An unexpected discovery

The story links to some of my other stories – Valley of Mist being the one describing my stay in these mountains.

One of the things I found after a few weeks on my own in the mountain, was that I had nothing much to say to other people.  The only interesting things in my life were discoveries I made in the forest and mountain:  large rocks, old trees, natural shelters, hidden streams, a river disappearing under the sand, to re-surface a few kilometers further…..  You had to walk to these places, sometimes for hours, which not all people were prepared to do.

Some of my friends did come to visit me.  We mostly strolled a little, swam in Abel’s Pool and sat on the stoep drinking red wine, unravelling some of their emotional issues, which they came to clarify for themselves in the misty space of my temporary abode.

One was an artist (still is) and at that time very much into cannabis (probably still is).   I did not use drugs at all (not counting wine) but her cannabian thoughts were not in conflict with my own almost permanent meditative state.  As we basked in the sun on a rock in Abel’s Pool, she told me that the waterfall sounded like a choir of voices.  I could hear that – even though the thought did not come from me.  From then on it always sounded like an immense choir comprising all the voices – from deep bass to high soprano, with an unsurpassed repertoire.

When she went back, she left me a hand made cigarette rolled with cannabis (a “daggazol”)* which I hid in the kitchen and then forgot about for a few weeks. 

Then came a week of real rain.  It was difficult to walk far and difficult to find firewood.  I had read all the books in my possession and was really getting bored. It was while staring at a smoky log that I remembered the “daggazol” hidden in an empty drawer. I have never liked smoking, so decided to make tea with my spoonfuls worth of cannabis.

I continued staring into the smoky fire, sipping my tea.  Nothing happened.