Chapter 13 - Neighbors

“I get by with a little help from my friends.”

John Lennon and Paul McCartney

It was April when the Cranstens moved in next door to the Mahoneys. The big Allied moving van drove up early in the morning. Two big fellows got out of the truck and started to unload. Len was really excited. He sat out front watching the moving guys carry box after box into the house. Around 10:00 a wood paneled station wagon pulled up and a family of four got out. This was the moment Len had been waiting for. The little boy looked about the same size as Len. Len waved and the little boy waved back.

After lunch Len asked his mom if he could play with the new boy instead of working with Mr. Curuthers. Margaret said it was OK and Len was out the door like a shot.

He ran next door to where the little boy was playing outside in the front yard.

The little boy looked up as Len ran up. A huge smile lit up his face and he said,”Hi.” A woman wearing saddle shoes, a plaid skirt, and a white button shirt came outside. She said,”Hi, my name is Ruth. This is Jack.  We’re your new next door neighbors. What’s your name?”

Len said, “My name is Leanord Mahoney. Can Jack come and play?”

Ruth looked at Len for a long time. She had never heard a three year old speak so well. She thought that perhaps he was really small for his age.

“Where will you be playing?

“I’ve made a small pond for a family of squirrels behind our house. I thought we could go there and play.”

“Why don’t I walk over there with you and meet your mom.”

Ruth knocked on the Mahoney’s door with one child holding each hand.  Margaret got up from reading and waddled over to the door wondering if the new neighbors were having some problem with the Denver Steel apartment already.  She opened the door holding her pregnant belly with her left hand and pulling the door open with her right.  She immediately pushed open the screen door to see a woman staring at her belly holding the had of what must be her son who was holding Len's hand.

“Hi, I’m your new neighbor, Ruth. Ruth Cransten. Len was pretty anxious to play with Jack. If you don’t mind me asking, how old is Len?”

“I get that question all the time. He’s three and a half going on nineteen. He’s an exceptionally gifted child. I can’t tell you how happy I am that we finally have some neighbors with a boy about the same age as Len. I’m sorry, I’ve been standing here in the doorway without inviting you in. Come in. We can have some coffee and we can get acquainted. Oh yeah, I’m Margaret Mahoney.”

Margaret walked Ruth back to the back door and showed her where the kids would be playing.

“What a beautiful back yard. I really like gardens.”

Ruth got a little nervous and said, “They won’t go outside the chain link fence will they?”

“Yes they will, but only down to that large rock you see. Don’t worry about a thing, Len is really good that way. He won’t do anything that might get them hurt and he won’t let Jack do anything either.”

Len opened the door and said, “Nice meeting you Mrs. Cransten. Come on Jack, wait till you see this.”

Jack smiled at his mom and followed Len out the door.

Chapter 18 - Sisters

“For there is no friend like a sister

In calm or stormy weather;

To cheer one on the tedious way,

To fetch one if one goes astray,

To lift one if one totters down,

To strengthen whilst one stands.”

Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)

The smell of grass swept by Maria when Juanita pounced from behind her onto an unsuspecting grasshopper. Dirt flew from the ground where Barbara landed in a “humph”.

“Ouchie, that hurt me.” Juanita said in a crushed voice.

“Race you to the ditch, Maria?” Juanita sprung from the ground like a jack rabbit and started pumping her seven year old arms as hard as she could.

Maria tore herself from the summer smells of the ranch and sprinted after her. Maria was confident she would overtake Juanita, Even with such a large head start. She was three years her senior and the oldest of the Chavez girls. Juanita slapped the butt of a grazing cow as she sprinted past towards the irrigation ditch. Maria stepped in some droppings and went flailing to the ground. She got up and continued towards the ditch hopelessly outdistanced.

When Maria got to the ditch, Juanita had already jumped in and was floating lazily down the ditch on her back.

Juanita waved saying, “Slow poke, get in. The water’s great.”

Maria leaped into the cool summer water washing the sting of grass burns from her arms and legs. She closed her eyes, put her head in the water and stroked hard for a half a minute.

When she looked up, Juanita was slipping around behind a tree root to hide.

“I’m going get you Juanita.”

