Chapter 18

The location of the Wilson home…sitting fairly isolated on the outskirts of town; abutting the woods…had been an ideal and advantageous environment for Adele to be raised at; and for two significant reasons. First, it kept her away from town; where she would quite often face demeaning ridicule from the kids residing in town…especially those around her age that knew of her from school. Second, it allowed her to spend quality time with Grandpa Joe; just the two of them spending hours at a time walking about the woods. It was Grandpa Joe who instilled in Adele her appreciation for the beauty in the simplicity of nature; and by achieving this, in a roundabout way, he indirectly taught Adele how to see and value the natural inner-beauty within even her own simplicity. To Adele, those were without a doubt the times she enjoyed spending the most with him; and they remain the most precious and cherished memories of him that she holds onto. And even though it's been several years since he died, Adele still relishes every moment she gets to spend in those woods. In a way, it's almost as if he wasn't gone; because the connection that they shared while there before still somehow remains between them to this day. As long as there's nature to be taken in, Grandpa Joe will always be with her. Since his death, Adele's visits to the woods were always taken in solitude…she wouldn't even ask Grandma to accompany her…for that wondrous place had been just hers and Grandpa Joe's. She never had any inclination to share it with anybody else besides him…at least not until recently. For today, Adele has invited Nadine to join her. Adele and Nadine have been traversing through the woods for hours; with Adele pointing out some of the favorite spots that she and her grandfather used to enjoy visiting the most to Nadine. And when coming upon an open clearing with a rill cutting through it, they decide to take a rest there and enjoy the tranquil rhythm of the babbling stream. Nadine isn't sure if it's because she's spent the past couple of hours basking in the soothingly warm rays of a pleasantly amiable afternoon sun; or because she has been breathing in noticeably fresher, crispier air compared to that of in town; or if it's all the different wildlife that Adele had exposed her to today…or a compilation of everything that afternoon…but today, Nadine feels more alive than she has felt since discovering that her leukemia's returned…maybe even in her whole entire life. Life abounds this place. And despite the knowledge that her own life may soon come to an end, Nadine isn't upset or feeling any sense of despair here. On the contrary, she's feeling surprisingly euphoric; at total peace with the world. It's as if nature's allowing her to feed off of its life. And although she's plagued with a fatalistic demise…in a way she's not; at least not here at this moment. "It's so beautiful out here. I lived here my whole life, but I never knew this place existed. I mean, I knew there were woods outside of town; I just never bothered coming out here before." She reflects a moment before continuing, "I guess sometimes we just overlook and take things for granted. Thanks for taking me here and showing me around, Adele." "You're welcome. My Grandpa Joe used to say that if people don't take the time to connect with nature, they'll lose touch with humanity; and eventually themselves." Adele begins to look around to soak in the beauty of the surroundings. "I like coming here…it's nice and quiet and peaceful. I like to come here and think." "Think about what?" "Oh…all kinds of stuff." "Well; it sure is the perfect place for it." Adele's still looking around. "Uh-huh…I love to come out here and be by myself…" She quickly faces Nadine and apologetically rescinds, "Not that I mind being here with you, Nadine. I didn't mean that. I'm glad you're here with me now." Nadine gives Adele a delicate, reassuring smile. "And I'm glad to be here with you, too. Don't worry; I know what you meant, Adele." She pauses briefly, and then asks, "You like to be by yourself a lot; don't you?"