THE ENCOUNTER

Once upon a time I lived in Southern California. Although there were separate towns and municipalities the whole region was one huge metropolitan area. The towns had grown until they overlapped each other. Consequently, there were few open spaces and very little wildlife left in the city. I used to hike in the foothills to get away from the crowds. I would start hiking around sunset and go until dark. The hills were quiet at that time of day; most people were at home and I had the illusion of being alone.

On one of my hikes I came across a temporary dirt road. It was the height of the fire season and the fire department had bulldozed the path as a precaution against brush fires. Therefore, the road had limited access and there was no traffic on it. In short, it was perfect for hiking and I enjoyed going �where no man had gone before��

For a couple of hours I walked absorbed in my own thoughts and then I heard the sound of distant gunshots. In those days that was a common sound in LA. It made me think about the high crime rate which was mainly due to gang violence. I wondered if gangs used this isolated area for their criminal activities. I decided to pay more attention to my surrounding and noticed a slight movement in the bushes. I hoped it was the wind and kept on going. However, soon I saw more movement and I suspected someone was following me from behind the bushes.

I quickened my pace and my shadow kept right up with me. I could not see him but I could hear him and from time to time caught a glimpse of his movement in my peripheral vision. I thought about calling out but decided against it. Whoever was in the bushes sure as heck knew I was walking parallel to him on the open road. The question was why he didn�t reveal himself. I thought about looking for a sturdy stick to use as a weapon but discarded the idea. Gang bangers certainly had guns and picking up a stick simply told them I did not.

I was out of choices and I started to run. My pursuer crashed through the foliage to keep up with me. We crested a hill and started running downhill at a breakneck speed. I was fully aware that running in the dark was not the smartest thing in the world. I could have twisted an ankle or tripped on something and crashed on my face. But, he was not stopping and neither was I�

Soon I came face to face with my pursuer� He was crossing the path for better cover on the other side of the road, and I was coming around a bend at fairly high speed. We were both surprised and froze in our tracks.

It was not a man after all... It was either a small wolf or a big coyote and he was magnificent.

We just stood there and stared at each other for a magical few seconds. Neither of us dared look away nor move. I thought to myself, this is probably how our ancestors met and began the man/dog friendship. But, we were not them. We just looked into each other�s eyes and asked �What are you doing here?� After all, I was a refugee from another land and he was a species near extinction.

Then there was the sound of gunshots in the distance and the coyote disappeared into the bushes. I hoped he would continue to keep me company but he had better things to do. He had given me one glimpse and that was enough for a life time.