chapter fourteen

Madison woke to the sound of the alarm clock that was
next to her bed.

When she opened her eyes she stared for a moment at the
hands of the clock.  They were white and luminous and stood
out against the dark background of the square green plastic
clock on the small  brown table beside her bed.  the time was
five o'clock. she closed her eyes and took in a slow deep breath.

the next time she stirred was five minutes later.  she peeked through
closed lids.  the sun was coming up and she  could see the gold
orange peeking through the slats of the shuttered white clapboard windows.

For one fleeting moment she forgot where she was.  She shut
her eyes tight and thick black lashes draped closed lids.

She murmured, "Dayton"  and for a split second felt a moment of comfort.


Dayton would soon be here she thought and the young woman let her mind
roam for a few seconds before she pulled the faded lavender sheets back and
pulled well toned legs over the side of the bed.  The young woman let her toes
do the searching for her slippers.

The towns children called them hermit slippers.   They were brown leather with criss
cross straps.  They were  old and worn and her good friend Laura confided in
her that that townspeople were calling  her the holy abba hermit of the mountains
and she had the worn slippers to prove it.  

She had tried in every way to remain ordinary and keep the hermitage at a low
profile and had almost succeeded until about a year ago when a man had been
brought to the hermitage by one of the townspeople.

When Madison had questioned the driver whom she recognized as Miguel one of
the locals as to why he had brought the young man to her he had said she and
this place had helped  his cousin with his problem and it was the only thing he
could think to do.  He went on to explain he had had found him in on the outskirts
of the reserve where dessert meets mountain.   it seemed the man had abandoned his car and
Miguel found him a mile from his vehicle unconcious and delerious.  miguel had surmised
the man's car had run out of gas and the man had abandoned his vehicle in search of help.

of course Madison welcomed the young man and he had stayed for a two month hiatus.  \
When the young man regained his strength and the decision was made to leave he thanked
madison profusely and said his stay at the hermitage was one of the happiest times
he had experienced in a long while.   He hated to leave but he had to get back to his
life and straighten some things out that dealt with his business.  he was an entrepreneu
and deatt in the export and export of books to third world countries.  He told Madison
his name was Brian Anderson and when Madison questioned him what he was doing
in the dessert he explained that he had gotten lost and before he knew it he was out of gas.   

That was eight months ago and since then more than an unusual amount of people had
 been coming to the hermitage seeking something that they felt was missing in their life.

Laura met Madison met in in the main praying room and the women and men already
assembled stood and bowed as the two women entered the chapel.

All assembled wore gray tunics cinched by a beaded roped belt.  Madison was the first
to enter and bowed before the altar in front of her and took a seat in one of the long wooden
pews.   Laura did the same and sat behind Madison.

They started their day with a half hour of meditation and shafts of light shone through the roof
and fell on the group below.

Afterwards they would have a choice of breakfast of scrambled eggs, hot or cold cereal
and a beverage of juice, tea or coffee.  Then it would be time for morning work.

Madison's job was to tend to the garden.   She had a green thumb and talked to
her flowers .  they grew vibrant in color under her tutelage and the guests as well as the
inhabitants of  the hermitage could be seen meandering the paths and sitting in the chairs placed in
different positions talking quietly, reading, or in a meditative state.

Many of the guests were  advised to write in their journals and keep a running story of
 how they were feeling and what they were experiencing.

Most came to the hermitage because they heard that there was help here.  help in the
form of cancelling out chattering minds, controlling their thoughts and getting a grip
on lives that were somehow out of balance.

Some left.  some stayed.  and some came back for a visit.  there were contributions
that went into the main treasury and Laura took care of that.

Madison had last heard from Monroe on Sunday.  It was now Tuesday.  And there was
no more contact.  Madison was getting worried.   The children should have been
here yesterday.  And Dayton - well, dayton by now must know Monroe was her father.

 All these murmurings and thoughs Madison mulled over and kept close to her heart.
In a short time her family would be reunited and things would again change of that
one thing Madison was certain.

The lunch bell rang and Madison joined the rest of the retreatants on the way to
12 o'clock lunch.

If things fell in right it could be her last lunch at the hermitage.

She saw Laura coming from the opposite end and she waited for the young woman
to reach her.

"How are you,?" said Laura.  The hint of concern etched in her voice.

"I'm fine.," said Madison. 

"Really," said Laura.

"You know me too well," said Madison.

Laura laughed.

Madison continued.  "we have been through a lot you and I."

"Yes," said Laura.

"This is a big day for you too," said Madison.

Laura breathed in a long deep breath.

"yes, it is, "said Laura.

"Lindsay is coming home."

"I hope she can forgive me," said Laura.

"if she is anything like her mother she will understand."

"But all the lies," said Laura.

"We have been through a lot," said Madison. 

"we lost our children for ten years, Madison."

tears wet madison's cheeks.  "Yes, i know."

Lindsay was only 5 when she left. 

"It was for the best Laura.  The trespassers burnt down
our home.  your husband perished in the fire.

"Yes," said Laura.

"The children will understand.,"  said Madison.  She uttered
the words with more conviction then she felt.

The two women stopped in front of the big hall,  they held each other's
hand and walked up the steps and through the lunchroom doors.

When they came out they knew the afternoon was going to
be unlike any other they had experienced in a while. .