Chapter 14: Last Farewell

June 20, 2029

“Hello ... hello Brother Matthew. It’s me, Clark.”

It was almost seven in the evening when Clark arrived at the monastery. He had come down the mountain the previous morning to spend two days working in the garden and the field. The work wasn’t as difficult as in previous years, but it still took a lot of time and effort.

It had rained the day before he left the cabin for the farm. The vegetables were growing nicely, but the weeds were thriving too. The corn was nearly five feet tall and shaded out most of the weeds from taking over. Still, if they wanted to keep the field clean for the harvest and following spring planting, he and Sally had to come down from the cabin after their third anniversary celebration and spend several days mounting an all-out assault against the obnoxious alien invaders.

Clark rang the bell to announce his arrival before he opened the door to the monastery to call out to Brother Matthew. He didn’t want to startle his old friend being alone in the silence and solitude of the place.

“Hello, Brother Matthew, HELLO?” he shouted this time.

The door of the chapel slowly opened and Brother Matthew emerged. “Oh, Clark, sorry I didn’t answer right away. I was finishing my evening prayers. If I had known you would be coming, I would have waited for you to join me.”

“I hope you don’t mind me coming this hour. I was thinking of staying the night so that we can get a head start tomorrow morning to go up to the cabin.”

“You are always welcome here any time of the day,” Brother Matthew responded. “And, please make yourself at home.”

“Before I came, I caught this beauty that I was hoping we could still prepare for dinner,” Clark said holding up a twelve-inch trout.

“I’ve already eaten and said my evening prayers, but I’m sure the Lord will forgive me for breaking my routine. I haven’t eaten trout since Brother Anton stopped fishing.” Tears welled up in Brother Matthew’s eyes, and for the first time Clark noticed how the monk had aged. He appeared to be a shadow of his former self and was having difficulty walking and moving his fingers, plus his breathing was heavy at times.

Clark brought a comfortable cushioned chair to the kitchen for Brother Matthew and, as he was starting up a fire in the stove to fry the fish, asked if there was any news from the other monasteries.

“Let me see. Ah, yes, I tried several times since you were here the last time, but I’m not getting any responses. It’s very unusual. It’s as if they have all ... departed ... or...” Brother Matthew hesitated to complete the sentence as his thoughts drifted elsewhere.

June 21

Clark was awakened by the clang of the monastery bell. It was 5 A.M., and he quickly went downstairs where he saw Brother Matthew return from the front porch.

“Good morning, Brother Matthew. You’re an early riser.”

“I’m always up before the sunrise to say my morning prayers and plan the day, although there is not much to plan for anymore.”

“Well, shall we have some oatmeal for breakfast before we take a ride?” Clark suggested. “I brought some blueberries I picked yesterday growing at the edge of the apple orchard. I never noticed them before. They’re very delicious and should go well with oatmeal.”

“Clark, you amaze me. In the big city, you were an architect in a fancy office. Did you ever think you would one day have to be a farmer?” Brother Matthew asked.

“When I was a boy, my grandparents had a small farm,” Clark responded. “I loved spending my summers with them, helping my grandmother with her chickens and garden and my grandfather, helping him look after the livestock, the orchard, and fix things.”

He looked at his hands and for the first time noted ironically the dirty fingernails and the calluses, hands that looked like his grandfather’s after a long day of working in the fields. Only now did he realize how much he had absorbed from their time together when he was a kid.

“They preferred to use a wood burning stove even in the summer to cook their meals. It seemed Grandma’s food tasted better that way, and Grandpa taught me how to chop wood to keep Grandma happy. He also taught me how to handle a rifle. Although it was all fun and play then, it has helped me to understand and appreciate the hard work and dedication required to work the earth, respect the seasons, and reap what nature has to offer.

“When my grandparents gave up the farm, my mother started a vegetable garden in the backyard of our suburban home and she taught me many new things. My father was an architect, and like him I had a knack for planning, designing and constructing forms in a pragmatic and aesthetic way. But, my love for the outdoors and nature never waned.

