Sunday, November 20, 2011

Along The River - A Story of Encounter

Hey, look down there.  See the light?  Shinning and shimmering through the trees.  Hear the wind gently causing the leaves to sing.  Hear the roar, like a mighty river.  Can you see her?  There, look through the trees.  That little girl.  Walking. Skipping.  Running down the worn dirt track.  Running through the forest.  Yes, you see her too, don’t you?

Wait, hey look again.  Did you see that?  Something moved in the undergrowth just up ahead of her.  I think there’s something there.  Look, I think she senses it too.  Yes!  There, right there, can you see that face, peeking out behind that tree trunk?  I knew it.  I knew someone was there.

She’s moving towards the tree.  Trying to look without looking, sneaking.  She’s level with the tree trunk now, just on the other side of it.  She’s creeping around slowly to catch the stranger by surprise.  Almost there.  But, oh, he’s made a dash for it and he’s out of sight again.  Laughter is all that’s left lurking behind that tree.  She laughs too, and looks around.  She begins to whistle, and walk casually up the path as if nothing has happened, stepping over broken branches, kicking up fallen leaves.

“BOO”, he jumps out, “tag, you’re it” and he takes off.  She takes off after him in wild abandoned pursuit.  Oh I see, it’s a game.  They’re friends, these two, this unlikely pair.  Her a waif, a stray almost, him, well I just don’t know about him.  Almost like a big brother, but he’s no stray, not that one.

She’s running, bounding down the forest path, and she’s beginning to gain ground.  Hang on a minute, take a look at him.  He’s just playing with her, jogging, holding back, taking it easy and letting her catch up.

She’s reaching out and grasping his hand.  The trees part and the pair make their way into a beautiful clearing, the sky is radiant, the grass so green, they both look so alive. 

Ha ha, look, they’re spinning now.  Oh the fun.  Their hands are grasped and they’re spinning round and around and around.  Heads thrown back to drink in the light and the heat of the sun.  Wow, they’ve landed in a dizzy heap and now they’re rolling down the grassy slopes.  Oh the freedom!  The joy!  The laughter!

Bubble, bubble, trickle, drip, drip, splash.  They look around and have you ever seen anything quite like it?  It’s a river, but look at it.  Have you ever seen such clear water?  It’s like crystal, so clear, so perfect.

On the river bank the unlikely pair are dangling their feet in the water.  It seems wrong to put feet in such a perfect river, but then, it also seems so right.

Ha ha, she’s just kicked water at him, and now he’s splashing her back.  The sun catches the spray, and it’s like a spray of diamonds arching through the air.  Oh the joy, the refreshing.  She gives him a look and he smiles, nods.  They stand, hold hands and jump.

Jump in the river.  Splash.  Splash.  They’re in.  Completely immersed.  Floating.  Splashing.  Playing.  The perfect crystal water flowing over them, and around them.

You know, maybe it sounds strange to you, but I feel like I know these two, do you know who they are?  Really, you think so?  Yes, I do see it, she does look like me.  But what about him?

Oh wow, hey look closer, what’s that?  There, right there, is that just a trick of this fascinating light reflecting on that brilliant water?  No, it’s not.  It’s real.  He’s wearing a crown.  So, well, what does it…, could he really be?  All this time… I’ve been touching the king.

No comments:

Post a Comment