Its summer time now, the flowers have now turned into fruit. In the meadows there are so many delicious strawberries, so thick you can’t walk without stepping onto them, and along the woods line are the blackberries and raspberries bushes, covered in lush black and red fruit, while deeper in the woods the blueberries are growing on low bushes, that’s at just the right height for a bear to forage on them. With so many choices, I don’t know which ones I like the best. Lucy and myself eat until our bellies look like that we may pop.
I’ll help you Lucy to pick a basket full of all the different types of fruit, so we can take the basket over to Angel’s. I’m giggling as I say I don’t think you would mind seeing James. I mean y’all were just together yesterday. Lucy says, can I tell you something Ben. Yes of course. Lucy says I’m falling in love with James. Yeah, I know, that’s been very noticeable here lately. Lucy says I just feel so much joy. when we are together. Nothing else matters when we are together. Ben giggles and says yep, the old love bug has bitten the 2 of you, I’m very happy for you sister. I tell lucy that I’m happy that James has become my blood Brother.
We have a large basket of berries, and off though the woods we go. We are just walking along all happy and joyful when what do I hear, in a gruff voice, fuck you, Ben. Oh no its Samuel and Maverick, but Maverick doesn’t seem to be in his horrible mood, so that’s a plus. Samuel says to Maverick, is there something you want to say and do. Maverick says, “no I told you I don’t want to live like that anymore.” Samuel then states “I see you picked me a basket of berries hand them over to me, and we will have no problems.” So, our berries are gone, as Samuel and Maverick heads off, I hear Samuel say, damn-it Maverick, “I told you was to handle this.” Maverick says “I told you I don’t like being mean to our fellow bears anymore.” Samuel says “fine this basket of fruit is all mine as he walks away from Maverick.”
Maverick is now in the woods all alone, I can hear him crying, I walk down to him and Maverick says “I stood up to my dad it really felt good. But I also feel so empty now, with him walking away from me. Maverick, I know your dad Samuel loves you deep down. He hasn’t been the same since y’all loss Charlotte and Emma. I’m telling Maverick how I remember how hard it was for y’all, Oliver and Sophia tried for several months to help y’all out. Then Caesar had given y’all a possum bag of marijuana for a couple of months, y’all were doing so much better but not great. Then when Samuel got hold of that laced marijuana, it hasn’t been good for y’all, or anyone else in this neck of the woods since then. About then I had a light bulb come on. You know when y’all was doing the best, was when Y’all was being supplied with marijuana from Caesar, what if I can get y’all some. Maverick speaks up and says, I wish it would be that simple, Sameul has gotten used to this way of life, and he doesn’t want to change. He just told me the other day that he loves being the worst bear in the woods. I said, Well that’s is so sad. I then get another idea. I think if he was off the laced marijuana, he wouldn’t feel that way. I told Maverick to come with them to Angels.
Upon getting to Angels, James is just smiling to see Lucy. James says “I see you brought Maverick; I’m surprised about that.” I fill James in on what happened this morning. James says that so sad, I wish we could help Samuel out, it sounds like Maverick is ready for a change. I then tell James and Maverick of my new plan.
Sameul doesn’t want to change on his own, so what if we help him change. They said how can we help him if he doesn’t want to change. Well, our first step is to get some marijuana form Cesear your granddad. We then get maverick to replace all the laced marijuana that Samuel has, with Cesear’s marijuana. Upon getting the laced marijuana out of his system, and Caesar’s in his system hopefully Samuel, will stop being mean and nasty. Keep your paws crossed that this works. Maverick says that he now has hope. I haven’t had any hope since we started smoking the laced marijuana. When they get to Cesars he asked how much does Samuel have right now. Maveric said Samuel had just has bought a deer bag and had on hand maybe 2 possum bags. Cesear said “OK he wasn’t going to charge anything for this. If it is successful just the forest being at peace again is all the pay I need.”
Ben, James, Lucy, and Maverick heads back to Angel’s den. Luna is now awake and getting ready to help Angel prepare supper. Maverick said “wish him luck with the trade.” I told Maverick to hold up, that I would just be a minute, and they would walk back with him at least to our den. I went in and told Luna, and Angel our plan, Luna said she hopes that all goes well. I tell Angel and Luna bye. I said I’m sorry he had brought over Maverick over, but I saw a chance of helping out Maverick. Angel said with any luck due to your generosity, you will have helped the whole forest. I tell them bye and say I sure do hope so. James is giving all kinds of sickening bear kisses and telling Lucy bye.
