Author: John Adinolfi
Caleb lived alone, as did Cole. Caleb by circumstance, Cole by choice.
Trina had entertained a variety of live-in partners, but all were short associations. She lived alone.
Each of their homes was unexceptional, except for sharing an extraordinary view of the Pacific below. Sitting on the edge of a cliff, surrounded by lodgepole pines and rock ledges, the cabins were set apart from neighbors. The only time daylight penetrated the shade was late afternoon when the sun blazed over the horizon. Rough-hewn stairs switch-backed down the promontory, ending at the top of the dunes on an isolated beach.
Every day, an hour before sunset, they’d make their way down the long climb to the water. Cole and Trina made sure to slow their pace to not leave Caleb too far behind. When they reached the beach, each settled into a comfortable position. Caleb, in threadbare long-sleeved Oxford and jeans, stretched out on a canvas lounger. Cole sat cross-legged in the sand, T-shirt and cut-offs emphasizing muscular limbs. Trina, her shape hidden in baggy sweats, lay on a straw mat.
They never spoke during these end-of-day respites. Closing their eyes, each retreated to a drowsy inner world, content to let their thoughts commingle.
Cole was playing with a golden-haired child. His lost brother. They raced around a shaggy meadow, tumbling and rolling. Trina watched from the edge of the grass before inserting herself into the game. She had never had permission to play with others as a child. Running down the hillside now was euphoric.
Caleb bowed his head, remembering his own children. He stayed back, not wanting to cast a cloud over Cole and Trina’s happiness. He turned to leave, but they called out to him. Chase us! Caleb raced into the fray, pretending to be a bear, with arms waving and a loud roar. The children squealed in delight, jumping on Caleb, wrestling him down to the soft grass. The tussling turned into a game of tag, with each taking turns pursuing the others. The children once again conspired to tackle Caleb, ending in laughter for all.
After a few more minutes, Caleb shook them off and said he needed to go up to his cabin. Cole and Trina protested. Opening her eyes, Trina saw that Cole was also awake now. Caleb was already out of view, having started the climb back up the bluff. As they followed, the indistinct squawk of a two-way radio carried down on the breeze. Cole and Trina looked towards the flashing lights on the police cruiser parked by Caleb’s cabin. A sergeant approached and asked if they knew Caleb. Exchanging a glance with Trina, Cole told him they were acquainted with Caleb only as a somewhat reclusive neighbor.
The officer told them that Caleb had been found in his cabin. The preliminary assessment was that he had died peacefully in his sleep of natural causes. Probably two, maybe three, weeks ago. Cole and Trina nodded their regrets. Turning away, they headed back down the cliff to the beach.
By the time they reached the bottom, deep purple and orange streaks filled the sky. Caleb was waiting and asked if he could introduce a new memory about his climbing experiences in China with his wife. Cole and Trina readily agreed, as neither had ever seen a mountain so high. The difficult climb would certainly take several days, so they decided to get started right away. Bundling up in heavy parkas, they began ascending the first icy incline.
There was still a good 30 minutes left in today’s hour.