Short Story Fiction
A Matter of Perspective
Scott A. Gese
Everyone looks at life from a slightly different perspective. Some see the fun and joy in life while others see only danger and despair. It’s a matter of perspective.
Mariscogallegopro/PixabayLarry and Tom were cousins who lived in the same neighborhood. Larry was outgoing. Always wanting to try new things. Life was a big adventure and he was eager to be a part of it. He wouldn’t have it any other way.
Tom on the other hand was more of an introvert. A cautious planner who considered life to be less of an adventure and more of an accident waiting to happen. Precautions needed to be taken at every step.
They were polar opposites in almost every way. But they were blood and that was enough to overlook each others differences.
Larry had somehow talked Tom into hiking the Grand Way Trail with him. It was a long day hike. There was a small camp area at the end of the trail for those who wanted to make it a two day hike. Tom didn’t want any part of spending the night in the woods in nothing more than a thin sheet of fabric between them and the creatures of the night. Tom won out.
Larry was the type who didn’t put too much planning into the things he did. When he decided to do something he pretty much just did it. Some called it reckless. Larry called it adventuresome. Tom on the other hand tended to over plan. He didn’t like surprises.
Larry wanted to catch a ride with a friend who happened to be going past the trail head on the morning they were planning to hike. He would swing back by and pick them up that evening. Tom wanted to take his car just in case something unforeseen happened and they needed to leave early. Larry thought it was important to get Tom out of his comfort zone so he agreed.
When they arrived at the parking area they had to pay a fee to park the car. Tom didn’t like the idea. He was concerned about it being vandalized. Larry convinced him not to worry about the car. Tom agreed to leave it but he still planned to worry about it.
As they hiked through the woods along a small river, they came to a fork in the trail. The main trail kept to the river. The other climbed to a high meadow before it circled back to the main trail. Larry wanted to take the high trail. Tom wanted to stick to the trail they were on. The side trail looked steep and he wasn’t sure where it went. After some discussion, they decided to part and meet up again where the two trails re-converged.
Larry took the upper trail. It wound through beautiful high meadows full of wild flowers. He took photo’s of the grand vista with no less than five sno-capped mountains in the distance. He also saw a black bear with two cubs cross the trail he was on. It was all well worth the trip up the hill.
Tom kept to the well used river trail. He wasn’t happy about being alone in the middle of nowhere. He had his taser out and picked up a big stick as he walked along. He hoped he wouldn’t see a bear or a cougar. He kept his eyes on the trail ahead.
When the two met back up, Tom was relieved to see Larry hadn’t somehow gotten lost.
As they continued down the trail they came to a waterfall. A small trail led hikers behind the falls. Larry was all for taking it. He had never been behind a waterfall before. Tom wanted no part of it. The trail was narrow and looked slippery. If he wasn’t careful he could end up in the river. He would have to hike the rest of the way in wet boots.
Tom sat on a stump and waited as Larry easily took the trail and experienced the thrill of walking behind a waterfall. He sat back for a few minutes and took it in. When he came back to the main trail, Tom was waiting. “Thought you got lost or something,” commented Tom.
As they reached the end of the trail they came across a couple who had set up camp. Larry struck up a conversation with them and they invited the two to join them for a cup of coffee. Larry was all for it, but Tom was concerned. He didn’t know these people and was leery about drinking their coffee. He reluctantly took a seat by their fire, declined the coffee and kept quiet. Not joining in on the conversation unless he was asked a direct question.
Tom was getting concerned about the time and was certain they would be hiking in the dark before they got back to the car. He kept dropping little hints to Larry about starting to head back. They made it back well before the sun went down only because Tom made a beeline for the trailhead. He refused to slow down and enjoy the hike.
The following day, Larry couldn’t stop talking about what a great time he had. Tom thought it was a boring trip and doubted he would ever go back.
© Copyright 2023 by Scott A. Gese All Rights Reserved.
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