Page 42 - NyghtVision Magazine Volume 2 #2
P. 42
37 LET ME TELL YOU A STORY
et me tell you a story…… It is a story about Falcon smiled. “Jack,” said Falcon, “my lawn
Lcompassion and tenderness, friendship mower is broken and if you let me borrow
and warmth, patience and kindness, trust and yours, I can cut my lawn. The neighbors will
most of all, a story of love. A story about how thank you because property values will go up.”
one man who had never known what it was Jack smiled, took Falcon around the back and
like to have a father, found one, and in so find- handed him the lawn mower. Falcon not only
ing his father learned more about love and pa- bought Jack a cup of coffee and a bagel as pay-
tience and kindness, compassion, tenderness ment for use of the lawn mower, he also cut
and trust than he had ever known in all the Jack’s lawn. “Hey Jack,” Falcon would say,
years of his life. It is a story about how one “looks like our lawn is getting long – do we
man who had stepped away from the world need to cut it?” Jack would smile and Falcon
embittered by events that continued to haunt would cut the lawn. When the lawn had been
him opened himself and learned to trust again. cut, the two would sit side by side, in silence,
ur story begins not many years ago when on the front steps as they had done so many
Olate one afternoon the younger of the two times.
walked across the boundary between their two hat fall, as Falcon returned home one af-
homes, extended his hand and said, “I’m Fal- Tternoon, he saw Jack sitting on the front
con” and the other, hesitantly at first, extend- porch. He looked winded. “What’s up, Jack?”
ed his and said “I am Jack.” Ours is a story Falcon said. “Hey Fal-con,” Jack said. “Are
draped in irony for these two men had lived you OK, Jack?” Jack smiled, “I’m just tired.
side by side for almost a decade and a word Too many leaves. Do you make them all fall
had never passed between them. Not long af- down?” Jack had a wry sense of humour and
ter that, the two sat on Jack’s front porch, in Falcon returned the smile. A few days later,
silence, letting the summer sun settle quietly Falcon cleared Jack’s lawn of leaves. When it
into the distant horizon. snowed, Falcon often cleared Jack’s walk and
hat’s how it was in the early chapters of driveway. Slowly, as the two grew to trust each
Ttheir friendship. Neither Jack nor Falcon other, and as the trust deepened, Jack allowed
said much. Perhaps they didn’t need to – it Falcon to hold a greater place in his life. And
was enough to be together. To share the mo- Falcon, well, he grew to love and protect Jack.
ment. In that silence they learned to trust one et me tell you a story……… It had been a
another. On occasion Falcon and Jack would Lparticularly frustrating day for Falcon, and
go out for coffee and a bagel. Just to be to- as he and Jack walked towards the car, Falcon
gether. Sometimes they talked, but mostly, it said aloud, “I don’t know, Jack, I just don’t
wasn’t about talking. It was about being to- know.” Jack smiled that smile that told Falcon
gether. There was just something about being more was to come. “Oh?” said Jack, that “oh”
together I guess, something that reassured that Jack often used when he wanted to bait
both of them that “it”, whatever it was, would the hook of a conversation.
be OK. They had each other. Ya know, Jack, for all that he did to me, the
ne afternoon, Falcon knocked on Jack’s “older I get the more convinced I am that my
Odoor. Jack seemed surprised then when father was incredibly wise.” As though already
he recovered he said, “Come in young man.” knowing where the conversation was going,
nyghtvision magazine volume 2, number 2, summer 2012
