Awakening, Pt. 4 of 10.

            When Jane reached Terrence's location, he watched her get out of the pick-up truck, put a few small tools in the repair box attached to the side of the farmhand tractor, and walk closer to him.  She appeared to be doing some kind of work outside too, by the way she was dressed: blue jeans that were patched and faded, old boots, a cap, and a plain light windbreaker.  According to size, she was tall and kept strong by an active lifestyle, like some kind of prairie amazon.  Although her body had a fine attractive structure, resisting time well, her face was more ordinary, with a small nose, large wide mouth that enhanced her every smile, and wonderful blue eyes behind large, square-framed glasses that looked to be squinting much of the time, as if trying to see through the dusty thick lenses.  A half dozen years ago in the middle of winter, a defective car battery exploded while being recharged, splashing some acid into her eyes and threatened near-blindness.  That damage plus inevitable aging made them a necessity however outstanding.  The event was only something for other locals to gossip about, but independence and the support of him and the family nearby kept her mind strong and flexible - like her personality.

            Terrence admired her versatility and the ease at which she could communicate with people of about any kind around, even him, for as much as they saw each other.  She came up to his rock pile, dropping a fairly large chunk of granite on it while uttering a short noticeable grunt, and said, "I should do more of this before I get too much out of shape.  In case I don't see Ernie, could you tell him I was in town to pick up the tools and spray mix?"

            "Sure, but I trust you didn't stay long."

            "So?  What do you mean?"

            "Dead people.  Simple and backward for the most part.  I mean, Jane,isn't the place an empty spiteful dump compared to many years past?" he said, shaking his head.  

            "It's very quiet considering that, but the people aren't all bad, Terry."

            "They're all basically alike - hypocritical, kniving, and stubborn, with no sense of wonder or curiosity, no yearning for adventure, exploration, and no ambition for change.  Dead people they are, full of apathy that appreciate nothing and expect the best for nothing in their self-made . . . Hicksville.  What will it ever take to wake them all up?"

            "It's only much worse out there, in the bigger cities.  Hospitals in those places, for example, throw people out into the streets no matter how great the emergency if they don't have a care card.  Compassion has become a dirty word, but I still think we are lucky here in some ways."  

            "Obviously, but I just have to pity the town for what it could be and incredibly isn't.  Money will always be the god on this Earth.  The people are made ignorant by isolation, not to mention simple."

            She casually kicked a lump of sod and moved another rock beside the pile with her foot.  Then, she continued, "Oh?  How so?"

            "I don't mean you or any of us.  The people THERE don't work together near as much as they should, and it sure shows.  They're afraid to take any kind of risks despite any likely benefit to the whole.  That's the one thing I'll never understand.  Cooperation must be more important to everyone on this planet.  Think of what only a little can do other than routinely going to church there."

            "It's becoming that way and will be most important to them only when worse comes to worst.  You will do that like I said before too, won't you?" she replied, beginning to smile.  "It's just another needed bit of cooperation to make something I did clearly understood.  Simple."

            "Fine. No problem, but another thing I can't clearly understand is where the Hell that weird crap we found in this rocky mess came from."

            "What weird crap?  What does it look like?"

            "Crystals or something.  It's some sort of strange . . . stuff, mostly white, heavy, and reactive too.  I'm sure Ernest will tell you all about it."  

            "I'll certainly be sure to ask."

            Terrence watched her turn and walk carefully back to the pick-up again.  Before driving away, she waved and returned a flirtatious wink, as usual.  It was a way of getting to know her lighter side and expressing an underlying need long overdue.  If the meeting was not productive toward knowing her, as it seemed, he at least had the chance to voice firm truthful opinions with corresponding feelings of frustration so she might better understand him.  Despite working on the Cranway farm for many years, their relationship was friendly but superficial at best, like with some delicate ornament.  

            While standing alone again, his eyes shifted from her receding dust trail ahead to the low swirling clouds above.  Was life passing him by like they were, or was he just in the wrong time and place eventually left to take care of himself and his needs only?  The steady restless wind lashed at the trees protecting him nearby and blew across the vacant rolling landscape that seemed to go out to infinity in all directions; the sun's light illuminated it more sparingly, as if fading away.  Although the place looked desolate and was greatly isolated, it was one of the last outposts in the whole country yet with some degree of peaceful harmony, morality, and hope, but at much sacrifice.  All of their hard work seemed so frequently to be for little or nothing.  

Continued to Pt. 5.