by Kit DeCanti
“Oh! Excuse me- I’m so sorry I have to take this.” Kat said as she got up and exited the patio through the gate and walked quickly around to the side of the restaurant to speak privately. “Help! Ron- I’m stuck! Everything was going fine- great even- until we sat down to eat. I can’t think of a thing to say. What should I talk about? What do you talk about with Jimmy?”
“Relax Kat! Calm down… just follow Mrs. Capra’s lead. Jimmy will chime right in.”
“No! That’s just it. She isn’t talking. She’s just watching me. She’s testing me! And I’m failing miserably!” Kat was near tears.
“Kat listen to me, just calm down. You just need to relax. This isn’t the end of the world. Just be yourself. You’re smart, witty and a Lake County native. Jimmy is obsessed with the geography of the county… just take the knowledge you have and turn it into questions. Jimmy will jump at the chance to talk about what he loves. Mrs. Capra just wants to see you in action- she’s not testing you. Relax. You’ll be fine.”
Kat took a deep breath and returned to the table and smiled at Jimmy as she was sitting down, “Sorry about that. Jimmy, Ron is so excited that you two guys are going back up on the mountain next week. Do you think you’ll find the cave?” That did it. Ron was right; Jimmy took the bait and ran with it. He talked enthusiastically through dinner and the walk back to their cars. The goodbyes in the parking lot of the children’s museum were friendly. More than that- they were truly friends.
Kat was bubbling over with enthu-siasm when her husband walked in the door that evening.
“I can’t believe it! It couldn’t have gone better! Really! I’m sure Jimmy is fond of me; and I think I won Jane’s approval. I’ve been thinking about what we could do next; and I think we should all go for a family camping weekend up at Jellystone Campground on Cobb Mountain.” Seeing Ron’s surprised look, she quickly added, “I don’t think it would be rushing things at all! It would be great- they have cute little cabins. We can rent Mrs. Capra & Jimmy one next door to ours. There is so much to do with Jimmy there- hay ride, hiking, horseback riding, swimming, boating put-put golf…” Kat paused expecting Ron to say something, when he didn’t she said, “But look, if you think it’s too soon for an overnight trip, how about a guided bird tour at Clearlake Park? Jane would be able to keep up because it’s a slow walk, and I know Jimmy would love that... ” Ron burst out laughing which caused Kat to stop short.
“What? What’s so funny?”
“Nothing. Nothing at all is wrong Kat, I’m just happy to see you so motherly and excited to spend more time with Jimmy after your panic attack earlier today,” Ron said and laughed again.
The newly weds had a quiet but happy dinner together, before Ron went to his study to plan out the upcoming excursion back up on the mountain. This time he was as determined as Little Jimmy to find the caves. He poured over newly checked out library books, as well as pamphlets and books he had purchased from the Lower Lake School House Museum, which were published by the Historical Society of Lake County; then went online to see what further information he could find.
Ron felt Kat’s presence, and looked up to find her leaning on the door jam. He hadn’t heard her descend the stairs and cross the huge theater room but he did smell her perfume. The same fragrance he had smelled the first time he looked into those deep blue eyes.
Ron reached up to shut off the computer and standing up, “Lonely?” he smiled, glad she was wanting his attention.
CHAPTER THREE
Konocti Cave
Ron picked Jimmy up as planned and for the first time Jimmy wasn’t worried whether or not he would show up. He called goodbye to Mrs. Capra who didn’t even have time to get from the kitchen to the living room to say good by. Jimmy was already running out the door. “This is going to be so cool!” he said as he climbed into Ron’s SUV. “I just know we’re going to find the cave today!”
Ron took the direct route to Kelseyville and up the mountain, and was hoping the weather would hold as they climbed out of the SUV and pulled their backpacks on. He looked up at the angry clouds moving in fast. As they started their trek up the trail Ron’s boots felt heavier than the last time. His feet felt like he had lead in his boots.
