Mountain Dweller

Note: An odd man by the name of Mountain Dan (his real name is actually Peter Cook, appropriately enough) finds the courage to come down from the mountains to overcome his trivial agoraphobia. Past fears of why this exists are revealed. Even despite his scruffy appearance, a sweet lady, Jasmine Greer, falls for him and brings him even more out of his protective shell.

“We live, we die, and the wheels on the bus go round and round.”—Edward, The Bucket List

Chapter 1—A Hint of Jasmine

“Mountain Dan” was a man who enjoyed tradition, and preferred things to stay as they were. He was happy to be at one with nature and lived from the land. He had learned all he could to survive and in his spare time carve pieces of art that many people came to buy. Others simply came to observe him work, or admire the craftsmanship from afar. Whatever these customers did, “Dan”, or Peter as he was known only by a select few (which was his real name), liked having them around to share his stories with as well as his experiences. He never thought he would be meeting the woman who would soon change his life in ways he never thought possible. At the time, his work kept him busy and delivered him into a state of nirvana only reachable through communing with the forest at the evening before the night stars speckled the sky.

It was a magnificent early spring day, where one’s breath lingers in the air but the smell of spring flowers is not behind it. Typically at this time, “Dan” had more customers buying his work and hearing his colorful stories. Dan didn’t make many trips down from the mountain, unless it was absolutely necessary. All he needed was provided for him through the flora and the fauna. He did have some modern conveniences, and he knew about the latest fads and technology. He even had a computer and cable modem, which he paid for through his art.

Peter Cook had never seen young women in his marketplace before, but thanks to the warmer-than-usual near summer temperatures, more potential customers had come to look at his carvings and more recently, his gorgeous landscape oil paintings.

“I know you ! You’ve been on television. You know, you’re awfully famous in these parts.”, the young woman said. Her name was Jasmine Greer. She had almond skin, hair that flowed like a waterfall in raven curls and looked like a living flower. But her looks suggested she wasn’t frail, but strong and resolute woman who had smarts, savvy, and the ability to do anything she put her mind to.

“It’s good I’m only known in those parts. I wouldn’t want to become famous. Famous people these days, they have so many issues. Wouldn’t want to be like that.”, Dan said, scratching momentarily at his grizzly gray mangled beard. “Dan” might’ve been unkempt, but his entire body was kosher. He always bathed, always communed with nature, who he simply called “Mother”.

“If it isn’t any trouble, I’d like to learn more about you, Dan.”, Jasmine said, hoping she didn’t seem too straight forward. The man, who felt self-conscious about his appearance, wondered why such a stunning woman wanted anything to do with him. As long as he had been alive, he had many friends but never any women who wanted to be with him. He felt a longing, a desire, perhaps even love for her, but was reluctant to act upon it. He remembered his mother’s wise words,

“Son, you must take your time with women. Don’t rush them. Let them come to you, and time shall sort everything out in the end.”

Chapter 2—Out Into Civilization

Jasmine introduced herself after the guests had left when Peter allowed her into his humble home. It was a quaint shack with all the comforts of home. He had already shown her his working area, which was a shed not too far away from the house. He had all the inspiration he needed here in the mountains. With the majestic view, God spoke to him daily, as did his “Mother” earth. His relationship with the two of them was nothing, if sacred and enlightening to everyone he met. He even dabbled a bit in herbal healing when his customers were ill. This ancient native wisdom helped many, even though some weren’t courteous or conscientious enough to thank him. He never let that bother him, though.

The brown haired man with the gray eyes eyed a cup of homemade coffee, not able to look the chocolate eyed woman in the eyes directly. He felt hotness to his face he hadn’t felt since he was a teenager when he was in love for the first time. The rejection had been too much for him and remembering it now was painful. But, Jasmine Greer still wished to show him what the outside world was like. Skeptical, Mr. Cook thought the outside world was far too overrated.

“How do you know if you never give it a chance, Peter ? Wouldn’t it be fun to see what lies outside of the city for once ?”, she said, egging him on a bit. Peter thought about her question, and the more he thought, the more enticing the offer was. Without much deliberation, he tidied up and for the first time, shaved his beard and cut his ponytail to enter polite society.

Many people gawked at Mr. Cook, not knowing who he was at a distance, but they thought he looked familiar with his reading glasses on. Many people he was familiar with from the surrounding villages had asked him who he was, and he kindly supplied his story. Some people let their true judgments about Peter slip out, however. Many had thought he was uncultured brute who had no common sense and no education, but he proved them all wrong. He was saddened that most people, particularly the most educated ones, were pathetically closed minded. He didn’t let his judgment cloud his own eyes though, or he would be slipping down to their level.

“I’ve seen enough here. Could we please leave ?”, Peter asked, becoming overwhelmed with the eyes that seemed to settle deep into his heart, prying into his thoughts, asking him what right he had being there.

Chapter 3—Historical Tour

Peter pointed out everything he knew about the city as the two of them drove about. Jasmine was impressed by Peter’s knowledge. He seemed like a wellspring of information, dispensing factoids at every turn.

“You must be a whiz at trivia games.”, Jasmine complimented.

“I am, but it’s never any fun. No one ever plays against me. When they do, I win. I get tired of winning so often.”, Peter said with a hearty laugh.

“Maybe I could play against you sometime. How’s that sound ?”, Jasmine questioned, with a genuine smile. Peter had never played against a woman before, so this would prove most enlightening for him.

“How about this, Jasmine. At the end of our tour, I’ll take you up on that offer. If you want, I’ll even cook dinner for you.”, Peter mentioned, magnanimously.