“Dad didn’t like firearms, but had a passion for archery, and during my college days, I joined the archery team perfecting the skills he taught me over the years. Many of the things I learned from my grandparents and my parents resurfaced naturally at the beginning when we got here. The instructions in the seed canisters, as well as old copies of Farmers’ Almanac and other books I’ve found at the farmhouse have been very helpful to fill in the rest.”

“Did you ever feel like you had been dealt a harsh hand?” Brother Matthew wanted to know.

“Every day is a new reality; sometimes good; sometimes bad. Suffering is a part of that reality and it depends on you, how you learn to deal with it. Yes, there were moments during these past three years when I felt like throwing down the hoe and walking off the field, not because I believed my misfortunes were greater than someone else’s. I knew that self-pity wasn’t going to get me through the bad moments, to help us survive. But, for Sally’s and Katie’s sake, I had to be patient and strong.”

“Like Job in the Bible,” Brother Matthew mumbled to himself. “Is there anything that you feel is missing or would improve your ability to provide for your family?”

“Goats,” Clark was quick to respond. “My grandfather kept two. They were easy to handle, gave a lot of milk from which my grandmother made butter, yogurt and cheese. They always said that goat’s milk is less allergenic, easier to digest and biochemically matches up to the human body better than cow’s milk. Fifi and Trish need real milk to grow strong, healthy bodies, and eventually Katie’s baby will too. Moreover, the powdered milk from the survivalist buckets will not last forever.”

“Hmmm, did your ranger friend ever mention feral goats in these mountains?” Brother Matthew asked. Clark wasn’t sure and shook his head.

“Many years ago, it was reported that on the western side of the mountain an elderly lady – a hippie type from the 1970’s – lived in a secluded valley where she kept several goats like some people keep a house filled with cats. She passed away and her goats disappeared into the wild. Years later, feral goats began to appear south of here and were readily domesticated. Feral goats were also sighted farther to the north, but none elsewhere.”

“I’ll have to keep an eye out for them,” Clark responded. “What do you say we get ready for a ride? Should I bring the car around to the front?”

“Yes, I’ll wait for you there.”

Clark made sure the tires were still well inflated before backing the car out of the carriage house. Brother Matthew was still struggling painfully to come down the front steps, supporting himself on a wooden staff. At the tip was a shiny cross that glistened in the early morning sunlight. Clark helped Brother Matthew into the front seat and buckled his seat belt. “Did you forget your bag?” he asked.

“No, everything I need is in the large pockets of my robe,” Brother Matthew responded.

As they were about to turn onto the county road, Brother Matthew asked Clark to stop.

“Did you forget something?” Clark asked.

“I didn’t say goodbye to my brothers and the children resting in the garden,” Brother Matthew said as he looked back and raised his gnarled hand in a gesture of farewell.

Clark drove slowly to get used to the car, as well as feel the revived sensation of driving. Also, it was Brother Matthew’s first time after eight years or more being in a car and Clark wanted him to enjoy the ride. Nevertheless, Brother Matthew sat quietly, staring forward into a void. A tear ran down his face.

They arrived at the farmhouse within minutes where they stopped for Clark to get from the front porch the chair he put together to carry Brother Matthew up the mountain. At the start of the trail, Brother Matthew tried to walk a little to smell the freshness, see the green canopy of the forest, and listen to the birds and the rustle of the leaves in the breeze. He didn’t get far and Clark had to strap him to the chair and hoist him on his back for the remainder of the journey up to the cabin.

Clark was gasping for air when they finally arrived at the clearing of the cabin. “Hey everyone ... we’re here,” he could barely shout.

“Mama, mama, look, Dadda,” Fifi and Trish greeted them with excitement from the top of the porch. They were wearing their little T-shirts a size or two larger. Katie had sewn a button at the crotch to keep the bottom hem together so that the girls wouldn’t be running around half naked.

Sally and Katie had spruced up the cabin with pine boughs and wild flowers. They also rearranged some of the furniture, placing the table and stools on the porch under the kitchen window and moving the couch over to where the table stood. They helped Brother Matthew up the steps of the porch, while Clark continued being showered with hugs and kisses from Fifi and Trish.

“Welcome to our humble home,” Sally beckoned Brother Matthew in.

Brother Matthew stood for a while at the door surveying the inside of the cabin.

