The Chronicles of Maxwell and His Runaways by Patrick Coley

Author:Patrick Coley [Coley, Patrick]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781493166893
Publisher: Xlibris
Published: 2014-02-13T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 23

Kevin

The next morning, those at the camp were all doing their chores. Kevin, a young boy, was going around trying to find something to do. He didn’t feel that he was needed. Max noticed Kevin’s listlessness and approached him. “How’s it going? Are you all right?”

Kevin threw a pebble into the stream. “I don’t think anyone here needs me.”

Max laughed. “Everybody here needs everybody.”

“But what’s special about me? Chatter has the herbs. Sam has teaching. Cooper has hunting. Pete and Jay are the blacksmiths. And you taught them all except for the blacksmiths. What do I do? I’m not good at any of it.”

“It’s not that you’re not good at any of it. You just need practice.” Max looked into the stream and nodded his head as if he had come to a decision. “Come with me.” And he started walking along the stream up the hill into the mountains with Kevin tagging behind.

An hour went by; then another hour passed. Kevin was huffing and puffing behind him. “Is all this walking necessary?”

Max took a deep breath. “Come on. Breathe that mountain air.”

“I am, but it doesn’t stay in the lungs long enough,” Kevin puffed.

They reached a part of the stream where there was a large rock in the middle. “This is perfect.” The rock was dry on the top and damp on the sides where the water rushed by. “I want you to go over and climb onto that rock.”

Kevin looked around for a log that he could use as a bridge.

“No, use the stepping stones.”

“What stepping stones?”

“Just try it.”

Kevin started to cross to the rock. He almost slipped a couple of times but he made it there. He turned to Max and asked, “Now what do I do?”

“Stay there.” And Max started walking away.

“What do you mean?”

“Just as I said ‘Stay there.’ Until I come back.”

“You’re leaving me to die here. It’s because I am so useless. I can go into town and find another life if you want. You don’t have to do this.”

Max laughed out loud. “I’ll be back in the morning. Take your shoes and socks off so they can dry,” and Max left.

“Max,” Kevin called after him.

From afar, Kevin could hear Max say, “Just sit down and listen.”

“You were always my favorite, Max,” Kevin whined. But he did what he was told. He took off his shoes and socks and set them aside to dry. The sun was setting. Max wasn’t coming back, but Kevin continued to follow Max’s instructions. He sat and crossed his legs Indian style. His butt was freezing, but he figured that if he bunched up he would stay warm. He just breathed in and out. He could hear the sound of the river and how calming it was. As he focused on the moment, he began to hear other things… . Branches breaking in the trees; a hawk settling down for the night; a couple of deer running through the woods; and, the fish jumping as they went up the stream.

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