From behind them on the trail that ran along the arojo, their mothers voice said sternly, “Que Muchachas! What did I tell you two about swimming in the ditch without asking me first? Que lastima. Now you will not get the suprise I was going to buy you today.”

They both knew they were in trouble for the afternoon. Maria, being the oldest, said, “We’re sorry, Momma. It was my idea. Juanita was just following along.”

“No, Mi Hita. It is not that easy. Juanita must take some of the blame. She too, knows not to swim in the ditch without asking me first.”

Momma wore a yellow dress that blew gently in the afternoon breeze. She cradled Barbara in her arms in a baby blue blanket. Barbara wore a yellow bonnet that matched Momma’s dress.

Momma was wearing a white shawl tied around her jet black hair that fell loosely on her shoulders. Her saddle shoes were dirty from her walk across the field.

“Come on, Mi Hitas. We are going into town to get food and supplies. Perhaps I will still find room in my heart to get you something as well.”

Maria and Juanita swam to the side of the ditch and scrambled out. It was always an exciting time to go into town and go shopping. They trudged back to their double walled adobe house through the cow pasture in their wet shoes. The smell of summer grass and cottonwoods assailed Maria just before entering the house.

“You two get dried off and change the baby. I’m going to tell your father we’re going into town.”

Maria dried off and pattered into the baby’s room on the cool satillo tile. The cool tile felt good on her bare feet. Barbara was in the crib playing with a rattle her mom had left her.

“Hi Barbara. Can you make it rattle?"

That was the summer before she met Len.

Chapter 20.4 - Greatest Need

“I have never met a person whose greatest need was anything other than real, unconditional love. You can find it in a simple act of kindness toward someone who needs help. There is no mistaking love. You feel it in your heart. It is the common fiber of life, the flame of that heats our soul, energizes our spirit and supplies passion to our lives. It is our connection to God and to each other.”

Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

“What do you think of this spot?” Len asked Maria as he backed the motorhome into the Natural Bridges National Monument camping spot facing northwest off highway 275.  They were on an arid plateau peppered with high desert juniper surrounded in the distance by rising red bluffs .  The windows in the back of the motorhome faced southwest so that the morning sun would give them a splendid breakfast with plenty of heat.  The setting sun danced off the distant cliffs floating above the landscape like passing ships in the night.

“I’ll get out and start the fire so we can roast some marshmallows.”  Len said.

“I think we should have spaghetti and toast tonight.  What do you think?” Maria asked the family.

“I want macaroni and cheese.”  Peter said not looking up from sitting in the swiveling chair across from the microwave reading Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut.

“Quit tickling me!”  Jenna screamed in joy.

“Jonathan, quit teasing your sister.  How does spaghetti sound?” Maria said lovingly.

“Great Mom.”  Jonathan replied scooping a giggling Jenna up by her feet and dangling her upside down on their way to the front of the motorhome.

“Hey, Mom, do you think Jenna and I could walk around a little bit before dinner?”  Jonathan asked.

“Oh honey, I don’t know.”

“It’ll be OK, Jonathan is way to thin to be much of a meal for the mountain lions around here.”  Len said.

“Make sure you dress your sister warmly and hold her hand the whole time then.”  Maria told Jonathan.

Jonathan put Jenna down head first and reached over to tickle her.  Jenna sprang up and put her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek returning to ground on her tip toes.  She spent a great deal of her standing life pushed up on her tip toes in her pink tennis shoes.  Apparently the kiss on the cheek was not enough to satisfy her need of love from her brother.  She stood on her tip toes with her arms stretched up and her lips puckered.  Jonathan leaned over and kissed her gently.  Jenna touched her upper lip with her index finger, touching the spot that had become special.  Jonathan helped Jenna put on her pink jacket and hat with the white fluffy edge.

“Peter, get up and help me with the fire will you.  I’ll let you light it.”  Len told Peter.

“Just one more paragraph till the end of the chapter.  Is that OK?” Peter asked.

“Sure, I’ll get the chairs out from under the motorhome and get the canopy down.” Len said.

“Hey Peter, see if you can start the fire with just one match.  I packed some small branches in with the wood in the left compartment of the motorhome.  Remember to start small and make sure there is a lot of air.”  Len told him.

