage. I slump down. Dana slumps down next to me on the narrow path. For a moment neither of us speak as we catch our breath. "It was here," I say, "the blockage was here." I can see Dana is looking at the path as it climbs higher and higher disappearing in the distance. I can't make her do this. What if I'm wrong?
"Maybe there is another pass," Dana suggests, trying to keep my hope alive.
"Never mind,” I say, “let's just go back."
Dana arrives.
"Is this it?" she asks slightly out of breath.
"Yeah, but...I don't understand."
The sign reads
"The Wayne Pass 6.5 hours"
"It said ‘The Way Pass’ and it was just half an hour," I say looking around to see if I'm in the wrong place. "I don't understand."
"Maybe you just misread it yesterday," Dana suggests.
"No!" I say biting back my frustration. "No! I know what I saw. But it does look like the same place. Those are the same flowers," I say pointing towards the pale yellow flowers next to the path. "But the sign is wrong!"
"Why don't we walk up this path a bit and see where it goes," Dana suggests.
As before, as soon as we round the corner the lake is lost behind us and a narrow steep path stretches before us. I know this path is really steep and I'm immediately worried about Dana. I slow my pace and we slowly make our way up the steep path. After about an hour I see that the path turns sharply right up ahead. “This is the spot,” I think excitedly. “This is where the blockage was.”
We round the corner and I see the path continuing upward before it vanishes into a copse of trees. There is no rock slide. No blockage. I slump down. Dana slumps down next to me on the narrow path. For a moment neither of us speak as we catch our breath. "It was here," I say, "the blockage was here." I can see Dana is looking at the path as it climbs higher and higher disappearing in the distance. I can't make her do this. What if I'm wrong?
"Maybe there is another pass," Dana suggests, trying to keep my hope alive.
"Never mind,” I say, “let's just go back."