Canoeing down the still waters of the lake that led to some fast water, Eli thought about how his ancestors traveled. Time and time again they took

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Luke Ross
5 years ago
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1 Under the Rug His name was Eli, Eli Jacobs. He was a middle aged man of about fifty who had the ancestors blood of the Mi kmaq. Eli had always been known to live alone for most of the year trapping to earn a living. He owned a tiny cabin nearly one hundred kilometers from town. Eli had hardly any connections with the outside world except for twice a year when he would make the journey into town to sell his furs. This gave Eli a manageable income. He didn t need a lot of money. He lived off the land and could hunt and gather for his existence just as his ancestors did many centuries before him. Eli was a shy man who loved creation. He loved the lakes, animals and forests. He felt safe under the carpet of evergreen forest that gave him the warmth that he needed. Eli rarely felt completely alone. He felt alive under this beautiful mat of wilderness. During the fall, just before Eli s trip to town for his sale of furs, he became deathly ill. For days he suffered chills, fever and hallucinations. He drifted in and out of consciousness and occasionally was able to find enough strength to sip a little water. Gradually, the fever subsided and Eli was on his feet again. By now he decided that when he would go to town this time he would have some store bought medicine just in case he was ever struck down with the fever again. Even with new medicines, he could not be sure he would survive alone in the wilderness. At least, if he did have the proper medical supplies, he might have a better chance. After a few more days, Eli was ready to make the trip. In the beautiful sunrise of a golden fall morning, he loaded the eightyfive furs into his canoe. With each one he placed, he thanked his creator for supplying it. They were beautiful. The sleek beaver, the red fox with the majestic tails and the large broad wolf skins. All of his skins were something to behold. Eli took much pride in preparing them. He was grateful for their sacrifice.

2 Canoeing down the still waters of the lake that led to some fast water, Eli thought about how his ancestors traveled. Time and time again they took the same route, year after year. He wondered how his parents spent their days. Were their days like his? They may have been somewhat the same. However, they had each other. He had no one. But this was Eli s choice. He could have stayed in town. Maybe he could have gotten married, settled down in a nice community with a good woman. His family was all gone now. He never seemed to get over the loss. His whole family had been swallowed up by smallpox. Perhaps this is why he buried himself away in the dense forest. He never could leave the resting place of five graves beneath the shade of the great birch. This was his home, where he would forever remain. Then, here he was, on the shore of the first lake. Time for a short break. Now he would have to make two trips across a narrow piece of land. One trip with the canoe, the other with his furs and camping gear. It was not a long portage but long enough to tire a single man. With another forty kilometers of water ahead of him, he was anxious to get to the end of the river where he would make camp. The sun was sinking slowly into the mountain range when Eli placed his kettle on top of his woodfire. He was glad he had gotten this far. For tonight he would sleep under a bright October moon with a breeze in the trees carrying the faint songs of the gray wolf. The next morning, Eli was up early again to continue his excursion to town. The day was peaceful and glowing with the colours of a beautiful fall day. The rest of his trip would be on foot. Another day and Eli would be within the town limits. On his hike that day, he saw many wondrous things and Eli looked at them all as if he had never seen any of them before. He took great joy in every sight, sound and taste of creation. Whether it was the colourful feathers of the blue jay, the cackle of a raven or the bursting flavor of a late berry, Eli cherished them all. Eli bunked down for a second night under a sky peppered with glowing stars. He felt alive under the blanket of shimmering

3 lights. He slept with contentment and had much admiration for the creatures of the world. Not long after Eli had strapped on his pack and hiked another few kilometers, he entered town. On the back road, Eli walked into town and in the distance he could see that the town was buzzing with activity. The school was filled with children of all ages who were outside running and playing games. The men at the mill was busy sawing lumber, the blacksmith s shop was turning out new horseshoes and the local mercantile was in full swing. All of this activity was just a slur of commotion for Eli. The most excitement Eli experienced in the wilderness was probably the sound of wolves fighting over some kill. To Eli, this was a different world altogether. Off one end of the mercantile, there was a small area where furs were brought to be graded and sold. The old man usually gave a decent price for furs. Eli was hopeful that this trip would bring him as good a profit as his last trip. Once the furs were graded, Eli s face glowed with contentment. He was more than pleased with the money the furs brought. It would definitely be enough to sustain him through the winter months. He thanked the old man and headed for the mercantile. At the mercantile, Eli stared at all the things that were stacked row on row, all the fabrics and all the food. He had never seen so many new things. Even though he had been here many times, it seemed that there was always something different each time he visited town. Things were becoming more modern every year. Eli decided that he would buy a compass this time. It was said that it was a good device and he felt that this could indeed come in handy with better finding his way. Although, he would never doubt the Mi kmaq way, he purchased the compass. His other purchases included cough syrup, rubbing alcohol, bandages, brandy, an axe, beans, flour, oats, lamp oil and matches. Eli walked back over the dirt road and the five kilometer hike back to his canoe. He decided to make camp there again for the

