Love Story: In The Web of Life

bushes growingin the cracks. Tina was intent on stopping to examine the floraalong the trail, reciting the name of each plant, and feeling theleaves and branches.
Tina said, "I love these Pinon Pines. Theytower above all the rest of the shrubs and brush and seem to say tome, 'You can rise above everyone else if you try.'"
She turned to me and observed my far away lookand said. "Are you OK? Are we OK? I feel as though you have goneaway."
"Oh, I'm sorry," I said. "I am stillpreoccupied with what happened yesterday. I am still trying to workout the logic of it all." I didn't tell her of my medicalconcerns.
"You have told me stories of landing-out onother occasions. They don't seem to bother you much. I have manyfriends who wouldn't think it was so strange that you talked withan entity through a spark of light. One friend has a dog thatchannels advice to her"
I resisted, "In your world it might be OK, butnot in mine–I deal with scientific facts and logic."
"Here, have some more water," she said handingme her water bottle. "Why don't you have a nap in the shade of thatbig overhang while I continue to explore the trail. It only goes onfor about three quarters of a mile-I'll be back in no time-and thenwe can have our picnic. The ranger said there were some plants inbloom up there and I don't want to miss them. Just relax. Trymeditating."
"Deal!" I replied, not having any interest indesert blossoms at the time. I walked over to the shade of the bigsandstone slab, which looked like a slice of tan layer cake thathad been hollowed out underneath by eons of flash floods. Istretched out on the ground, put my hands behind my head, closed myeyes, and listened to the high desert silence. I started to dozeoff.
"Hello there!" Said a voice. I sat up with astart and looked around, but saw no one. "Over here," said thevoice.
A few feet away I saw a round, tan sandstoneboulder about the size of a beanbag chair. I saw the brilliantspark of light in a crack on the underside of theboulder.
"It is I, the Uriel," came the voice from therock. "I hate sandstone, it’s so scratchy."
"Oh, no," I said under my breath. "Good day," Isaid diplomatically, wondering what was a proper greeting tointelligence from outside of space and time. I didn't add that Ifelt that this whole conversationmight be a desert hallucination, or a neurologicaldifficulty.
Uriel continued in a serious tone," You arehaving great concerns about your mental or physical health relatedto our conversation. Let us assure you that you do not need to seea Doctor of Medicine. You need to see someone with the title,Doctor of Mathematics.
"I hate to tell you, but I have thought it overI really know nothing about Einstein and Relativity. You have thewrong person."
"No, you are perfect for what we would like tosee happen. We would like you to prepare for something veryimportant that will affect the lives of many, perhaps a good partof your civilization. Think of us as a client with a mission toearth."
"That's fine," I replied. "But, what would youlike to see happen?" My lawyerly questioning strategy was kickingin. "And how could I put you on the witness stand? I can hear itnow, 'My client in another reality is suing for infringementdamages.'"
"Let's start with incentives," Uriel repliedslightly mocking my lawyerly attitude. "In this case, you willprepare yourself to be on the leading edge of the thinking of thefuture and get yourself recognized as a source of knowledge. Sincewe do not trade in your dollars, we can promise you personalbenefits to be paid in personal growth, exposure to exciting newideas, and dreams-come-true."
I was taken aback and realized he preciselyseemed to know my weaknesses. I was bored with my patent work, andhad enough money to buy all the stuff I wanted, including a veryexpensive sailplane, but no real must-have dreams. I just wishedfor something different in my life.
Uriel continued with a much lighter, almostcomedic tone, "We can talk about all this later. Now, how aboutthose Dodgers."
I laughed and replied, "I'll think aboutit.'"
Suddenly, I was being tickled and emerging froma deep sleep. "Wake up big boy," chuckled Tina. "You were snoringso loudly all the wildlife was fleeing the canyon."
I shook my head, sat up and rubbed my eyes. Ifelt a surprising sense of peace.
"He's back?" said Tina after lookingquizzically into my eyes. She brightened. "I have been told thereis something in this desert air called 'Funk-be-gone' that worksevery time. This is the guy I have been dating. Come on, let's gohave our picnic."
She grabbed my hand, pulled me to my feet, andbegan towing me up the path to the visitors’ center. We went to thecar, retrieved the cooler and Tina's wicker picnic basket, and wentto a picnic bench in the shade of a Cottonwood tree.
"Isn't this great! Look at the view! Feel thatgentle breeze! Smell the sage!" gushed Tina as she unpacked herwicker basket. She spread a red and white checkered tablecloth onthe table, spread two blue plastic plates and silverware, producedtwo crystal flutes, which she filled with bottled water from thecooler, and, as a final touch, placed a cut crystal vase in thecenter. She produced a cluster of daisies from a bag in the coolerand said, "Don't worry Mr. Lawyer, I didn't pick these in the park.I picked these in the courtyard behind your mobilehome."
She then produced a bunch of grapes, somecheese and crackers, and sandwiches, as she smiledbroadly.
"I was expecting a bag lunch," Isaid
"Not for a beautiful setting like this," shereplied.
I was struck by how beautiful she looked, evenwith little makeup, glowing with some inner exuberance. I seemed tosee a yellow golden glow around her face, and feel a soft,beautiful vibration while I looked at her. I also felt a strangeenergy on my chest, right above my heart.
We ate without saying much. She was taking inthe view and the day, and I was watching her.
After a while, I volunteered, "I had anothervisit from Uriel today."
Her beautiful pale–blue eyes grew wide, shesmiled with an