Anticipation of the unknown while seeking a goal,
There might not be peace with tomorrow’s sun,
But just moving in any direction is a battle won,
Sleep can be elusive while you wait,
For your thoughts continue as you ponder your fate.
There were road signs ahead warning traffic to slow and be prepared to stop. Cones in the road caught his attention as the road narrowed. He continued slowly until a construction worker holding a stop sign stood in his way. Caleb hated waiting behind other cars even though he knew they couldn’t proceed. He was close enough to the ocean that he should be able to smell the salt in the air. He had fought the impulse to see the ocean for a long time. Now he was getting anxious to be back.
A pickup came down the road escorting a dozen cars. The pickup pulled over, waited for the cars to pass and then turned around. The waiting cars fell in line behind the pickup and headed towards the ocean.
Caleb followed them two miles before they were through the construction zone and back on the two lane highway. He carefully stayed within the speed limit because police cars often were waiting to grab the impatient and speedy drivers. The road snaked over the mountain and through the woods before the land cleared along the sea coast.
Even though he was anxious to see the ocean again, Caleb was already feeling the need for companionship. Caleb wanted a woman to talk to, to listen to, and to hold close. Oh, how he missed his wife!
Everything in the flatlands reminded him of her. All the little things that at the time seemed humorous, now took on new significance. She had always seemed surprised at seeing dew on roses, the first snowflakes, summer storms as they rumbled in, and wheat fields waving. And always she stopped and admired newborn animals with their protective mothers.
Caleb knew she wanted children, lots of them, to love and to chase after. She dreamed of teaching them her love of life, her respect for the earth. There was so much she wanted to show them. Right away she had wanted children but Caleb had balked. “Not yet,” he insisted. “Not until we get this farm up and running.”
How he regretted saying that. His heart ached when he thought of her. “There is nothing left but memories. She’s gone and my life is over.”
But even as he thought of her, Caleb was ready to leave the memories behind. He wanted something to drink, something to drive her out of his mind, at least for tonight.
After a few miles the forest opened and a wide panorama of the ocean lay before him. The ocean stretched from side to side and was breathtaking. Out in the ocean several huge stone formations rose a few hundred feet into the air. The waves pounded and splashed against these rocks before the waves regrouped and rushed to shore.
“Beautiful,” Caleb said softly. “I’m like that. Life is always trying to destroy me. I must be strong and stand like these rocks against the waves. I must remember to return during a storm to see the waves crashing against these formations. It must be spectacular.”
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