I had been hiking close to forty minutes and the top of the trail was in my view. It was a clear November day; the sun was out with cold air nipping at my nose. I gradually reached the top of the trail, walking through some low bushes opening into a clearing. I sat on a cliff over looking a huge, green and orange forest; the trees half naked as winter slowly creeped in.

I rested on a pile of dead leaves, crunching under my weight. They were a reminder of why I had gone for a walk in the first place. I didn’t want to think about what my parents were going through. I didn’t want to deal with the emptiness of Jack’s cancer.

I pulled my gray toque down over my ears and shoved my hands into my pockets. I let out a sigh and looked out at the forest. A sudden snap came from behind me and I whirled around.

An elderly man came out of the brush. He was tall and slim with a milk white goatee. His ripped jeans didn’t go past his ankles and his berete looked faded.

“Sorry there Lad. Didn’t mean to frighten you.” He said, with a slight Irish accent.

“It’s cool.” I replied. “I didn’t think anyone else came up here.”

The elderly man walked over to me with his hand out, “me name’s Rory. Nice view from up here.”

I shook his hand, “I’m Bennett.”

He slowly sat down beside me propping his right leg up, resting his arm on it. “So what brings you up here, Bennett?” he asked me.

I shrugged and sighed, “I just needed to do something, I guess…” I wasn’t going to tell him why I was really here. I didn’t need to bore him.

“Indeed. This is a grand place to come and get one’s thoughts straightened out.” He replied stroking his goatee.

Silence fell as the wind picked up. I caught a faint smell of peppermint in the air.

“I used to take me wife up here,” he suddenly said. “She was quite sick.” I turned my attention to him. He looked at me with a smile and glimmer in his eyes.

“She was diagnosed with a brain tumour in a place the doctors couldn’t operate.” I bit my tongue. I had no words to say.

He took a slow breath, “she was told she would only have a couple months to live. Marjorie wasn’t the same women I loved, after that. She was completely disconnected from the world.” Silence fell again. Rory coughed, reaching into his jeans pocket to take out an old handkerchief then wiping his mouth with it.

“I would travel up here to forget the heart break and the hollow look she wore. I then had the idea to bring her here.” A smile grew on his face. “That day, I wasn’t sure if she would be able to make it, but she had enough strength left to beat me to the top of the slope.” A smile played on his lips. I stayed quiet waiting for him to continue.

“I came through the brush and she was standing, gazing at the view. I walked over taking her hand and kissing it. It was soft and warm.”

“She was smiling with her eyes closed. That smile still takes my breath away. We stood in silence for some time. Then she turned to me with happiness in her eyes and whispered, ‘I love you.’.”

I looked down at my mud covered shoes. My chest had grown tight. I thought of my little brother, Jack. He didn’t deserve what was to come.
I took a slow breath in, “Sir…do you smell peppermint?” I looked up at Rory and saw there were glazed over with tears.

“Oh, yes. That was Marjorie’s favourite candy. She’d never be caught without some in her pocket.” He chuckled reaching into his jeans pocket again. He pulled out a small, green and white peppermint and held it out to me, “would you fancy one?”

I took it out of his hand and held it in my fingers. “I always keep some with me. Gives me a smile every time.” He grinned at me and stood up, brushing the leaves off of his jeans.

“Nice talking to you, Bennett. Been a pleasure.” He said with a tip of his hat. I watched him disappear from over my shoulder then looked back at the peppermint. I smiled, stuffing it into my jeans pocket then started down the hill back home; there was something that I needed to do.

I woke Jack up just before the sun rise the next morning; it was just after seven. He was half awake as I helped him out of bed. I helped him into his red coat and black ball cap. I bundled up in my sweater and toque, swinging Jack onto my back. I heard his gentle snores half way up the hill, I kept my footsteps quiet.

I reached the top of the hill, with a couple minutes to spare. I sat down placing Jack on my lap, “what do you think?” I asked, “I thought you’d like it up here.”

Jack rubbed his eyes, “Wow, Benny. T’is cool!” He yawned and leaned against my shoulder.

“Ben?” he said suddenly.

“Yeah?”

I heard him breathe in and whispered, “I’m going to miss you…”

My chest grew tight as I hugged him. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the peppermint Rory gave me yesterday.

I held out my hand to him, “It’ll be okay, Jack.” He took it out of my hand and looked up at me. “Everything is going to be okay.”

He put the mint in his mouth just as the sun started to rise. In that moment, I figured out why Rory took his wife up here. Rory and his wife were finally able to accept what was to come. They had made peace with it.