Encounter- Part 5

Ya know, some might say my heads as empty as a bucket with a hole in it. Alotta times I may come off that way, but I do have an ed-u-cation. I tend to spell words like I say em. I feel it gets the persona of my slang out there better. Readin somethin on paper, you don't hear the accent. Well, I'm a might proud of where I'm from and proud of my ancestors that lived and raised their families here. We do have our own language. And when I say we, I mean most of all Appalachians. No one should be embarrassed by the way they talk or be belittled by someone who thinks their high-n-mightier. Why, I got my speech from my parents, and they got it from theirs. I've been called hillbilly quite a bit from city folk. Well guess what? That don't offend me cause, well, I am one. I grew up in the hills of Tennessee. Sticks and stones my friends. Words are just words. Well, nuff bout that.

Back to my encounter.

I was still just staring at the big guy thinkin, should I high tail it outta there or just trust my gut feelin. Even though my heart felt a calmness, my brain was tellin me otherwise. As I was about to turn and run, hit walked up to me. Man, that guy was huge! I felt like a small child standing in front of him. (It was obvious he was a him) Anywho, as he stood there, Hobo got up and came over to him and started licking his leg. The big guy didn't move. He just kept looking at me. I looked down and he was bleeding. Bleeding from his leg and bleeding from his arm.

By the scratches down his arm, I now knew what that commotion was I'd heard. He had tangled with that cat. I got my nerve up and spoke. I said, "Howdy. Im Zeb. Do you have a name?" I thought, you big dummy! He don't know what your sayin. I pointed at his injury and said, "Your bleeding. I can help you." He looked down at his wound and just nodded. I turned an went in the tent where my pack was. I grabbed a shirt and came out. I ripped it up in strips with the help of my old Ka-bar pocket blade. He just stood there watching me as I stepped up to him with the makeshift bandages I had in my hands. I looked at the wound and said, "Raise your arm," as I looked up at him. He just stared at me, so I reached up and took my hand under his and raised it up.

I still remember the chills it gave me as I touched him. His hair was surprisingly soft. I just assumed it would be stiff because of the dirty appearance. It wasn't a'tall. It was matted in places but for the most of it, he looked groomed. Even now, I can still smell it. He smelt like birch. I remember thinking he must have a bed or something made of birch limbs that he had laid in.

He raised his arm as I pushed upward. As he held his arm up, I wrapped the strips of cloth around his arm. After using all of the shirt, I finally got the wound covered. I said, "Hit will work for a while. Maybe hit will stop the bleeding." I stepped back and then looked down at his leg that Hobo was still licking. "Now stop that Hobo," I said as I knelt down to look. Now that wound looked like a puncture. It was in his lower calf. I believe that cat had bit em. I ran back and grabbed another shirt and done the business of making a bandage. I felt good about it this time since I was a pro at it now. After I got it cut up. I knelt back down and wrapped his leg and tied it up real good. I said, "That ought to do it." I stepped back and just looked.

You ever have one of those awkward moments when you just don't know what to say? Well, it was one of them.

We just stood there looking at each other. After a couple minutes he held his arm up and touched the bandage with his other hand. He then lowered his arm and you just won't believe what he did! That feller smiled! Sure did. As they say, I could see his pearly whites, except they weren't so pearly. I smiled back and then he turned and vanished in the darkness.

Thinking back to that night, you know, I don't remember seeing his eyes shine when I shined my flashlight in his eyes. I remember them just being dark. And his teeth, his canines weren't long and sharp. His teeth were straight across. Not perfectly straight, but somewhat straight. He was more manlike than animal like. He looked like a big hairy man without any clothes.

Believe it or not, that's for you to decide.

Stay tuned for part six. Zeb out.