Love Found On A Clifftop
On a lone ridge a man stood silently watching, waiting and wondering. Down below, down in the thicket beneath the cliff the fellow stood on was a woman.
The man was on a hike in the mountains when he had heard a voice calling for help. He had followed the sound to the edge of the precipice where he now stood puzzling over how this lady had come to end up at the bottom of a cliff face.
“Lady!” he called. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I am perfectly fine… I am just trapped. But I need someone to help me to get out of this awkward place.” The woman flicked the hair away from her face as she looked up to see who she was conversing with. All she could see was a ragged thatch of tussled hair crowning a pair of dancing eyes and cheekiest grin imaginable.
The eyes twinkled down at her as she heard the man say,
“Gosh! I have no idea how you came to end up down in that place, but I assure you I will get you out before many minutes have passed!”
Relieved of the fear she had been in, the woman began to feel better. She had no idea how her rescuer was going to save her, but she trusted those smiley happy eyes. She knew they would only bring her peace… whoever the fellow was!
The woman was lying among a huge blackberry patch. They had broken her fall when she had stumbled from the cliff top some hours earlier. Without the blackberry bushes, she would have been killed. But although the Blackberry bushes were there, she was covered in scratches from head to toe…and it was going to be difficult for a rescue to be made owing to the heavy growth surrounding her.
As the woman waited, she thought back over her carelessness in not keeping to the track. If she had of obeyed the warning signs she would not have caused this problem to start with, nor would she have taken the man away from whatever he was doing.
While the woman was thinking over how careless she had been, the man was very busy. With his sheath knife he cut some long vines and pulling some string from his pack he tied them together to make a ladder. As the shadows lengthened and the day drew to a close the ladder was finally completed.
Rushing against time the man hurriedly tied one end of his ladder to a tree and threw the other end out over the edge of the cliff. Without wasting time he took off his jacket and began to clamber down the makeshift ladder.
The woman down below watched fearfully as he began the long decent. Once his foot slipped… and time his hand missed a rung in the ladder. Each time he caught himself in the nick of time.
Finally the man reached the bottom of the ladder. Swinging just above the lady lying in the Blackberry patch, he grinned down at her.
“I’ll have you out of this prickly spot very soon!”
The man had stout boots and thick trousers on, so he jumped off the ladder and landed beside the woman. Quickly he checked her over to see how she was. There was only scratches… no limbs were broken or even sprained!
“My name is Tom, Tom Dudgeon,” he said, I am on a hiking trip through the Pass. What is your name?”
The lady looked at Tom and smiled with relief. “My name is Rachel, and I was also on a hiking trip through the Pass. However, I thought I could do it alone. You have just shown me I was stupid to tackle the track alone. If someone had been with me they would have seen what I missed until too late… the warning sign.”
They both looked back up at the top of the cliff where they could see the outline of the sign against the fading light. It was a stark reminder of a near tragedy.
Tom suddenly remembered where they were.
“Look Rachel, we have to get out of here pretty soon or we’ll end up staying here for the night. Grab hold of ladder and start climbing. Have no fear, I will climb right behind to encourage you and to make sure you are safe.”
It was a scary trip up that ladder. Tom thought to himself several times that Rachel was going to give up and slip. For one ghastly moment the world seemed to stand still as Rachel screamed,
“I can’t do it! I really can’t!”
“Of course you can!” bellowed Tom. “Just concentrate on the ladder. Don’t look down!”
Rachel sobbed quietly to herself as she painfully wrenched herself up that ladder. She knew the pain was of her own making… and she knew the only way out of this situation was up and over the cliff top… the same way she had come down!
Finally the pair reached the top of the cliff. Rachel clambered over the edge and just lay on the cold bare rocks panting for breath. Tom came up next and sat beside her. He got a thick blanket from his pack and threw it over Rachel as she lay there tired out.
After awhile Tom lit a fire to cook a meal. Once the smell of cooking reached Rachel’s nose, she began to feel hungry. Slowly she rolled over and sat up.
Tom was busy at the fire preparing a tasty dish and didn’t see the eyes watching his every move from the other side of the flickering firelight. They watched how he carefully buttered the bread, how he poured the tea into a couple of mugs. They watched his hands as he unhesitatingly worked…noting the absence of rings on his fingers.
