love you till i’m dead.

Jack Tait woke up after a great sleep.  a short sleep but a sleep filled with beautiful dreams and peaceful thoughts.
he put on a pot of coffee and turned on the stereo.  “Misguided Angel” by The Cowboy Junkies playing on repeat.  beautiful song sung by a beautiful girl.  love filling poor Jack Tait’s empty farmhouse in the middle of nowhere.
He drank two cups of coffee and splashed water on his face.  he then brushed his teeth and put some clothes on his naked body.  he packed up a bag filled with cross country ski’s and cross country poles and exited his farmhouse.
there was too much snow on the ground so Jack Tait decided to walk to the ski trails.  he huffed and he puffed but there was no house in sight to blow down.  one hour later Jack Tait arrived at the ski trails.  beautiful sunny day.  beautiful white snow.  beautiful life in a beautiful world.  Jack Tait began to put on his ski’s when an SUV approached.  the truck stopped and out walked an older woman.  pretty smile.  pretty grey hair under a pretty blue hat.  real in a phony world. 
“how are you?”  Jack asked the woman.
“I’m great.  a beautiful day to ski.”  the pretty older woman replied.
“for sure.  are you going to do the red trails (advanced trails)?”  Jack continued.
“no not today.  I haven’t been on the red trails since I broke my back a year ago.”
“Wow!!!  how did you break your back?”
“I got in a very bad car accident last winter during an extreme whiteout.  the car in front of me was at a complete stop and I ran right into him.”
“WOW!!!  I guess you’ve been doing lots of physio (Jack’s not dumb)?”
“A year’s worth so far and I have to continue.  My back is still sore and weak.”
“Well that’s great that you are out here.  That’s amazing!!!”
“Yeah I guess I got lucky.”
“You sure did.  You could have died.”
“Oh yes.  It was close”
“wow…Well have a great ski.  Nice…very nice talking with you.”
The woman walked ahead and Jack looked at her in awe.  in amazement.  in shock.  in thought and in love.  not love of the woman but love of life and love of stories that people have to share if you would just open up your ears and open up your heart instead of keeping your head down and working like a slave for the gold at the end of the tunnel.  a tunnel that is run by old white rich folk who don’t care if they kill the environment and kill the kids.  as long as they have a big house filled with tacky furniture and tacky paintings.
Jack Tait then finished putting on his ski’s and went for a two hour ski on the red trails.  snow.  trees.  ponds.  lakes.  gravel pits.  lots of uphills which then led to lots of downhills.  Jack Tait worked up a great sweat climbing hills and racing down hills.  he observed the beautiful nature and beautiful skiers in the beautiful sunlight.  everyone friendly in a rather unfriendly world.
Two hours later Jack began to descend the last hill.  he was soaking with sweat even though the thermometer read -10 degrees.  he turned the last corner and ran into the same beautiful older woman with whom he spoke earlier.  she had a huge smile on her peaceful face.  no words spoken.  an acknowledgement through smiles and off she went and off he went too.  human connections still meaningful in a world that continues to try and snuff them out.  LOVE CONQUERS ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jack Tait then made his way back to the clubhouse and took off his ski’s.  he packed all of his belongings in his bag and walked out of the woods and onto hwy 10.  he turned right and made his way to South 88 Vietnamese Restaurant.  he was hungry for Pho. 
Jack Tait arrived sweaty and cold all at the same time.  he walked inside and was greeted by the friendly waitress who sometimes forgets Jack’s order and is sometimes slow.  Jack was in a loving mood and smiled and she smiled back and offered Jack a seat at one of the tables.  five minutes later an older woman walked into the restaurant and Jack recognized her right away.  it was Rita, Jack’s old psychiatrist with whom he hadn’t had contact with in ten years.  Rita recognized Jack too.  they smiled at each other and Rita asked if she could join Jack for lunch.
Rita sat down and they both ordered their food.
“How are you Jack?”  Rita asked with love.
“I’m great.  How are you?”  Jack responded with love as well.
“Very good Jack.  Very good.”
“How’s Arnold (Rita’s husband)?”
“He’s great.  he just finished his book on the decay of our society and the link between religion and the school system.”
“wow…sounds interesting.”
“Yeah, I think you would love it Jack.  we are in very scary times at the moment and everyone is so oblivious.”
“I agree Rita.  we are such a society of complacency and sheep.”
“Yes we are Jack.  The far right Conservatives are evil and only care about themselves and their riches.  all at the expense of the environment and our kids future.”
“It’s sickening Rita.  it really is.  the 1% are winning the race of riches all at the expense of the rest of the 99% but they will take down our environment and our society in the process.  I can’t believe that we are all allowing this.  sickening.”
“Yes…Arnold’s book is all about this but Arnold writes in such a calming way that he gets across his angry points without seeming angry.”
“That’s smart Rita.  I’m just angry.  People tune me out because I BARK but I BARK with a point but everyone is too busy watching shitty shows and listening to shitty music to realize how fucked up our whole system is.  I’m sure the Conservative government are watching me watch porn while they watch porn and fuck mistresses while watching porn and eating caviar (charged to a government expense card of course).  SICK PEOPLE RITA.  SICK!!!”
“I totally agree Jack.  grow your own vegetables and tell children to skip school because the school system teaches young kids to “follow the leaders” and respect the rules even if they are wrong.  religion and the school system are set up by the rich to keep the thinkers down Jack.  remember that.”
at that point the food came and both Rita and Jack ate their food.  the odd time they looked up at each other and smiled.  love once again but a love of life and a love of conversation that is soon to be extinct if the rich Conservatives get their way.
Jack Tait and Rita paid their bills and left the restaurant.
They hugged each other.
“It was great seeing you Jack.  Email Arnold and he will send you some articles that you would really like.”
“Great seeing you too Rita and I will for sure.  Take care.”
“You too Jack.”
Rita left to her car.  Jack Tait flung his bag on his back and began to walk home.  a big smile on his face.  sun still beaming down.  cars whizzing by.  honking horns and Tim Horton’s signs and Tim Horton’s line-ups. 
Jack Tait began to sing to himself.  Misguided Angel by The Cowboy Junkies once again. 
“I said, Mama’s he crazy and he scares me.  But I want him by my side.  Though he’s wild and he’s bad and sometimes just plain mad.  I need him to keep me satisfied.  Misguided Angel love you till I’m dead.”