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I don’t look at him.
I can’t.
I’m too pissed off and tired and angry.
My dad might die and this is taking forever.
Longer than it should have.
“I’m going to count to three, and then you’re going to tell me where to fucking go to find this asshole. He fucking owes me. I don’t know if you’ve ever dealt with a woman on a mission. You’re young, and you seem sweet, so I’m guessing you haven’t and today is going to be a learning experience for you. You’re going to tell me, though. That’s not up for discussion.”
“I-“
“One.”
“Look, I really wish I could help you, but…”
“Two.”
I look up at him.
“Three.”
Ted points, and I look at the little path that leads away from the main mountain pass. The path is almost completely overtaken by shrubbery and brush. I never would have seen it without him.
“How far down the path?”
“Half an hour,” Ted says. “Then take a right at the broken tree.”
“And then?”
“And then just go up,” Ted says. “He lives somewhere around there. I…it’s up there.”
“Thank you, Ted.”
He stares at me.
“You can go now.”
He takes off running, and I sigh. I really didn’t mean to be a huge bitch to the kid. I shouldn’t have been so harsh with him, but I’m tired and I’m sad and I’m desperate, and I’m getting nervous about these clouds. It’s just early afternoon and already, the sky is getting dark. The last thing I want is to be caught in the rain or – even worse – the snow.
I take a deep breath and start walking. Carefully, I step over rocks and push past tree branches. I move as quickly as I possibly can. The fact that Ted could be sending me on a wild goose chase doesn’t even matter. I don’t think he is. I think he’s being honest, and I think this is my last chance.
My last hurrah.
Donald has to know what this illness is. He has to know how to cure it. Maybe there’s a plant or a pill or something none of us has thought about. He worked in a country where you can’t just walk to the store and pick up a prescription, which means he’s going to be resourceful. He has to be.
That’s Donald.
There’s another part of me, a selfish part, that wonders if he’s ever thought about me or missed me since he left. I was just a kid when Donald went away. I’m older now. We both are.
After what feels like forever, I think I spot the broken tree Ted was talking about, but I have to hurry because it’s definitely not a rain storm. It’s a snow storm. I’m not dressed for snow by any stretch of the imagination and I certainly don’t have enough supplies to keep me warm for a night spent in the snow.
Fuck.
I hurry, walking faster. I get to the tree and stare at it for a second. It’s huge with multiple big, long branches that spread out over the path, which curves both to the right and the left. There’s no doubt in my mind that this is the “broken tree,” but not for the reasons I originally thought. I figured the tree stump would be busted in half or that the branches would be hanging.
No, this tree seems almost emotionally broken, and it’s quite a strange sight. There are still come dead leaves clinging to the branches, but for the most part, the tree is empty. There’s something carved into the base of the tree, and when I approach, I reach out and touch it.
