Stoker had always felt wrapped in love, and this new feeling was awful. Now Stoker only felt alone and frightened. He was freezing cold and he missed Mama. It was dark where he was, and it was bouncing up and down so badly that it was hard for him to sit still.
There were huge tears in his eyes, overflowing, and making trails down both cheeks, like before. It was cold and he was thankful for his warm coat. Now the tear trails were freezing up and it made his face feel funny when he moved.
He didn’t like this place and he wanted to go home. He wanted Mama, but all he could do was sit here and remember. Remembering was sad. Remembering hurt ...
Yesterday, the snowstorm began right after they finished dinner. It was the most frightening thing Stoker had ever seen. He remembered feeling so afraid, that his fear was like something real, with legs, and he could reach out and touch it.
The wind had also been terrible and loud and it wouldn’t stop. Even the snow wasn’t like any snow he had seen before. This snow came at him sideways and anywhere it touched him felt like a thousand needles burning him with fire.
He was thankful Mama was with him. She had coaxed him down into the place where they hid from the storm. She held him tightly in a hug and he almost felt safe. When he remembered the warm feel of her love, new tears slid down his cheeks.
During the long scary night, the awful storm showed no signs of letting up. Even his friend, the moon, hid from the wind and snow. Usually, Stoker could see it peeking at him between the branches of the trees high above their home.
The wind blew wildly. It sounded like a whole lot of someones screaming and moaning in agony. Stoker sat huddled with Mama that long scary night in what was left of their home. Now there was nothing left. Home had buckled under the weight of the heavy snow. Here and there, he heard parts of it being thrown all around them by the angry wind.
Above them, he remembered seeing one large part of home that had fallen. Now it was leaning, teetering against something, and below that is where they huddled together in its shelter. Each new time he thought about how frightened he was, more tears sneaked out of his eyes, following the others on their trip down to his chin.
“Mama, I’m so scared! Hold me tighter!” Stoker had cried. “When will it end?”
“I know, Stoker, I know. I‘m frightened, too.” Mama answered with the wind carrying her words off in other directions. He had to listen closely to hear the rest of what she said. “I don’t know when it will stop, son. We’ll be all right if we just stay together. Don’t move from here, no matter what happens, little Stoker. Promise me.”
Although Stoker had no way of knowing why she would ask for his promise, he agreed. “Okay, Mama. I’ll stay right here, I promise.”
All through the night, the wind raged and the snow came at them sideways. Mama tucked Stoker tightly to her, wrapping her arms snugly to keep him safe and warm. Whenever he cried out, she did her best to comfort him. “Hush now, little Stoker, try to sleep. Mama’s here, and I love you, little man.”
Just before dawn, there had been an enormous crash. Stoker suddenly felt something heavy come down on him -- it had been so heavy he could hardly breathe. He called out to Mama, “Mama! Mama, where are you?”
But all Stoker heard was the screaming of the wind. “Mama, what was that loud noise?” Again, the only answer came from the wind and the pounding of his own heart.
Stoker wanted to run, but he remembered his promise to Mama. He would not move from this spot, no matter what happened. He wanted to scream and yell and run as fast as the wind all around him, but Stoker kept his promise. He didn’t try to get out from under this heavy thing.
Stoker sat quietly, listening for Mama. He sat waiting with fear in every part of his body but he stayed where she made him promise to stay. Mama would be proud.
Stoker didn’t know how long he waited -- maybe he even fell asleep for awhile. He did know he couldn’t feel the sideways snow anymore and he was warm. All of a sudden, he was aware of voices. They were loud and he could hear them above the wind which had now died down to only whistle.
The voices frightened him and with his eyes shut tight, he called to his mother again. “Mama! Mama! I’m here where you told me to stay! Please, Mama! I'm scared!” He waited, listening for her answer. When it didn’t come, he started all over again, calling and pleading.
“Over here, Johnny! Here! It’s coming from under this huge dead tree! Help me get this cable attached and we‘ll pull the tree off.”
“You got it, Mike!”
Stoker continued to call for Mama. He could hear a lot of sounds coming from above. Some were sounds of feet crunching in the snow. Some sounds were mechanical, like big machines, and that made him call even louder. Stoker was terrified, but he kept his promise to Mama. He didn’t move.
“Okay, Johnny. Now, pull!” The winch screeched into gear and the heavy wire cable noisily began to do its job. Slowly, the huge weight was lifted and Stoker could feel the cold again. He was still too frightened to open his eyes and he continued calling for Mama.
“What have you got there, Mike?” Johnny called. “Can you see what’s making the noise?”
“Aw, Johnny, come over here! You’ve got to see this. ” Mike answered, above Stoker‘s cries for Mama. “C’mere, and hurry!“
Johnny ran to where Mike stood looking down into the hollowed out area. Mike glanced over at Johnny. “Well, I’ll be ... never saw anything like it. We’d better call Frank up at the Ranger Station. You have a cell phone in the truck, don't you?”
Johnny said he had one right there in his pocket and he handed it over. He dialed the number for the Ranger Station. Like Mike, his eyes never left the hollowed out area where the tree had rested only minutes before.
Stoker continued to call for Mama. Where was she? Why didn’t she answer him? He was still too afraid to open his eyes.
With a series of beeps, Johnny got through on the cell phone. “Hey Frank. John here. Well, sir, what we’ve got here is the dangedest thing. We have a mother bear and her cub. No, sir, the mother bear is dead -- crushed by a huge tree which we removed. No sir. Cub’s okay. She shielded the cub. He was safely tucked in under her. Frank, she still has her arms, er ... paws wrapped around him, and he’s bawling out such sad sounds! It’s like she knew.”
There was a pause, then Johnny continued. “Can you get the Animal Control people out here right away -- maybe make some arrangements for a new home for the little guy? Yeah, I agree.
Yeah, for sure, thanks, Frank.” With that, Johnny pushed the button and ended the call.
“Johnny? What’d Frank say?” Mike asked, since he could only hear Johnny’s side of the conversation.
Johnny wiped his face with his shirt sleeve. “He's going to make some calls, Mike, and in the meantime, he'll get a truck up here with a cage to transport him. This little guy will be sad for a while, but he'll be okay.
Frank said what you and I have been only thinking. This little bear cub received the ultimate gift ... the greatest gift … of a mother‘s love.”