Jonathan and Jenna took a short walk from the motorhome.  They had only walked a little ways when they turned and saw their dad patting Peter on the back next to the fire.  When Jenna saw the fire she started pulling Jonathan back towards the motorhome.  Their walk was over.

The whole family sat at a small folding red table set up next to the file with spaghetti, bread, and milk.  For dessert they all roasted marshmallows.  Len held the coat hanger with a flaming marshmallows for Jenna to blow out.

In the early morning they all decided to take a walk to the nearest arch 1 mile from the camp.  Len carried Jenna on his back and the boys and Maria carried backpacks with water and snacks.  The sun had been up for two hours when they started their hike and felt warm and welcoming on right cheeks.  The wind was blew lightly and the cold settled into our bones.  Jenna constantly leaned forward in the pack and kissed Len on his ear playing with the back of his hair.

She chortled in happiness pointing out a coyote in the distance, “Look, doggie.”  When they got to Sipapu Bridge Len let Jenna down.

“Hey you guys, look at these.  They’re mountain lion tracks.”  Len said.

“What are these tracks?”  Peter said.

“Those are dear tracks.”  Jonathan said.

Len noticed that the tracks of the dear were spaced far apart and that it was running.  “The deer was being stalked and hunted.  Do you guys see how the tracks are so far apart?”

Jenna kept saying,"Tracks, Tracks."

They rounded the next bend and the terrain became rougher and more rocky.

“Can I take Jenna and go sit on that rock up there? Jonathan asked.

“Of course.  Just be careful with her.”  Maria said.

Johnathan took Jenna and walked up the ridge to the south on a sold sheet of red rock. Len took the opportunity to pull his pants up and rewrap his knee.  The orthroscopic surgery on his knee the week before was bothering him.  When he looked up from wrapping his knee, Johnathan was walking back towards him holding Jenna’s hand.  When Jenna saw Len stand up from fixing his wrap she pulled her hand from Jonathans and started running towards Len.  Jenna was on top of a sloping rock knoll.  Len and Maria watched in horror as Jenna build up speed.  Jonathan was bolting to catch her.  Maria screamed.  Within 10 seconds Jenna had gone out of control and plunged head first onto the rock embankment with an audible thud.  Len and Johnathan and reached her at the same time.  She lay crumpled and mewling on the ground.  When Len picked her up her head was bruised badly.  Len scooped her into his arms noticing that her head was bruised badly and already beginning to swell.  He ran back to the motorhome as fast as his injured leg would allow. Jonathan, Maria, and Peter were close behind.

“Oh my God, Len, is she alright!”  Maria said frantically as Len checked Jenna's pulse, breathing and eyes.

“I don’t know.  She hit so hard.  Thank God, Jonathan put her hat on.  Come here son, help me make her comfortable.”  Len understood the pain his son must be feeling and knew he had to help him own her recovery.  “Get me some crushed ice out of the freezer and wrap it in a towel for me.”  Jonathan wiped the tears streaming from his eyes and got Len the ice and towel.  Peter sat in his chair staring.

Maria said, “She’ll be OK, Len.  It wasn’t that bad a fall.”

Jenna’s eyes weren't responding to light properly.  Each pupil dilated differently.

“I need you all to stay calm.  Jonathan, please hold this ice on her forehead like I am.  It is not your fault in any way.  The rest of us are going to pack up the motorhome and get her to a hospital.” Len said.

“No, Len.  It can’t be that serious.”  Maria said.

Len was out the door packing up the chairs and table.  Peter put out the fire.  Maria packed up the inside of the motorhome.  They arrived in Blanding, 30 miles from camp, in the motorhome within 40 minutes.  Blanding was 30 miles distant.  Blanding did not have an emergency room, just a small hospital with a number to call for 24 hour emergency servide.  Len called the number posted on the door and a doctor arrived within ten minutes.  The doctor looked at Jenna and wanted to make sure there was no pressure on her brain.  He asked them to watch her closely for 24 hours and that she should be within close medical help.  They checked into a hotel and waited out the night.

The whole family waited through the day watching her anxiously, not letting Jenna fall asleep.  She was not herself for the first six hours but then started to be like her normal self around 6 that evening.  Jonathan insisted on staying up all night with her and Len.  They played blocks and read books to Jenna.  In the morning everything seemed to be all right.