“As a schoolboy, I remember reading stories about Abraham Lincoln and seeing pictures of cabins and always wondered what it felt like to live in one,” he said. “But, I never imagined it could be so comfortable, cozy and inviting like this one.”

“Come and sit over here on the couch,” Katie gestured. “Can we offer you a glass of water?”

Through the open back door, Katie pointed to the outhouse, telling Brother Matthew that Clark’s ranger friend had installed the toilet seat and the plumbing to flush it, but that they completed the house and put in the wash basin. There was running water for both the toilet and the wash basin similar to the setup for the kitchen sink. If he wanted to take a full bath, Clark could take him down to the pool.

Later that evening, Clark built a campfire to light up the ground in front of the cabin and have a cookout. He brought two camper chairs out onto the porch for Brother Matthew and him to take in the aromatic mountain air and talk about the next day while Sally and Katie prepared a light supper.

Clark explained that the peak of the mountain was not far, but steep in several places and that he would have to carry him again. “You’ve come this far. A few steps more won’t break my back.”

As the twilight came to let the night sky rise and end the day, Fifi and Trish crawled onto daddy’s lap and soon fell asleep in his arms.

Moments later Brother Matthew slowly rose from his chair. “If you will excuse me, I too need to be in the arms of Morpheus,” he said catching a quizzical look on Clark’s face. “Oh, it’s just an expression. He’s the Greek god of dreams, an ancient version of the sandman.”

Clark smiled. He much rather preferred to be in the arms of Sally and Katie.

June 22

The next morning, Clark woke up early to rekindle the fire in the stove to warm up water and later make breakfast. The sun had yet to rise above the horizon, but the sky was clear and the air crisp. Everyone was still asleep, even Brother Matthew who looked comfortable on the couch. Maybe the mountain air was doing him some good, or he didn’t have to worry anymore about his duties as abbot.

Just as he was about to sit down at the end of the bed, Trish looked up and gave Clark a big smile. “Peepee, Daddy, peepee,” she insisted with her tiny voice.

He picked her up, covered her with her little blanket and took her outside. Using the potty might make too much noise he thought. He propped her against his chest with his hands under her bent knees so she wouldn’t have to squat over the dew covered grass. “Peepee,” she said with delight as he swiveled her from side to side, spraying the ground like her big Daddy.

When he returned inside, Brother Matthew wasn’t there, but Fifi was awake and also needed to go “peepee, peepee, peepee.” It sounded urgent, the way Nature calls from time to time, and he also took her outside.

As Clark was turning to go back inside, Brother Matthew appeared from the outhouse. “Good morning, Clark. What a beautiful morning. By the way, I’m impressed with the privy and the running water.”

Clark smiled. “It’s not exactly my best architectural achievement, but I’ll take the compliment.”

After a hearty breakfast of fresh eggs, Sally and Katie began preparing a picnic basket and other things to take up to the mountain peak, while Clark took Brother Matthew on a tour outside the cabin with Fifi and Trish in tow. They went over to the root cellar which was nearly empty waiting for the abundant harvest to begin in a few weeks. Clark showed him stacks of dried logs from the previous year waiting to be chopped for the winter. At the chicken coop, Clark stopped to gather a few eggs and handed them to Sally through the side window. They descended to the bathing pool. Fifi and Trish ran ahead of them, removed their clothes and jumped naked into the water.

“Ah, to be young again,” Brother Matthew chuckled at the sight of Fifi and Trish frolicking about in the water.

“Sorry if this offends you,” Clark apologized.

“Never,” Brother Matthew replied. “Despite what you may have heard, the Bible does not consider nakedness a sin, nor shameful. Humans were made to resemble God in spirit and in health, and He is very pleased seeing this.”

Standing at the edge of the pool, Brother Matthew was in awe of the beautiful green valley that lay below. A sudden surge of energy exhilarated his mind and body. He removed his sandals and pulled up his habit to wade into the water nearly up to his knees.

“Clark, I am utterly amazed with what you have accomplished here and how you have made it so hospitable and welcoming.”

“I couldn’t have done it without Sally and Katie. They, these little munchkins, and now the baby are the reason for all this. If I had come here alone, I don’t think I would have made it. I often wonder how you are able to live in solitude down at the monastery.”