The Strange Drummer

 

            It was a nice day. There were robins, the usual crows making comments, even a gull, who must have gotten lost somehow. Blue sky, poofy clouds, temperate breezes too. Mighty firs stood for solidity and time. If it had been anywhere else, it would have looked too good.   But it wasn’t somewhere else, it was the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, so it was supposed to look that way.
            Into this perfection, an alien sound intruded. It was a hypnotic, rhythmic, throbbing sound, as if someone was drumming. It wasn’t very loud, but was audible, especially to Maeve, the observer and recorder of all things forest.
            Maeve soared over the canopy until she located the source of the strange persistent sound. Then she sought out Ralph.
            “Boss! Can you hear that?” called Maeve, drifting in for a landing.
            “Now that you mention it, yeah, Birdie. I was sort of ignoring it,” said Ralph. “What is it?”
            “I found a woman sitting on the ground in the meadow out by Marge and Twigg’s gifting stump. She’s drumming Boss. She’s sitting there with her eyes closed, in a strange dress, sort of spaced out looking!” said Maeve. She said this right into his ear, insistently.
            “Hm! I suppose I better go see what’s up before every talking animal in the forest comes to tell me about it,” said Ralph.
            Ramona was right there. She had been walking in and out of the cave, doing this and that. She heard the news too, in bits and pieces.
            “I wish you would, Baby,” said Ramona. “It’s kind of getting to me. I’m not sure I like it. I don’t get headaches, but I think I almost could!”
            “OK, Mona, me and Birdie here will go see what gives with this drumming girl,” said Ralph.
            So, Ralph and Maeve, on her shoulder perch, strolled out of the Home Clearing, through the tree line and out into the open meadow. The drumming was a lot louder out there. And there she was, just as Mave had said.
            She was sitting cross legged on the grass by the gifting stump, working away on her drum, with her eyes closed. She was mouthing words silently and swaying to the rhythm of the drum beats where she sat.
            Ralph was naturally intrigued. He came closer and watched for a couple of minutes. Then he sat down on the grass near the girl.  He was listening to her closely.
            “I see you!” the girl said, with her eyes still  closed. She had turned around facing away from Ralph and Maeve. “I welcome you!” she added. “You and your daughter are beautiful!” She went back to drumming.
            Ralph laughed. Maeve giggled in Raven.
            “I’m over here, Lady,” he said at last.
            “What, no! I see you and your daughter over there!” said Ophelia, which happened to be her name, for real. She had stopped drumming and was looking a bit confused.
            “No, really, I’m over here. My daughter is not with me. I have Maeve, a Raven with me. I think you should open your eyes. Look this way, Lady,” said Ralph, as kindly as he could.
            “I don’t know why you’re saying that stuff, and if I open my eyes I won’t be able to see you,” said Ophelia.
            “It won’t hurt to try it!” said Ralph. “If I’m not really where I say I am, then you’ll know for sure.” He sat waiting, sending out comfort and peace, as he does.
            Slowly, Ophelia turned toward Ralph. Then she sighed a great sigh and opened her eyes.
            “Hi,” said Ralph. “See, I’m right here, this is the Raven I mentioned a minute ago.”
            “But I saw them so clearly. A mother hairy person and her daughter,” murmured Ophelia, in a bit of shock.
            “What’s your name, Lady? I am Ralph and the bird is Maeve. I’m kind of in charge around here,” said Ralph agreeably.
            “You mean, you’re real, as in everyday regular real?” said Ophelia. “Oh, I’m Ophelia, like in the play.”
            “Yep, we’re real! You can see us with your eyes open because we are really here! You can see best with those blue eyes open, Ophelia! Would you like to shake hands, just to make sure?” said Ralph.
            Ophelia’s slender white hand reached out very tentatively toward Ralph’s very large hand. He very carefully took her hand in his and gave it a little shake.
            “See! Big old warm hand, Ophelia! I’m just as real as you are. I’m not a dream or a guess or a funny story. I’m not a lie either,” said Ralph. “And I am very pleased to have met you! Please stop with the drumming around here, it’s giving my wife almost a headache she says.”
            “You have a wife?” Ophelia said weakly.
            “I do! And I have a son and a daughter and two pumas in the family!”
            Ophelia stood up. “Of course you do! Why wouldn’t you?” she laughed. “Hey, do you think your kids would like a drum?”
            “Yeah, probably. If you’re done with it?” said Ralph.
            “Yeah, I think I’m done drumming,” said Ophelia.
            “Me and Maeve are going to stroll on home now. Remember, eyes open, Ophelia.”
            “Eyes open, Ralph. You got it,” said Ophelia. She started walking out past Thaga and Ooog’s place on that little path we’ve heard of before. Her step was light.
            “Untying knots is what you do, isn’t it, Boss,” said Maeve.
            “I guess so. That’s a good way of looking at it,” agreed Ralph.
            Mission accomplished, they went on back into the forest and home. Ralph was carrying Ophelia’s drum. He thought the kids would indeed like it.

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