4 night. In the morning he could make a fresh start for the long trip back to the cabin. That night was a chilly one so Eli cut extra firewood so that he could keep his campfire going throughout the night. The cold days of early winter were not far off. Eli got little sleep that night. Even with a nice fire, the ground was cold and Eli s bones were chilled with the breeze of the night wind. In the early morning hours Eli awoke to a smoldering fire. The hot coals glowed in the light of a new dawn. To his amazement, Eli felt something warm lying on top of his feet. When he looked down, he saw a beautiful cat. It was a tabby cat with long silky fur. She purred loudly when Eli took her in his arms. Immediately they took to each other. Eli stroked the cat with a kind, loving hand. He assumed that she must have followed him from town. He couldn t take her back, not now. It would take him too long and he needed to get back home. The cat befriended Eli as any kind pet would and he was grateful for the cat s company. She never strayed away from him. She was a loyal cat and followed Eli all the way to his home in the mountains. Eli s heart was warmed by the companionship of his new friend. The days that followed were happy ones for both Eli and Jane. He called her Jane after his little sister, for now there was some excitement in his life again. He grew to love the cat over the next couple of weeks. The cat became almost as much a part of Eli s life as his sister was to him before she was taken away. Eli was very close to his sister Jane. Not only because they were close in age, but because they did almost everything together. Just as his own sister, the cat did everything with Eli. She went with him when he cut wood, when he carried water, and when he fished in the lake. When Jane was alive, she was a playful, active little girl who loved the woods, just like Eli. Eli couldn t help but call the cat Jane. It brought back some warmth from his childhood. The years he so longed for were somehow almost back again. Eli thanked his creator for the gift of friendship that the cat brought.

5 The days were getting shorter and a lot colder. Late one evening as Eli was bringing in wood, Jane lay near the fireplace warming herself next to the old rug that Eli s mother made before she died. She loved this spot and always lay there in the warmth of the fire. On his second trip into the cabin with wood, Eli heard a scraping sound and thought that it might be a mouse or a rat chewing. The sound seemed to be coming from the area around the fireplace. He couldn t think that there were rodents around because Jane would definitely have found them. He kept hearing the sound. Puzzled, Eli went outside and chopped more wood. When he came in yet another time, he glanced to see something moving under the rug near the fireplace. His first thought then was RATS! They will destroy the cabin and he would have nothing. In a panic, the man took a chair and beat the rug with it until there was no movement left. He then rolled back the rug and to his alarm, and shock, he discovered four tiny kittens! Eli then, in total shock sat on the floor and wept. His heart was broke. He had destroyed these innocent little creatures. With his heart still breaking, he placed the kittens in a small grave near the big birch tree. As time went on, Eli never got over what he had done. His cat friend still purred around him and was still affectionate toward him. Eli was glad for that but it still didn t take place of his grief. The days turned into months and Eli Jacobs eventually gave up eating, sleeping and life altogether. He couldn t bare the guilt. He couldn t live with what he had done. One Year Later On a crisp sunny morning late in November two trappers looking for new trap lines stumbled upon the old cabin of Eli Jacobs. They had heard a lot of the nature lover and how he lived off the land. These men had heard from the townsfolk that he had not been back for two seasons now to bring in his furs. They wondered what had become of him. They didn t know for sure, the only thing they found was two skeletons wrapped in a rug near

6 a fireplace. One skeleton, a human s was lying flat, dressed in men s clothing. And then lying over the chest was what looked to be the skeleton of an animal, perhaps a cat. The two men felt sorry for the remains and dug a grave under the old birch tree where the five crosses stood. They said a prayer in honour of Eli Jacobs.

7 Under the Rug A Short Story By Aaron Richards

Please initial and date as your child has completely mastered reading each column.

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