Homage

It was a picturesque summer day. The sun had reached its zenith and layered the woodland in a warmth that danced teasingly with being hot. A cool breeze gently made its way from the north making sure even those brief moments of scorching heat didn't last more than a few uncomfortable seconds. The serene calls of a forest at play were only interrupted by the periodic crash of falling timber and the skin-crawling screech of a chainsaw.

Jake Allen set the thrumming instrument of destruction down on the raw stump of a once mighty pine tree that now lay broken on the smashed grass beside him. "Not too shabby for a morning's work if I say so myself," he said while wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his leather-gloved hand. Jake surveyed the line of dejected stumps trailing behind him with a self-appreciating smile.

"Shelly and the kids won't be back from town for a few more hours," he said after looking at the sleek face of his phone. "Guess I need to find something to do while I wait for her and lunch to get back."

His wife had promised to bring back grub from his favorite BBQ place for lunch and the thought of those heavenly smoked pieces of meat made Jake's mouth water and his belly rumble in anticipation.

"I definitely need to find something to keep myself distracted now," he said with a chuckle. Jake gave a longing look at the cooler and favorite fishing pole laying all lonely in the back of his 4x4 and a sideways grin split his face. "And I think I have the perfect answer." With a hurried step he gathered up his saw and fuel can and placed them in the truck's bed, gladly swapping them for the rod and cooler and its content of liquid refreshments.

He had just about pulled the cooler over the lip of the bed when he spotted the checkered bundle his wife had given him this morning. Her words briefly echoed through his memory. "Remember to place the bread crusts and milk on the stumps, hun. It'll help placate the fey after you chop down their homes. Otherwise you don't know what will happen the next time you take a nap at your favorite fishing spot." Shelly had handed the bundle to Jake as he stepped off the porch this morning right before she had kissed him goodbye.

Now Jake loved his wife dearly, who didn't in all of Redford, she was so full of life and her smile...hell it would make ole Satan himself smile with joy. Shelly Isch's beauty had made her the most sought-after bride in the closest three counties and somehow Jake Allen, small time farmer had won her affections. For a woman like that a man could look past a few peculiarities, even if it was the belief in fairies and wood spirits.

"I'll hide it in the woods before I head up to the house," he decided then finished pulling the cooler out of the truck bed. "I don't want to hurt her feelings after all."

Feeling good about himself, Jake took off down the dirt path that led to his favorite fishing spot, a deep bend on the creek that formed the boundary between their land and the national park. He whistled his favorite song and enjoyed the warmth and sounds of the day as he walked, a smile painted on his face and the cooler bouncing against his thigh with every other step.

A short time later found the middle-aged farmer standing in what he thought might be a piece of heaven here on earth. He and Shelly had found the secluded clearing not long after they had bought the property. His impish wife had claimed that the fairies had led her to their special place all those years ago, but Jake wasn't much for his wife's strange beliefs though even he couldn't deny the beauty of the clearing. The leafy boughs of the ancient trees let just enough sunlight through so it wasn't ever too hot, but just warm enough to keep you drowsy.

The mornings work hit Jake like a ten-pound sledge, and he was beginning to think that a nap wasn't such a bad idea. He set the cooler down, reached inside, and pulled out a rightly chilled can of beer. With a satisfying snap and hiss, Jake popped the can open and took a healthy chug. Which was promptly followed by a deep, thundering belch.