It had been unusually difficult to get out of bed this morning, for Ron. If it hadn’t been for not wanting to disappoint Jimmy, he would have slept in for sure. While having his first cup of coffee Ron had checked the weather report, and considered changing their plans to something inside- and something less vigorous. But he knew Jimmy was counting on going up on the mountain; and Ron just couldn’t stand the thought of disappointing his future son. The storm wasn’t predicted to hit until the afternoon. If they hurried they could be back to the SUV before then.
Little Jimmy was no more talkative than usual; but for the first time Ron had a hard time keeping up with him- both mentally as he rattled on and on about new facts and folklore; and physically as Jimmy sprinted up the mountain trail.
The weather was moving faster than Ron too.
Long before they reached the top of the first peak, the dark clouds began gathering overhead; growing darker with each moment.
As they stopped for a short break, and a sip of hot chocolate from a thermos Kat had packed, Ron studied the sky with worry. “The storm is going to hit much sooner than I thought, Jimmy,” Ron said, but before he could suggest heading back, Jimmy interrupted.
“Well we aren’t going to let a few rain drops slow us down! We’re ‘manly men’!” Jimmy laughed imitating Kat’s sister Angel, who used that phrase when ever the conversation turned to Ron and Jimmy’s excursions and adventures.
Jimmy got to his feet, ready to proceed up the great mountain; and Ron followed reluctantly. As fatigued as he felt, he was proud of how rugged and determined Jimmy was.
“Yeah, I guess we better get up there and see what we can find- it looks like the storm is going to be worse than the weather report said. We just may need a cave to crawl into!” Ron laughed, not realizing how prophetic that joke was. Feeling dizzy as he stood to go, he didn’t notice his cell phone dropping out of his jacket pocket.
Ron tried not to let on just how tired he was when the two explorers took the last few steps to the top of the first Peak. They had no time to congratulate each other for the accomplishment before large drops of rain began falling. Ron instinctively reached out and pulled Little Jimmy close to him.
“We better find cover quick!” He looked around and pulled Little Jimmy by the hand to a nearby old walnut grove. As they reached the orchard there was a loud crack of lightning followed immediately by thunder which rolled over the mountain. Ron knew better than seeking shelter under a tree in a lightning storm. But he needed time to think; time to come up with a plan and he hoped that with so many trees they would be fortunate enough to not be under the one that got hit. Just the same he knew they couldn’t stay long. It would be foolish.
Ron was having a hard time coming up with a plan. They couldn’t head back the way they came. The path was too exposed to risk it, too open; there was virtually no shelter from the pounding rain and lightning- which was coming faster now.
Ron pulled his back pack off and pulled out the thermos of hot chocolate. “Looks like we have about a half cup each,” trying to joke.
“That’s okay- you drink that. I’ve got some too,” pulling off his backpack Jimmy rustled through it, eager to be helpful, finally pulling out a super hero school thermos.
Ron tried to think of a safer route down the mountain to the SUV, but each thought was quickly followed by a fearful scenario. With the dark clouds so low and rain so heavy, visibility was difficult and they could fall off one of the many cliffs or get lost. Since he had planned a short hike, Ron had only brought enough snacks and drinks for a half a day for the two of them. If they got lost, they might be able to find enough berries to keep them alive for awhile, but they wouldn’t be able to survive with out water. And unless they could find a way to save some of this rain water
he knew of no water source up here.
Ron wasn’t accustomed to the fear that was rising up in him. He wasn’t afraid for himself- he was afraid for Jimmy.
Ron still hadn’t thought of an escape when a bolt of lightning struck a tree about fifty yards from them shattering it!
“Jimmy, we’re going to have to find a safer place!” Ron yelled and as he looked into the scared little boy’s face the fear in himself was unbearable. “In my entire life I’ve never felt such fear!” thought Ron. But there was not time to think of much else; because he felt something else he had never felt before. The hair on, not only his head, but his entire body stood on end.
Instantly Ron knew what that meant and pulling the wide eyed Jimmy by the arm he ran as fast as he could out of the walnut grove and dove into a rain gully.
Crack! A lightning bolt struck the walnut tree they had been hovering under and as Ron and Jimmy stared in awe a ball of fire traveled through the entire grove, setting it ablaze.
