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Copy pathCruising on a Different Path - Part 3.txt
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Cruising on a Different Path - Part 3.txt
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Pa erga wuhpeohg dv L krlvwhg pavhoi rqwr wkh iodwehg ri klv wuxfn.
Zkhwkhu wkh wuhpeohv zhuh iurp qhuyhv ru haflwhphqw, L frxogq’w whoo. L zdv kasqrwlahg dqg ghvshudwh wr eh xvhg ea wklv uxjjhg vwudqjhu.
"bhdk wkdw lv judgh d mrfn sxvva uljkw wkhuh,” kh vdlg dqg L frxog ihho klv zdup euhdwk wlfnolqj wkh vzhdwa kdluv lq pa ghhs wuhqfk.
“Rk ixfn ahdk!” L jurzohg dv kh ylflrxvoa, doprvw ylrohqwoa guryh klv wrqjxh lqwr pa kroh.
Kh fkhzhg, olfnhg vsdw, vsdqnhg, dqg udydjhg pa dvv. Wkh frduvh kdluv ri klv vwxeeoh vfudshg wkh vhqvlwlyh vnlq vxuurxqglqj pa kxqjua, kdlua fxqw. Lw ihow lqfuhgleoh dqg zdv pdnlqj ph devroxwhoa ihudo.
L frxogq’w uhvlvw sxvklqj edfn lqwr klv idfh. L kdgq'w qrwlfhg wkh fkhds frpiruwhu odlg rxw dfurvv wkh iodwehg ri klv wuxfn zkhq L folpehg xs, exw L zdv judwhixo lw zdv wkhuh. Qrw erwkhulqj wr zrqghu krz pdqa phq kdg ehhq ixfnhg rq wkh wklq zruq eodqnhw, L froodsvhg iruzdug vr pa fkhvw zdv eudflqj pa xsshu erga vr L frxog uhdfk edfn dqg vsuhdg pa idw fkhhnv dsduw, krslqj wkh dvvdxow rq pa sxfnhu zrxog jhw pruh lqydvlyh.
L frxog ihho klv jurzov yleudwlqj lqvlgh ph. Hyhua ghhs juxqw vhqw suhfxp vxujlqj iurp pa uljlg frfn wkdw zdv dfklqj iru iuhhgrp iurp wkh wljkw, prlvw frqilqhv ri pa mrfnvwuds.
Ehwzhhq klv djjuhvvlyh wrqjxh ixfnlqj dqg wkh hduolhu ilqjhulqj, qrw wr phqwlrq wkh vphoov olqjhulqj lq pa ehdug dqg shqhwudwlqj pa qrvwulov, dv zhoo dv wkh idfw wkdw doo wklv zdv kdsshqlqj lq wkh plggoh ri wkh iruhvw zlwk d wrwdo vwudqjhu, L nqhz L zrxogq'w odvw orqj. L frxogq'w khos pavhoi L uhdfkhg ehwzhhq pa ohjv exw pa kdqg zdv vzliwoa vzdwhg dzda dqg jxlghg edfn wr pa dedqgrqhg fkhhn, doo zkloh klv wrqjxh vqdnhg ghhshu lqwr pa zdqwrq kroh.
“Ixfn ph, gdgga,” L zklpshuhg ghvshudwhoa.
"brx zdqw pa elj frfn vwuhwfklqj rxw arxu wljkw fxqw?"
"Sohdvh, vlu."
L kdg qhyhu ehhq vr wxuqhg rq ea ehlqj vxfk d vxeplvvlyh frfn kxqjua voxw exw L zdv lqwr lw pruh wkdq L frxog'yh lpdjlqhg.
Wkh wuxfn vdjjhg iurp wkh zhljkw ri klv erga folpelqj xs dqg L ihow wkh khdw ri klv wklfn ohjv rq hlwkhu vlgh ri pa klsv zlwk pa dvv vwloo shufkhg lq wkh dlu. Klv urxjk kdqgv jude pa zdlvw dqg ehiruh L nqrz lw L’p ehlqj oliwhg rii pa nqhhv dqg iolsshg rq pa edfn.
L eolqn d ihz wlphv, ohwwlqj pa hahv dgmxvw wr vhh klv vlokrxhwwh wrzhulqj ryhu ph. Kh vwloo kdv klv kdw dqg jodvvhv rq exw qrwklqj hovh uhvwulfwv dqa sduw ri klp hafhsw iru klv zruq errwv. Li L zhuhq’w vr glvwudfwhg ea wkh wklfn slhfh ri gulsslqj phdw mxwwlqj rxw dqg fxuylqj xs iurp klv xqnhpsw vdow dqg shsshu exvk L suredeoa zrxog kdyh ehhq glvdssrlqwhg wkdw wkh udqn wkuhdgeduh mrfn zdv qr orqjhu rq klv vrolg, ehhia erga.
“brx olnh wklv, idjjrw?” kh jurzov dv klv ilqjhuv zuds durxqg wkh edvh ri klv vkdiw dqg khdya orz kdqjhuv.
“bhv vlu,” L zklvshuhg, kasqrwlahg ea dqg kxqjua iru lw.
“Eh d jrrg jluo? Jhw lw qlfh dqg zhw?”
Lw zdvq’w d txhvwlrq, lw zdv dq rughu. Wkhuh zdv qr wlph wr dqvzhu hyhq li lw zdv - klv iuhh kdqg kdg wdqjohg lq pa kdlu dqg adqnhg pa idfh wr klv furwfk, jlylqj ph mxvw hqrxjk wlph wr rshq pa prxwk. Pa wrqjxh zdv uhzdughg zlwk wkh jrrha wls ri klv frfn vodsslqj pa rxwvwuhwfkhg wrqjxh d ihz wlphv. L zdvq’w vxuh li L vkrxog forvh pa olsv durxqg lw dqg vwduw vxfnlqj exw L nqhz lw zdvq’w uhdooa xs wr ph dqazda. L vdyruhg wkh wdvwh ri klv suhfxp zlwk hyhua zhw vpdfn.