Once the meal was prepared to Tom’s satisfaction, he turned to the lady with a grin.
“Well Rachel, this is the best I can do for a meal out here, but at least it should give you a warm feeling inside!”
“Um, yes, it is sure to.” was the stuttering reply. There was another swift glance at his bare hands.
“Tom, have you got a family?”
“No Rachel, I have no one… my family died years ago”
“Do you have many friends?”
"No, only one…”
“Who is that?”
“Jesus Christ!”
Rachel thought for a bit… “Tom, do you have any girl friends?”
Tom gave a hearty laugh. “Now what makes you ask that? Ha-ha! Actually, no I don’t.”
“Well, Tom, I have no family either, no human friends… not even boy or girl friends. The only friend I have in life is the same one you have. Jesus. I couldn’t do without Him. I am naughty at times, like today and forsake Him, but he still cares for me. I think he sent me you… to rescue me.”
“Oh yes,” Tom replied. “For sure! He sent me to rescue you. I know that!”
“Perhaps He wants you to be my friend too… that is if you will have me Tom?”
Tom scratched his chin as he puzzled this over. “Sure Rachel, I am your friend. I always will be.”
There was silence between them as they ate their supper. An Owl could be heard calling in the distance and far away the howl of a wolf could be heard. The fire flared up as Tom tossed another log onto the dying embers.
With their rugs around them to keep them warm they slept out under Gods heaven for the night. Next morning they both awoke refreshed and at peace. Other than the many scratches, Rachel was none the worse for her misadventure of the day before.
She helped to make breakfast and then pack up their 'camp’.Today she was fully herself. As she worked busily about, Rachel noticed that Tom kept looking at her strangely. He wouldn’t say anything… but it was the queer looks he sent in her direction that made her wonder what was up.
Eventually they were prepared to leave and continue their separate ways. Tom smothered the fire with earth and cleaned up any stray bits of litter. Whilst he was doing that Rachel was putting her pack on her back and adjusting the straps.
Tom came over to Rachel as she stood waiting for him to finish.
“Okay Rachel, I guess this is where we part company” He grinned sheepishly at her.
“Yes, I suppose it must be…” was the sorrowful reply. “But thanks ever so much Tom for getting me out of that terrible place. But for you I would be dead by now.”
Her eyes dropped to her feet, and she wiped a tear from her eye. The parting was so hard.
“Listen Tom, please don’t ever forget about me, will you
now? Promise?????
“Of course Rachel, why should I ever forget about you? I think you are…. um ah… Bother! Of course I won’t forget you Rachel!”
Rachel looked at Tom with a fixed look.
“Tom, when you find a girl friend, that’s when you will forget all about me.”
A startled look came into Toms eyes and he flinched noticeably.
“I hadn’t thought about that. I shouldn’t worry about it though. I have no hope of finding a girl friend. I am not the kind of fellow girls like.”
He gave an uncomfortable laugh as he swung his pack over his shoulders.
“Well, Rachel we must get going. Its been great to meet you, and I look forward to a letter from you when we get home… if you haven’t forgotten about me!!!!!”
Rachel started to walk off down the track. Slowly she walked, as though thinking of something. Suddenly she turned around.
“Tom, just a moment please. I do have a letter for you. I wrote it early this morning. It will save me from posting it when I get out…you might as well read it now. God bless you Tom, and don’t forget to write to me!”
She turned and hurried down the track and was soon out of sight.
Tom opened the letter in bewilderment. Inside was a nicely written note.
Dear Tom,
Although you might not think so, I love you a lot. What you did for me was very special and I am forever grateful to you. I know its not normal for a girl to ask a man to marry her, but I am in love with you and wanted to ask if you could give me a second look…
Your friend, Rachel
A flush spread over Toms face.
“That’s exactly what I was thinking myself,” he whispered.“Only I didn’t want to take any liberties with the lady! Well, well, I guess I had better catch her up and sort this all out.”
He ran down the track as fast as his heavy burden would allow, finally arriving very breathless beside Rachel. Tom threw his arms around Rachel.
“Of course Rachel, I wanted the same thing, but I was afraid to ask so soon.”
Rachel burst into tears. “I am SOooooo happy!” she sobbed.
The pair continued the hike together thereafter. They were a match made in heaven… and needless to say they had a quiet country wedding 6 months later. And as all good stories go… they lived happily ever after!