“I’d be honored.”, Jasmine responded, enthusiastically.

Jasmine learned so many new details about the city, the lesser-known aspects that even historians overlooked. Apparently, many of the beds and breakfasts in the area had been used by famous people from TV’s golden age. There was a lot of automobile trivia Peter knew, since he loved cars, both old and new. He had an old car of his own, a ’59 cherry red Thunderbird he only drove in the summer and late autumn when the weather was still favorable. The car he had now was a beaten up Ford pickup, but it was still in really good shape for a 1990 model. Jasmine almost never wanted the trip to end because she felt as if her mind was truly alive, being illuminated by a wellspring of knowledge. The evening was growing late, so Peter took her back to the cabin, and whipped up a fancy elegant dinner for her as she surveyed just how comfortable his cabin was from her vantage point.

Chapter 4—Chatting At Dinner

“It’s really cozy here. Are those your paintings on the walls ?”, Jasmine asked as soon as she was full from an exceptional meal and putting her plate in the sink after she finished.

“No, those are my parents. The paintings I do in my spare time are in the shed.”, Peter stated, surprised she would notice the paintings at all. Apparently, Jasmine had an eye for art. She was delightful and exhilarating to be around. Peter wondered why he hadn’t met her in earlier years and felt as if his head was spinning. He had to sit down and gather his thoughts for a moment.

“What’s the matter, Peter ?”, Jasmine inquired, becoming concerned. Peter seemed a bit pale, as if he were ill.

“Probably just a bug.”, he said, as he felt his stomach lurch. He excused himself and vomited in the sink, much to his disgust. Jasmine, realizing something was wrong, took him by the hand and had him lie down for a bit, making certain there was a receptacle nearby in case he regurgitated again. She looked for some ginger ale in the refrigerator and gave it to him.

“Sip on this for a while. I’ll stay until you start feeling better.”, she said, covering him up with a blanket that had been thrown over his favorite mahogany rocking chair. Peter shivered a bit until the fever broke and he fell asleep. She quietly excused herself to sleep in the small guestroom until morning broke.

Peter was so groggy he had almost forgotten Jasmine had slept in his guestroom. He got up to his feet and went to check on the woman who had been so kind to him. Strangely enough his creaking floors hadn’t awakened her, but he had to get her back home for fear people might become suspicious of where she had been. He gently touched her shoulder to wake her and took her back home.

Chapter 5—At First Glance

Peter couldn’t stop thinking about Jasmine, even though she had come back to admire his paintings daily. Each time she left to return home, he wanted to go with her, but knew he had paintings to finish at home. Somewhat flustered, he approached her once again after the third day she had been browsing his work, which currently boasted many creatures of the mythical variety. She hadn’t given him his phone number and he was too shy to ask for it.

“I absolutely love your fantastical paintings…”, Jasmine said, looking as radiant as ever. He sincerely wanted to kiss her, but held himself back.

“Thanks. I missed not seeing you more intimately…I mean…Going to dinner with you.”, he said, blushing floridly.

“I did too. That evening was magnificent. Maybe we can do that again. This time, we can exchange phone numbers. We really should do dinner dates more often. I wouldn’t mind if you cooked. Or, would you prefer me to ?”, Jasmine said. It was at that moment, he fell in love with her again. He couldn’t stop himself. There was something about her he couldn’t put his finger on. An enigma he would enjoy solving for the rest of his life. He never figured love would come so easily in his life, but if it hadn’t been for a chance encounter, none of it would’ve ever have come to be.

Epilogue

Before long, Peter overcame his bashful nature and had started dating the woman he had loved since first glance. Peter had come down from the mountain in more instances recently, and more and more people were recognizing him as the man who created incredible wood carvings as well as stunning paintings in his spare time. He worked as a welder until the wee hours of the morning, which meant he had to sleep in most of the time when he wasn’t working. Despite the insane schedule, he continued dating Jasmine. Neither one knew where the relationship would take them in the future, but the two of them knew what true happiness was. They could be joyful apart, and elated together. Marriage wasn’t on their minds, even though they were very much in love. Even if the two never married, they always had each other to fall back on in the worst of times, and in the best of times. He had even overcome his fear of facing others had died down since she had taken him out into the world on their first historical tour. He had never forgotten that date. It was ironic how he could find the company of customers comforting and dread interacting with those in the city. The only reason for that had been because of being misjudged. Even though he had been stared at, he had never felt those stares that day thanks to Jasmine’s influence.

Peter’s popularity grew in the future, but fortunately, he had plenty of time to spend time with his newlywed wife, and soon, a little boy of his own. PJ looked just exactly like his daddy, except he didn’t have the long flowing ponytail or the small beard that Peter often sported. Some even called Peter a “modern-day hippie”, but he didn’t mind. He and his “Mother” got along splendidly, and he couldn’t complain with how that relationship had fulfilled him all these years. Luckily for him, his “Mother” wasn’t the jealous sort, and he knew she loved Jasmine just as much as he did.

As PJ grew, so did his endless faculties for knowledge. PJ often asked, even at his young age, how his mom and dad came to know each other. Just like with his customers, he adored telling little PJ the story of how Jasmine came to know him. He also knew his mom was different, but only because she was female, not for any other reason. Even that wasn’t much of a difference, as far as PJ was concerned. He was 7, but precocious and wise for his age. He hoped to learn his father’s talent in time and showed much promise in his artistic talent. Both mom and dad were proud of their boy, and knew he would grow to shine one day through their support and affection.

The End