DEATH WAS IN THE AIR THAT DAY

THAT DAY IN AUGUST OF 1958....I WAS AT THE END OF THE THIRD DAY ON MY MOTORCYCLE TRIP AROUND THE COUNTRY. I WAS 19 AND HAD JUST QUIT MY JOB SO I COULD BE IRRESPONSIBLE. MY WALLET WAS WELL STOCKED WITH CASH AND I WAS ON MY 56 TRIUMPH 650 CC....NO FERRING, ONLY GOGGLES.  I WAS IN BEAUTIFUL DUNSMUIR, CA AND WHAT A RELIEF FROM RED BLUFF WHERE IT WAS 110.  GREEN, COOL, LOVELY, AND I STAYED THERE......DAY FOUR DAWNED CRISP AND CLEAR.  SUN JUST RISING AND PAINTING THE TOPS OF THE PINES WITH ORANGE LIGHT WHILE THE FOREST FLOOR WAS UNUSUALLY DARK AND STILL ASLEEP.  OFF TO THE EAST WAS MT SHASTA...SNOW CAPPED,, POKING ITS HEAD INTO THE BLUE LIKE A VANILLA ICE CREAM CONE.  I HAD ONLY BEEN ON THE ROAD....FOR ABOUT TWENTY MINUTES AND I SAW A MAROON FORD ON ITS TOP IN ONCOMING LANE.  A HIGHWAY PATROLMAN WAS THERE AND STANDING BESIDE WRECK....WAITING.  I PULLED OVER NOT KNOWING WHAT I WOULD SEE.  HE WAS QUICK TO NOTE I HAD A 1956 TAG AND IT WAS 1958.   I HAD PAPERS THAT IT WAS OK AND LEGAL.  HE LOOKED AT THEM AND SAID  "GOOD AS GOLD"  IT WAS THEN THAT I SAW HER....A PART OF HER...HER CALVES WERE TOGETHER..POKING INTO VIEW FROM UNDERNEITH THE HOOD.  THE REST OF HER WAS HIDDEN.  THERE WAS A GASH IN ONE CALF, BUT ONLY A HINT OF ISSUE OF BLOOD...HER HEART STOPPED BEFORE SHE BLED MUCH...KILLED INSTANTLY.  IT WAS SHOCKING TO ME, BUT OLD HAT FOR THE OFFICER; HE HAD SEEN THIS SORT OF THING MANY TIMES.  THERE WAS SOMETHING VERY PECULIAR ABOUT THE WRECK; THE CAR WAS PERFECTLY ALLIGNED IN THE LANE, NO APPARENT DAMAGE TO SIDES NOR FRONT OR BACK.  A SUITCASE LAY ON ROAD BESIDE DRIVER'S DOOR; ALL WINDOWS CLOSED.  IT APPEARED THAT THE CAR NEITHER ROLLED  NOR WENT END OVER END.  I REGRET THAT I DID NOT ASK OFFICER ABOUT THESE STRANGE THINGS.  I LOOKED UP AT MT SHASTA...SO SERENE AND A CHILL CAME OVER ME.  I WENT ON...THROUGH WEED CA AND ON UP TO CRATER LAKE, OREGON.  A LITTLE BEFORE CRATER LAKE, I STOPPED TO LOOK DOWN ON A VALLEY OF GREEN GRASS.  THE GRASS FLOWED IN WAVES WITH THE WIND. IT WAS SO MESMORIZING, I STAYED THERE FOR AWHILE.  I WENT ON UP TO THE PARK HEADQUARTERS  AND PARKED MY BIKE.  THERE WAS A TRAIL LEADING DOWN TO WATER'S  EDGE AND I STARTED DOWN. AN OLDER WOMAN WAS COMING UP AND SHE SAID "THE ONLY THING THEY DON'T TELL YOU IS DON'T DO IT"   I DID IT. I CAME TO WATER'S EDGE AND JUST LOOKED.  WIZARD ISLAND WAS NEAR THIS SPOT.  I DID SOMETHING THAT SOME OF US HAVE DONE. I PICKED UP A ROCK, WHISPERED MY NAME TO IT AND THREW IT AS HARD AS I COULD.  IT SAILED OUT AND OUT AND MADE A LITTLE SPLASH AS IT FOUND A NEW HOME...FOREVER.  I KNOW THAT ROCK IS STILL DOWN THERE.  REMEMBER THIS ABOUT ME; I AM THE KING OF "SO WHAT."   I LEFT CRATER LAKE AND HEADED BACK TO MAIN HIGHWAY....DESTINATION BEND.  ON THE MAIN ROAD, I NOTICED A PICKUP TOWING A BOAT AND IT WAS COMING UP ON ME AT HIGH RATE  OF SPEED.  SOMETHING IN ME TOLD ME THIS GUY IS UP TO NO GOOD.  I STEPPED MY SPEED UP TO 70, HE STEPPED HIS SPEED UP,  I BENT DOWN TO REDUCE DRAG AND STILL HE WAS CLOSING FAST,   THEN, I SAW IN MY REAR VIEW MIRROR THAT THE TRUCK LOST CONTROL AND WAS OFF THE ROAD.  DUST FLYING, TRAILOR JACK-KNIFING...I NEVER STOPPED. I STOPPED IN BEND FOR SUPPER.  I NOTICED A SIGN SAYING "OREGONIAN SOLD HERE"  THINKING IT WAS A SPECIAL DISH, I ORDERED THE "OREGONIAN"....AND THEY BROUGHT ME A NEWS PAPER.  I STAYED AT THE THREE SISTERS MOTEL..WONDERING IF ONE OF THE SISTERS MIGHT VISIT ME.  THEN I FOUND THE THREE SISTERS WERE THREE MOUNTAINS OUTSIDE OF TOWN.  I DIDN;T SLEEP WELL...I COULD NOT SHAKE THOUGHTS OF THAT WOMAN,,,WHO WAS SHE..WHERE WAS SHE GOING...WHAT HAPPENED.  NO DOUBT HER CAR WAS NOW RESTING IN A SALVAGE YARD..THE ODOMETER STILL READING THE LAST MILE OF HER LIFE...NO SOUNDS THERE, JUST THE WIND RATTLING THINGS AROUND.  NEXT OF KIN PROBABLY NOTIFIED AND SERVICE BEING PLANNED.  MT SHASTA STILL THERE...THAT WAS THE MOST SOBERING DAY OF MY LIFE, AND I THANK MY GOD THAT I AM STILL ALIVE.....B