The Escape

Even though I heard the question, and certainly understood it, I couldn’t remember, in my fever, what my name was.

Staring at him, my lips moving in an attempt to pull my name from the tip of my tongue, I could only gape at him and mime speech.

He gave me an odd look. “Speak if you can,” he said, still with that questioning expression. “Who are you?”

“I can’t remember,” I said.

“Well, what are you?”

“Me, I’m me,” I said, answering brightly. “I’m a human being if that’s what you’re asking.”

This did nothing to turn his gaze into anything but this speculative one.

“Are you Gabe?” he asked.

“Me?  Gabe. No, I, he – ”

“Oh no,” he said.  “I need Gabe. Gabe is supposed to come for me.”

Instead of blurting out that I’d just seen Gabe torn to pieces, I asked, “Why are you waiting for Gabe?”

“I’ve been in this cave for many years,” the frail man said. “When I was first confined in here, I was told that the only way I could get out of here would be if Gabe came and led me up the mountain.”

I immediately had many questions about what this old man had just said. I started with, “Why were you climbing the mountain?”

The old man said nothing but continued to examine me as if he thought I might be strange.

“I have a strong feeling that you, too, are trying to climb this mountain out of the valley of despair. You are, aren’t you?

“Yes.”

“Then,” he continued, “you must know why anyone tries to climb to the top. The sun is shining at the top, and good health will be found there.”

“Yes.”

“It’s the same for me.”

“I see,” I said.  “And you’ve never met Gabe?”

“No. I was told to wait until he came to take me up.”

“Who told you that?” I asked.

“The man.”

“The man? What man?”

“I don’t know exactly how to say. All I know is that he’s powerful. Very strong. If I tried to leave this cave by myself, he told me that I would die. I’d be killed by a beast that roams this mountain. Have you seen it?”

Again I pictured Gabe being shredded by the black cat. “I have. “I’ve just escaped him.”

“I see,” said the old man. “So were you told to wait in here until Gabe comes for you?”

“Ah, well, no. I . . .” I hesitated again to tell him of Gabe’s demise. If his only hope of escaping this dark and dismal place was to have Gabe take him out, he would now be waiting for an eternity.”

“Tell me about this powerful man,” I said.

“I can’t accurately describe him,” said the old-timer. “When you see him, it’s like the tale of the blind men describing an elephant. They can only talk about the part they touch. The elephant to one is a wall because of its massive side, to another a snake because of its trunk. And so on.”

“Yes,” I said, “but you don’t appear to be blind. Why can’t you describe this powerful person?”

He shook his head, his long gray hair and beard seeming to sway like time’s long pendulum with the heaviness of his despair.

“It’s impossible to say,” he said. “I can’t simply say that he’s large or muscular or knows martial arts. When I tried to look at him, all I saw was an aura, a huge yellow glow, out of which he appeared most as a voice. I did see, I think, a large eye. The one thing I know for sure is that he smokes. Cigars. And he rolls them himself.”

I didn’t ask how he knew this powerful aura rolled his own cigars, although you’d wonder, right?

“And he what?  Caught you and dragged you in here?”

“No, no. As I was trying to climb this hill he just appeared, burning like the sun I thought I was seeking. But it wasn’t. I turned toward him only to find he was a false sun.”

“And he trapped you this way?”

“Yes. With a force the like of which I’d never experienced before, he pushed my back into this cave and ordered me to wait for Gabe.”

Feeling guilty again, I couldn’t bring myself to tell him that the man who was supposed to save him was never coming.

“Look,” I said, “I’m not Gabe, but I tell you what I’m going to do. I’m going to take you out of here and together you and I are going to climb this mountain. Do you understand me?”

The man gave me a weak smile, then sighed.

“I don’t think you understand,” he said. “The man will not let me leave. I’ve been to the mouth of the cave many times, but I’ve never been able to set foot outside. It’s as if there’s some kind of invisible barrier blocking me. I’ve pushed against it, but I can’t break through.”

“Please come with me and let’s try together,” I said.

He gave a skeptical nod. “All right, my friend, I’ll go with you.”

Together we made our way back to the entrance. When we were close, I said, “Wait here for a moment. I want to look outside.”

“As you wish,” he said.

Cautiously, I went to the entrance and stuck my head out. I scanned the area very carefully, but the ferocious feline was nowhere to be seen.”

“Okay,” I said, turning back and gesturing for him to follow me.”

The old man came to my side.

“Let’s go,” I said and stepped outside.

The old man hesitated.

“Come on,” I encouraged, “it’s all right. Follow me.”

He edged his way toward me. When he was at the mouth’s edge, he tried to step forward, but he couldn’t.

“I told you,” he said. “There’s some kind of a force field. I can’t push my foot past it.”

Reaching inside, I said, “Give me your hand.”

Grasping his hand tightly, I pulled. And there truly was something we were fighting against. I thought our hands might slip apart.

“Give me your other hand,” I said.

Holding both as tightly as I could I put all my strength into the effort and, miraculously, the old man came through the mouth.

“Amazing,” he said.  “I can’t believe it. Before when I asked, you couldn’t tell me what your name was. Are you sure you’re not Gabe?”

“No, I said, now remembering my name. “I’m Lanning.”

“Say again?”

“Lanning, like planning without the P.”

“Ah, Lanning, I see.  Thank you so much for helping me escape.”

I turned and surveyed the scene again. “Don’t thank me yet,” I said. “We’re far from out of the woods. By the way, what’s your name.”

“Kimo,” he said.

“Right,” I said, smiling. “Hawaiian for James.”

In my dream state, I recalled a Kimo I know. My mood boosted again. “Let’s go, Kimo. And be careful. That is one hell of a nasty cat roaming around out here.”

“Yes,” he said. “And you can be sure it belongs to the powerful man who smokes those cigars.”