By Adam R. B. Reeve
11th June 201
The man was on a hike in the mountains when he had heard a voice calling for help. He had followed the sound to the edge of the precipice where he now stood puzzling over how this lady had come to end up at the bottom of a cliff face.
“Lady!” he called. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I am perfectly fine… I am just trapped. But I need someone to help me to get out of this awkward place.” The woman flicked the hair away from her face as she looked up to see who she was conversing with. All she could see was a ragged thatch of tussled hair crowning a pair of dancing eyes and cheekiest grin imaginable.
The eyes twinkled down at her as she heard the man say,
“Gosh! I have no idea how you came to end up down in that place, but I assure you I will get you out before many minutes have passed!”
Relieved of the fear she had been in, the woman began to feel better. She had no idea how her rescuer was going to save her, but she trusted those smiley happy eyes. She knew they would only bring her peace… whoever the fellow was!
The woman was lying among a huge blackberry patch. They had broken her fall when she had stumbled from the cliff top some hours earlier. Without the blackberry bushes, she would have been killed. But although the Blackberry bushes were there, she was covered in scratches from head to toe…and it was going to be difficult for a rescue to be made owing to the heavy growth surrounding her.
As the woman waited, she thought back over her carelessness in not keeping to the track. If she had of obeyed the warning signs she would not have caused this problem to start with, nor would she have taken the man away from whatever he was doing.
While the woman was thinking over how careless she had been, the man was very busy. With his sheath knife he cut some long vines and pulling some string from his pack he tied them together to make a ladder. As the shadows lengthened and the day drew to a close the ladder was finally completed.
Rushing against time the man hurriedly tied one end of his ladder to a tree and threw the other end out over the edge of the cliff. Without wasting time he took off his jacket and began to clamber down the makeshift ladder.
The woman down below watched fearfully as he began the long decent. Once his foot slipped… and time his hand missed a rung in the ladder. Each time he caught himself in the nick of time.
Finally the man reached the bottom of the ladder. Swinging just above the lady lying in the Blackberry patch, he grinned down at her.
“I’ll have you out of this prickly spot very soon!”
The man had stout boots and thick trousers on, so he jumped off the ladder and landed beside the woman. Quickly he checked her over to see how she was. There was only scratches… no limbs were broken or even sprained!
“My name is Tom, Tom Dudgeon,” he said, I am on a hiking trip through the Pass. What is your name?”
The lady looked at Tom and smiled with relief. “My name is Rachel, and I was also on a hiking trip through the Pass. However, I thought I could do it alone. You have just shown me I was stupid to tackle the track alone. If someone had been with me they would have seen what I missed until too late… the warning sign.”
They both looked back up at the top of the cliff where they could see the outline of the sign against the fading light. It was a stark reminder of a near tragedy.
Tom suddenly remembered where they were.
“Look Rachel, we have to get out of here pretty soon or we’ll end up staying here for the night. Grab hold of ladder and start climbing. Have no fear, I will climb right behind to encourage you and to make sure you are safe.”
It was a scary trip up that ladder. Tom thought to himself several times that Rachel was going to give up and slip. For one ghastly moment the world seemed to stand still as Rachel screamed,
“I can’t do it! I really can’t!”
“Of course you can!” bellowed Tom. “Just concentrate on the ladder. Don’t look down!”
Rachel sobbed quietly to herself as she painfully wrenched herself up that ladder. She knew the pain was of her own making… and she knew the only way out of this situation was up and over the cliff top… the same way she had come down!
Finally the pair reached the top of the cliff. Rachel clambered over the edge and just lay on the cold bare rocks panting for breath. Tom came up next and sat beside her. He got a thick blanket from his pack and threw it over Rachel as she lay there tired out.
After awhile Tom lit a fire to cook a meal. Once the smell of cooking reached Rachel’s nose, she began to feel hungry. Slowly she rolled over and sat up.
Tom was busy at the fire preparing a tasty dish and didn’t see the eyes watching his every move from the other side of the flickering firelight. They watched how he carefully buttered the bread, how he poured the tea into a couple of mugs. They watched his hands as he unhesitatingly worked…noting the absence of rings on his fingers.
Once the meal was prepared to Tom’s satisfaction, he turned to the lady with a grin.