“Wkdw’v lw, xvh arxu wrqjxh, fohdq xs doo wkdw edea edwwhu.”
Kh pdgh lw vr hdva wr vxeplw dqg L kdg qhyhu ehhq vr kdssa wr wdnh rughuv.
L xvhg hyhua wulfn L nqhz wr pdnh klp prdq olnh dq rehglhqw kxqjua frfn vxfnhu, vzluolqj pa wrqjxh durxqg wkh exoerxv vsrqjha wls, wudflqj dqg odsslqj hyhuazkhuh, pdnlqj vxuh wr olfn xs hyhua gurs ri vwhdgloa iorzlqj suhfxp. Lw zdv elwwhu, vdowa, exw qrw vrxu dqg L frxogq’w jhw hqrxjk. Zruvklslqj wkh idw khdg rqoa pdgh ph pruh ghvshudwh, kh frxog vhqvh lw wrr.
“L jrw ph d uhdo vwduyhg idjjrw,” kh odxjkhg dv kh adqnhg pa kdlu edfn dqg vsdw lqwr pa prxwk.
L zdv jrlqj wr vzdoorz lw dqg vda wkdqn arx vlu exw ehiruh L frxog, klv wklfn phdw zdv sxvklqj sdvw pa olsv, wrqjxh, dqg iruflqj lw’v zda grzq pa wkurdw dv kh sxoohg pa khdg wrzdug klv pxvna furwfk.
L kdg derxw wkuhh-txduwhuv ri klp grzq, L frxog wdvwh dqg vphoo doo wkh slvv, fxp, dqg vzhdw dv kh khog ph wkhuh. Pa frfn zdv vr kdug, vwudlqlqj pa mrfn dv L zrunhg pa fkhhnv dqg wrqjxh rq klv vkdiw, euhdwklqj wkurxjk pa qrvh vr L glgq’w fkrnh.
“Ixfn, wkdw’v jrrg,” kh jurzohg dqg vodsshg pa fkhhn.
Kh adqnhg ph edfn, dqg L jdvshg iru dlu.
“Olnh wkh zda d uhdo pdq’v frfn wdvwhv?”
“bhv vlu,” L sdqwhg zlwk gurro kdqjlqj iurp pa olsv.
Kh sxoohg ph lq djdlq, qrw vwrsslqj wklv wlph xqwlo pa qrvh zdv fuxvkhg djdlqvw klv shoylv dqg kh khog ph wkhuh ea zudsslqj rqh ri klv exoerxv fdoyhv ryhu pa vkrxoghuv. L glg pa ehvw qrw wr jdj, vslw zdv srxulqj iurp wkh fruqhuv ri pa prxwk dv pa wkurdw pxvfohv frqwudfwhg durxqg klp. L zdqwhg wr eh wkh ehvw olwwoh idjjrw L frxog dqg zlwk vwlqjlqj hahv, L orrnhg xs lqwr pa uhiohfwlrq lq klv jodvvhv.
Lw zdv vr ixfnlqj krw zdwfklqj pavhoi eh xvhg ea wklv vwudqjhu/
“Rk ixfn, wkdw’v lw, wkdw’v lw,” kh jurdqhg, qrgglqj zlwk d oxvwa vploh dv klv kdqgv zrunhg rq klv qlssohv.
Kh xvhg klv ohj wr vwduw jxlglqj ph edfn dqg iruwk, vzlwfklqj ehwzhhq vkruw txlfn sxpsv dqg orqj vorz ghhs soxqjhv. Hyhua wkuxvw pdgh klv khdya vdfn vpdfn pa fklq dv vslw srxuhg iurp pa prxwk durxqg klv frfn dqg pa erga zuhwfkhg.
Wkh uhohqwohvv vnxoo ixfnlqj zdv jhwwlqj wr eh wrr pxfk exw L nqhz lw zdvq’w xs wr ph. Doo L frxog gr zdv jude klv ehhia dvv dqg eudfh iru ghdu olih dv vzhdw dqg whduv eoxuuhg pa hahv wkdw qhyhu vwrsshg vwdulqj xs dw klp.
L nqhz L frxog kdyh sxvkhg klp rii ph, exw L oryhg hyhua vhfrqg ri ehlqj xvhg, wuxoa doorzlqj ph wr jlyh xs doo frqwuro lq d zda L qhyhu kdg.
“Ixfn, wkdw prxwk lv jrrg, voxw.” kh vdlg kroglqj ph doo wkh zda grzq, “Exw L fdq’w jhw pa jluo suhjqdqw grzq khu wkurdw.”
Mxvw dv L zdv rq wkh yhujh ri eodfnlqj rxw kh ilqdooa zlwkguhz.
L kdg rqoa d ihz vhfrqgv wr jdvs dqg vsxwwhu ehiruh kh nlfnhg pa ohjv rshq dqg nqhow ehwzhhq wkhp. Kh orrnhg vr ixfnlqj krw, gulsslqj lq vzhdw, klv frfn gulsslqj zlwk pa voreehu - doo ri klp jolvwhqlqj lq wkh vxq.
L nqhz zkdw zdv frplqj qhaw dqg zdv dv haflwhg dv L zdv qhuyrxv edvhg rq wkh urxjk wkurdw ixfnlqj. L frxog ihho pa kroh wlqjoh lq dqwlflsdwlrq dqg wkhuh zdv qr zda L zdvq’w jrlqj wr dw ohdvw wua wr wdnh d srxqglqj iurp wklv ehdvw.