“Ron! I was going to surprise you, but I think I know where the cave is,” Jimmy yelled over the storm. Come on! It’s here on the East Peak.” Ron was unsure. “Come on! I’m not kidding! I read it online from a geologist report.” As the boy led the man they were pelted by rain and hail stones the size of golf balls.
“At least this should put out the fire,” Ron hoped.
“It’s somewhere around here,” Jimmy yelled. After a few minutes of jumping into ditches to avoid lightning strikes and moving brush around, a huge gapping hole was uncovered.
“This is it!” shrieked Jimmy. “We found it!” and before Ron could stop him he ran in.
“Wait, Jimmy! Stop!” Ron yelled following Jimmy inside the cave on his hands and knees. He was much too tall to stand. “Jimmy, come back here right now!” Ron’s deep voice echoed off the cave walls, and was much louder and angry sounding than he had meant it to be. A flash of lightning allowed him to see Little Jimmy’s face. All the joy of a moment ago was gone, having been replaced by fear. Ron lowered and softened his voice and said, “Sorry for yelling, Buddy, but you gotta listen to me. We don’t know how deep this goes or if there are drop offs.”
“Oh yeah,” said Jimmy “I forgot about that.” Ron reached in his pocket and pulled out a penlight and shined it deep into the dark cave. Nothing but blackness. Both he and Jimmy were silent as he shined the light on the floor of the cave a few feet from where Jimmy stood. Blackness absorbed the light. A huge black hole. Ron reached out and pulled Jimmy back towards the cave opening. Neither spoke for awhile.
“What if he hadn’t listened to me? What if he hadn’t stopped? What could I have done?” These questions kept echoing through Ron’s head. “How can I do this? How can I be this boy’s father, and keep him safe?”
Finally Ron reached for his cell phone to call Kat and let her know that they would be on the mountain for awhile while riding out the storm. But his cell phone wasn’t in his pocket. He searched his other pockets to no avail. Not wanting to let Jimmy know just how nervous he was, he tried to keep his voice calm, “I must have dropped my cell phone when I was crawling in here. Help me take a look around.” Ron shined the light over the floor and got as close to the entrance as he dared. Lake County always had lightning storms a few times a year. Which even down in the low lands were impressive; but up here on the mountain, experiencing the lightning close and personal was another thing all together. The cracking flashes of the lighting and the loud thunder was almost simultaneous. At one point the lightning was almost non stop. Before the roar of thunder stopped another flash of lightning would strike, and then another and another, causing their ears to hurt as the thunder ricocheted and echoed through the cave.
They had given up the search for the cell phone and they settled down to wait out the storm. “Hungry?” he asked the boy.
It was then that Ron realized that they had left their back packs back in the walnut grove. He quickly looked at the boy’s face and could see that he had realized it too.
“How could I be so stupid?” Ron moaned silently. “How could I bring this child up here and put him in such jeopardy?” Ron took off his jacket and wrapped it around Jimmy and zipped it up, and brushed his wet red curls away from his face.
When the rain and lightning finally slowed down and the two hikers ventured out of the cave, they both realized that they were lost.
Finally, after finding the orchard they retrieved their backpacks; and Ron was able to get oriented again. He helped Little Jimmy strap his on, readjusting the straps to go over Ron’s large jacket.
Even with the help of his compass, which Ron retrieved from his backpack, it took hours to find the trail in the thick cloud that still hovered over the mountain.
As they made their way down the slippery red muddy trail, Ron recognized the log that they took their break on hours earlier. After a short search he found the cell phone tucked up under the curve of the log. “At least it’s dry,” said a relieved Ron, as he stuck it into his jeans pocket.
Although the rain had stopped, the air hitting their wet clothes was freezing. Ron’s fingers were numb as he fumbled with his keys to unlock the SUV. He helped Little Jimmy into the vehicle and ran around to the driver’s side and climbed in, quickly starting the engine. He fought the impulse to turn on the heater right away, knowing it would only blow cold air for a few minutes.
“Can you manage the seatbelt, Jimmy?” The boy nodded. Ron was glad the long sleeves of his jacket had covered Jimmy’s hands keeping them at least a bit warmer than they would be otherwise. But Jimmy was still shivering and struggled to get his seat belt buckled.