“Well Rachel, this is the best I can do for a meal out here, but at least it should give you a warm feeling inside!”
“Um, yes, it is sure to.” was the stuttering reply. There was another swift glance at his bare hands.
“Tom, have you got a family?”
“No Rachel, I have no one… my family died years ago”
“Do you have many friends?”
"No, only one…”
“Who is that?”
“Jesus Christ!”
Rachel thought for a bit… “Tom, do you have any girl friends?”
Tom gave a hearty laugh. “Now what makes you ask that? Ha-ha! Actually, no I don’t.”
“Well, Tom, I have no family either, no human friends… not even boy or girl friends. The only friend I have in life is the same one you have. Jesus. I couldn’t do without Him. I am naughty at times, like today and forsake Him, but he still cares for me. I think he sent me you… to rescue me.”
“Oh yes,” Tom replied. “For sure! He sent me to rescue you. I know that!”
“Perhaps He wants you to be my friend too… that is if you will have me Tom?”
Tom scratched his chin as he puzzled this over. “Sure Rachel, I am your friend. I always will be.”
There was silence between them as they ate their supper. An Owl could be heard calling in the distance and far away the howl of a wolf could be heard. The fire flared up as Tom tossed another log onto the dying embers.
With their rugs around them to keep them warm they slept out under Gods heaven for the night. Next morning they both awoke refreshed and at peace. Other than the many scratches, Rachel was none the worse for her misadventure of the day before.
She helped to make breakfast and then pack up their 'camp’.Today she was fully herself. As she worked busily about, Rachel noticed that Tom kept looking at her strangely. He wouldn’t say anything… but it was the queer looks he sent in her direction that made her wonder what was up.
Eventually they were prepared to leave and continue their separate ways. Tom smothered the fire with earth and cleaned up any stray bits of litter. Whilst he was doing that Rachel was putting her pack on her back and adjusting the straps.
Tom came over to Rachel as she stood waiting for him to finish.
“Okay Rachel, I guess this is where we part company” He grinned sheepishly at her.
“Yes, I suppose it must be…” was the sorrowful reply. “But thanks ever so much Tom for getting me out of that terrible place. But for you I would be dead by now.”
Her eyes dropped to her feet, and she wiped a tear from her eye. The parting was so hard.
“Listen Tom, please don’t ever forget about me, will you
now? Promise?????
“Of course Rachel, why should I ever forget about you? I think you are…. um ah… Bother! Of course I won’t forget you Rachel!”
Rachel looked at Tom with a fixed look.
“Tom, when you find a girl friend, that’s when you will forget all about me.”
A startled look came into Toms eyes and he flinched noticeably.
“I hadn’t thought about that. I shouldn’t worry about it though. I have no hope of finding a girl friend. I am not the kind of fellow girls like.”
He gave an uncomfortable laugh as he swung his pack over his shoulders.
“Well, Rachel we must get going. Its been great to meet you, and I look forward to a letter from you when we get home… if you haven’t forgotten about me!!!!!”
Rachel started to walk off down the track. Slowly she walked, as though thinking of something. Suddenly she turned around.
“Tom, just a moment please. I do have a letter for you. I wrote it early this morning. It will save me from posting it when I get out…you might as well read it now. God bless you Tom, and don’t forget to write to me!”
She turned and hurried down the track and was soon out of sight.
Tom opened the letter in bewilderment. Inside was a nicely written note.
Dear Tom,
Although you might not think so, I love you a lot. What you did for me was very special and I am forever grateful to you. I know its not normal for a girl to ask a man to marry her, but I am in love with you and wanted to ask if you could give me a second look…
Your friend, Rachel
A flush spread over Toms face.
“That’s exactly what I was thinking myself,” he whispered.“Only I didn’t want to take any liberties with the lady! Well, well, I guess I had better catch her up and sort this all out.”
He ran down the track as fast as his heavy burden would allow, finally arriving very breathless beside Rachel. Tom threw his arms around Rachel.
“Of course Rachel, I wanted the same thing, but I was afraid to ask so soon.”
Rachel burst into tears. “I am SOooooo happy!” she sobbed.
The pair continued the hike together thereafter. They were a match made in heaven… and needless to say they had a quiet country wedding 6 months later. And as all good stories go… they lived happily ever after!
By Adam R. B. Reeve
11th June 201