“With you going with us, I’m not worried. If my sword and axe fail, you can back me up with your rifle on full auto,” Kent said, laughing. He then added, with another copious swig of beer. “And you are driving.”
A river jaunt did sound like a good idea at the moment to Derek, and they had more than one option available regarding their mode of travel.
Mr. McNeeley had purchased a shiny new speedboat about six months prior, which had some real kick in its engine. There were also two canoes resting upon on the shore, tethered to posts.
It did not have to be discussed openly as to which of the boats they would choose.
After Kent had finished off a couple more beers, when full night had fallen, the trio made their way down to a short quay at the water’s edge. It ran alongside a small shed enclosure that sheltered the new speedboat within it.
Kent handed the speedboat’s keys over to Derek, holding a couple more unopened beers in his other hand. The three of them settled into the vessel and made themselves comfortable.
Derek eased into the driver’s seat and turned the key in the ignition. The engine growled to life, settling into a steady rumble. Slowly, he guided the boat out of the enclosure and out into the body of the lake.
In moments, they were cruising steadily along the water’s surface, the wind beating against their faces. As they traveled, Derek again appreciated just how long the lake was. It seemed to go on forever, an endless panorama of houses, docks, and trees.
A number of lakeside residents were getting their nocturnal activities underway. They passed several houses exhibiting the beginnings of evening festivities. The thumping music and raucous chorus of voices coming from a couple of the ongoing parties indicated lake houses that would be very active well into the night.
Yet not every figure that came into sight was overly energetic or boisterous. At some points along the shore, Derek took notice of the nearly still forms of couples, young or older in age, enjoying the company of their significant other within the cool night’s ambience down by the water’s edge. Derek really liked such warm, peaceable sights, as he had seen quite enough of the other extremes in life.
As far as other watercraft, they only passed two other boats, both of which had their small engines off and were idly floating in the water. The silhouettes of fishermen were visible on both, still and silent as they waited for their bait to be taken.
Derek saw the fishermen turn their heads towards them as they passed. The night masked the likely glares on their faces. Derek knew that the fishermen were muttering low curses as he drove the boat by them, the water and their quarry momentarily disrupted.
Derek could only chuckle to himself and continue onward. The fishermen, after all, did not own exclusive rights to the lake. Engaged in an activity like fishing, they should be adept at patience anyway.
After some time, the trio finally drew close to the far end of the lake.
“Long… this is one long, long lake,” Derek remarked as the end of the water came into sight at last.
“Yes. Yes it is,” Kent said. “If you didn’t know better, you’d probably think that this whole thing was a river. With the fairly narrow width of it, and all of the twists and turns that it takes along its path, it does kind of look like one.”
“Just one of those rivers without a current,” Derek retorted, chuckling.
“Well, whatever it is, let’s head on back, and see what is happening at the other end,” Kent said, as Derek turned the boat around. He then added, a little more spiritedly, as he finished another beer, “No promising sites to raid at this end, but there’s another end to explore! Onward, sea raiders!”
“Sea raiders? So now this is an ocean?” Derek jested. Laughing, he shook his head, and set the boat forward on its course, simply glad that Kent was not driving.
JANUS
In the back of the speedboat, Janus just sat back and breathed slowly. He was content to simply let the cool breezes flow soothingly against the skin of his face as they resumed their trip back along the lake. The night sky was predominately clear, bestowing him with a beautiful view of the stars in the vast firmament above.
His mind, given the peace of the moment, and with such a tremendous vista of the heavens filling his eyes, wandered again towards thoughts of his father. He wondered whether somewhere, somehow, his father was even now watching over him. As was his new habit in such moments, Janus looked for any sign; in the stars, or on the gentle currents of air, or even on the few spare wisps of clouds that were drifting along in the sky.
The hardest part about death, he had surmised, apart from the abrupt and stark separation, was the state of the unknown, perhaps the worst element of it all by far. Janus knew that the separation would have been easier to bear with the comfort of knowing that his father still existed, and had reached a good destination.
Having been through the sorrows of deaths more than once before, he knew that the most sharply biting pains would eventually fade. Yet he also knew fully well that the hopes and worries would not, and nor would the sorrows.
Janus knew that life would go on, but with him there would be yet another scar on his spirit, and another weight on a heart grown far heavier over his brief years. Even worse, this newest scar was the largest that he had ever incurred.
Suddenly, as the darkness swarmed around him, he found that he needed the refuge of his mind.
He leaned his head back farther and closed his eyes, wondering what it would be like to have the surety of a healing end to life’s journey. Imagination took root, sprouted, and flowered.
In his mind, he envisioned a shining road, leading to a gateway as resplendent as the sun itself. Beyond that gate would be realms where death had no name or claim, where all scars would be fully erased, and where the burdens would be lifted and tossed away in their entirety.
Janus imagined walking towards that radiant entrance, and what he might first see. In his mind’s eye, he saw the outlines of many figures waiting for him before the gates, with one in the forefront of the gathering. In his inner vision, their details were obscured at first by the blinding light, but his heart knew who they were. He could feel the surging joy within him with each step that drew him closer to them, an electrifying thrill that infused the powerful emotions swirling within him.
As his eyes adjusted to the light, he beheld the face of his father, with an expression carefree and sparkling with life. Janus could feel the arms of his father wrapping around him in a welcoming embrace, even as he heard a chorus of human voices, as well as exuberant, excited barks, mixed with high pitched, chirruping sounds, all brimming with a boundless joy.
Such a glorious moment would only be the mere dawning of an eternal day, as he continued towards that gate with his heart rising and the jubilant throng of souls walking and padding along at his side. He knew that he could laugh, seeing familiar, beloved four-legged forms bounding along the edge of the pathway to the gate, imbued with the fullness of health and vitality.
His gaze would then focus in on the figure walking at his side, regarding that single face before he could even take in the endless, awesome beauty of the horizons spreading out to infinity beyond the great gates.
That moment would be the beginning of a reunion that would never be broken or tarnished by death or disease ever again; the beginning of a glorious and wonderful time that would never, ever end.
His heart ached thunderously with the burning desire for the realization of that luminous image, even as a few tears welled up in his eyes and began to trickle down his cheeks.
He wished that he could just know with reassurance that something like the vision in his mind could be real; that at the end of all things, his beloved family would all be there. For if a deity did love creation, and loved Janus, then his family was truly the expression, and face, of that love. With all of life’s sorrows and struggles, it seemed like such a small comfort to ask for.