On the way back to my den Maverick appears joyful, he says he hopes he gets his dad back. We both was very depressed and were doing better, until we got on the laced marijuana. I never liked what it did to me, but I wanted to please Samuel. I hope he doesn’t catch me making the switch. Ben says he was proud of Maverick and wishes him luck. Maverick shed a tear or two. He said that’s the first time in a long time, that anyone has said they were proud of him. The closest to this was my dad saying, he would be proud of me doing something bad, to the other bears. I tell maverick about how James and myself are blood brothers, I would love for him to be also. I had to tell Maverick what and how you became blood brothers. He was excited, I lost my sister, I would love to be your blood brother. So, we cut each other paws and held them together.
We are now at my den; we say goodbye to each other. Maverick thanks Ben and Lucy for their help, and being a good friend to him. Maverick heads on to his den, he is worried he might get caught, changing out the marijuana. When he gets back to his den, he apologizes to Samuel. Samuel says “I hope you got your damn shit together now, and you will be by my side in the future.” Maverick said “Yes sir I plan to stick by your side.” Maverick goes throughout the den and as replaces the exact amounts at each area of the marijuana stashed. He is at the last stash that was in a cookie jar, he has taken the old marijuana out, and is putting the new in, when Samuel hollers “what the hell you doing in that cookie jar.” Maverick got scared but then he said “I’m getting me some of your marijuana, so we can go out and do some devastation tonight.” Samuel said “oh good bring me a large cigar over, I want to celebrate because you are going to make me proud.”
This is the first cigarette that Maverick had smoked in about 2 weeks, and absolutely the 1st he has smoked that wasn’t laced in months. He was very nervous, as to the outcome with Samuel. Will there be enough residual laced PCP, that this huge cigar won’t calm Samuel down, and he will expect me to do devastation, after smoking the marijuana. Well after about the third deep puff I was already feeling less anxious, it’s working on me. But will it have the same effect on Samuel. About then Samuel states for some reason this cigar, doesn’t have the effects it normally does. Samuel says “I’m calming down just a bit.” Go ahead and roll me another double cigar, and get you another cigarette, so we will be ready to rip these woods apart. He is calmer but still having bad thoughts, Maverick is worried, but also a little optimistic since Samuel is a little calmer, than he has been in months. After they had finished their 2nd smoke Maverick, is calm as a cucumber, he doesn’t have any angry thoughts and couldn’t even hurt a spider right now. He looks over at Samuel as he hearing a snoring noise, he is out cold.
The next morning Samuel wakes up, he says son I haven’t felt this good in a long time. But I don’t get why I’m so calm, and I didn’t want to go out and do devastation last night. Maverick says I’m very glad you are feeling so well. I’m going to fix you another Cigar for you to smoke. It was after those two cigars last night you felt so good. Samuel said “Well just roll me 2 cigars” Maverick said let’s just try one for now dad. We should try to wean ourselves off this marijuana, says Maverick. I believe we are both strong enough now to wean off it. Samuel says “Ok I’ll try the way I feel now, I feel stronger than I have for a long time, but I can’t quit cold turkey.”
For the next 2 weeks Samuel is smoking less each day, but is running a little low. He tells Maverick he needs to go out, and get some marijuana. Maverick says, “I’ll go and get it Samuel, you are doing amazing just sit here, I’ll be back shortly.” Maverick rolled him a little cigarette to smoke while he was gone. He returns with a possum size bag, and tells Samuel he had only gotten a possum size bag. Samuel says perfect I’m not going to smoke any of it, unless I get feeling so depressed I have to. But you know having you here with me, is really the only thing I need right now. Maveric said, “I’m proud of you dad, of all the hard work you have done,” Maverick not wanting to continue lying to Samuel, told his dad how he had replaced all his marijuana. Maverick was very apprehensive telling him this. Samuel states I have only one thing I’m going tell you right now I’m so very proud of you, I’m so sorry how I’ve been acting. Dad, I’m so blessed to have you back, I’ve missed you so much, you used to the best dad, in the Appalachian mountains. I did not only lose Charolette and Emma, but I loss you also dad. They sit there and bear hugged each other rest of the evening before falling to sleep. Maverick is praying that this will last, and that Samuel doesn’t start using the Laced marijuana again. Will this last?
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Dale Thacker Aurthor 
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