THE CHOCOLATE KISS

Wallis had an appointment in Cass Lake. Then we visited the USFS and asked Ronnie H if she had anything for free. She graciously rolled out the treasures and we got a wonderful selection of fun stuff for Cedar, Lamaya and Marcellus. We got posters, too. I put mine out in the hall for all us 2nd floor residents of Deer Crest Manor to enjoy.

Pablo Neruda wants to know, "Is it true that swallows are going to settle on the moon?" Then he wonders if the moon swallows will migrate in autumn. Where would such fantastic birds spend the winter? I ask myself.

Mary O also has questions. "Now that I am free to be myself, who am I?"

Last night as Mel and I returned to Deer River in the dark I confessed my addiction to cranberry sauce. She offered me her opinion. "This is not an addiction. It just happens that you are very fond of cranberries." "But wait!" I cried. "There's more. Every night at 8PM I crave chocolate. I pace the flat like a starving beast. I don't dare keep a bag of in my flat. I will devour it with ugly greed." She replied, "A bit of chocolate does no harm." "I cannot be satisfied with just a bit. Furthermore, the craving never arrives in the morning or at noon. But only at night." "You should not deprive yourself of such a small pleasure. You must purchase a generous bag and give it to someone in the building to keep. At 8PM you will go to them and request a single piece of chocolate... no more." "Yes, yes," I agreed. "I shall designate someone to be the keeper of the chocolate. Each night I shall request and receive one kiss of chocolate and I shall be satisfied!" Then she turned to me, her pale face shining in the darkness and said, "In my closet I keep a bag of chocolate chips. Three will make one chocolate kiss." Oh, we laughed the miles away.

But at 4:30 today as I waited alone in my car a terrible sorrow came upon me. The fierce wind rocked the car, the rain slapped hard against the glass and the foggy windows seemed to isolate me from the world of joy. There was something ominous in the heavy clouds pressing over me. It was as though a lifetime of grief had been rolled up in a cloth and an unseen hand was pressing it into my throat. For just one horrible moment I was choking on all my old forgotten heartache. Then it was gone... as suddenly as it had come. I was left to wonder.... and at 7:30PM I am wondering still.