As Jimmy buckled up, Ron called Guido’s Pizzeria and asked McKee to have their delicious and nutritious veggie pizza ready for them in a half hour, and as an after thought he asked if they had soup. They did, which relieved Ron. Although there were snacks in the backpacks, Ron wanted to get some hot food inside Jimmy as quickly as possible. He then called Kat to tell her, with as little details as possible, that he and Jimmy were okay but were eating on the way home and asked her to let Mrs. Capra know.
Ron was definitely not looking forward to Mrs. Capra’s disapproving look when he returned Jimmy cold and dripping wet to her.
“Why did I not think for us to bring a change of cloths?” Ron scolded himself, then wondered if he should forgo the pizza and just get Jimmy home so he could get out of those wet clothes. He wasn’t sure which would be best for Jimmy. By the time they arrived at Guido’s he had made the decision to have the soup at the restaurant and let Jimmy eat the pizza on the drive home.
“I can’t believe it took me this long to figure it out!” Ron frowned. He wasn’t used to this feeling of uncertainty. He was usually a man of instant decisions and action- knowing instantly how to handle an emergency. He had rescued kids off cliffs on Walker Ridge; he had pulled a family out of a burning house by throwing wet blankets over them. He had pulled a drenched baby out of an upturned vehicle after the mother had driven into the lake in a storm. In all those circumstances he knew just what to do. But this was different. This was Little Jimmy. This was possibly going to be his son. For the first time Ron felt what it would be like to be a parent. Felt the fear of making the wrong decision where your child’s wellbeing was concerned. Felt the heavy responsibility he was taking on. He felt uneasy and uncertain about his ability to take care of and protect Jimmy.
Delivering Little Jimmy back to Mrs. Capra was even more difficult than Ron had feared. Although Jane Capra was a small woman, secretly Kat and Ron referred to her as ‘The Grizzly Bear’. And just like with a mama bear, you don’t want to come between her and her cub.
As Ron pulled up the drive way he could see Mrs. Capra’s tiny silhouette in the living room window- standing with hands on her hips.
“Oooh boy!” Ron groaned out loud. He glanced at Jimmy who was staring straight ahead with wide eyes. “It’ll be okay, Buddy. She’s mad at me not you.” Ron reassured the boy. But silently he said, “This is not g
oing to be fun.”
Ron rushed Little Jimmy into the house, and Mrs. Capra ordered the boy to the bathroom.
“I have a hot bath drawn for you. Hurry and get in it! I also have some hot chocolate on the table next to the tub.” Despite being agitated she knew how important it was to let Jimmy know she wasn’t angry at him, and was able to muster up a warm smile and hug. Then she held his face momentarily in her small hands to look him in the eyes.
“I was worried about you Jimmy. I hope we never have to go through anything like this again! But we’ll have some stories to tell won’t we!” she chuckled. “Now hurry and get out of those wet cloths! I’ve already laid out your pjs and robe in there for you.”
She stood watching as Jimmy disap-peared up the stairs and waited until she heard the bathroom door close before facing Ron squarely, and with hands on hips began scolding him.
“I never thought I had to worry about Little Jimmy going with you of all people! You should have been home hours ago! And not even calling to let me know what’s going on!” Almost standing toe to toe she shook her finger up as close as she could get to Ron’s face, “You- you sorry excuse for a sheriff deputy! Hmp! And you take him up on that mountain when the weather report was clearly calling for a storm. And then you get lost?! How could you put my Little Jimmy in such jeopardy?” Her hands were on her hips again and she somehow had made herself seem twice her size. “Well? What have you got to say for yourself?!”
Ron couldn’t find words to express his remorse. How sorry he was for everything; for the whole chain of events which stemmed from his bad decisions. Starting from going upon on the mountain despite not feeling up to it, and in spite of the bad weather report. Even though it all stemmed from his fear of disappointing Jimmy, how could he explain that? How could he explain what had caused his mind to freeze, up there on the mountain when he didn’t fully understand it himself? How despite all his training, the thought of making a wrong decision where Jimmy’s safety was concerned crippled him from being able to decide anything at all.
