Not All Who Wander Are Lost-Part 2

had been alone before, of course, but never had I felt this feeling of emptiness. We still had about ten miles to go, and I didn’t want to arrive home without Jason. It was noon already. I called out his name, over and over again. My voice seemed thin and weak in the pressing air. Suddenly it felt hot and stuffy. My breathing became short. I felt hot tears falling down my cheeks. Wildly I ran through the forest screaming for Jason.
“Jason! Jason! If this is a joke, it’s not funny! Come out right now! Now! Jason!” My voice became hoarse. I looked around me. I knew the forest well, but this time I had wandered off the road and now I was lost. Great! Why did these things always happen to me? Where was Jason? Terrible thoughts entered my mind, as I thought of what might have happened to him. I wept bitterly against a stump.
When I looked up again it was dark. I must have dozed from my exhaustion. Jason was nowhere to be seen. I felt lonely and weak. No longer did I feel powerful over my little brother, that sense of importance that he was always watching me, doing what I do, and copying me. Never before had I realized how much I cared for him, and loved him, before this moment. Suddenly something my mom had told me when I was little came into my mind. You don’t know what you have until it’s gone. I’m not sure why it came now, but it did. I wanted anyone in the world to come out and rescue me right now. Even my dad. I needed someone to look after me. I was only 13! I’m too young to die! I thought selfishly. Who knows, Jason might be dead right now! I tried to brush the thought from my mind. I took a deep breath. Now let’s think sensibly here, Miron. I said to myself. I know this forest. You are not lost. You are wandering, but you are not lost. Now, what about Jason? He probably wandered from the road, and saw some squirrel or something. He’s always after animals. He’s probably just like me right now. There’s nothing I can do now, so I might as well try to sleep and look for him in the morning. With that hardly comforting thought in my mind I pulled out my clothes again and slid into an uneasy sleep.
For a long while I couldn’t sleep, the noises of the wood around me sounded so threatening. I had never slept in the wood before. Eventually I slept and dreamed of being back home with a fire blazing and hot chocolate. Then I woke with a start, and looking around me remembered where I was, and my situation. I packed up my suitcase and hurriedly set off in the direction where I thought the road was. Surely Jason would be heading that way too, I thought.
Noon came around and I still hadn’t found the road. My stomach protested against my fast. I ignored it and focused on taking one step in front of the other. I had become so weary with worrying about my brother that I had lost all sense of direction and was just determined to keep going forward. It seemed like years when I came to a clearing I remembered as the spot where our first fort had been. The log cabin we had made was still there. I looked up at the sky. The sun was sinking and I hadn’t any food or any sign of Jason. I sighed and ate the rest of my food. Then I settled to go to sleep in the cabin.
I woke at dawn with the strange feeling of being grown-up. I felt somehow taller, and wiser. My feet seemed to know the path to take. About an hour after noon I found the road again, but no sign of Jason. Hope came into me and lifted my spirits. I went at a faster pace, and every once and a while called out ‘Jason.’ And every time there was no answer. As time and miles went by I became more determined than ever to find him and our home.
A growing sense of happiness and familiarity came to me as the sun began to fade away once again. I wondered at it, because from my reckoning I was still about five miles away from home. Evening fell and still I walked on. Then, dimly against the setting sun I saw a clearing and a little house with smoke coming from the chimney. Hope and wonder came into me. I started to run, and tears streamed down my cheeks with happiness.
When I flung open the door of our cabin my mother and Annie practically smothered me in joyous hugs and kisses. I noticed a small figure, looking very wise and noble sitting on the couch with a bandage around his ankle.
“Jason?” I said feebly.
“Miron!” Jason hobbled up to me and flung his arms around my neck.
“Oh Jason, I thought, I thought you were dead for sure! I can’t believe it! What happened? Oh! Your ankle!” Jason smiled.
“I’m not stupid?”
“Oh, no, your not stupid, no Jason, no. I love you so much!” I hugged him again and wished never to let go.
“And I’m not dim?” I pulled away and looked at him.
“Well, your still a little dim.” We all laughed.

Later I learned that Jason had been dreaming and had wandered off just as I had and tripped over a gopher hole. He had sprained his ankle, and had cried my name just as I had, but the forest being so dense as it was it was impossible for us to hear each other. Jason had hobbled and crawled for two days in the direction he thought was the road, where Annie later found him, looking for firewood. He had arrived only an hour before me. I had realized how much my ‘annoying’ brother was worth to me, and how much I appreciated my mother caring for both of us as a single mom.

The morning after I had arrived back home I woke, stared out the window, smiled, and thanked God for granting me such gifts as my mother and brother.

This story is dedicated to my brother and mom and dad, whom I love all dearly.