“So, where y’all visiting from?”
“California,” she chirped. “Newport Beach.” I felt Bru’s eyes on me in the mirror, but I didn’t turn around. “What about you?” Ashley asked.
“Texas—no town you would’ve heard of, though.”
“Funny thing, you being from California and all,” Bru cut in. “That’s where Honor here was headed before her car broke down.” I looked over at him now, wondering why in the world he would feel the need to tell them this.
Julia laughed. “Really? It’s not where I’d go on a spiritual journey. Maybe your car breaking down was the universe pointing you here instead.”
I smiled politely. “Maybe so.” She and Celia could have a field day with that one.
“Ohmygosh, it probably totally was!” Ashley’s voice lit up, and she leaned forward and put her hand on my shoulder with the familiarity of an old friend. “We went to this psychic lady yesterday, and she told us all about how if your channels or chakras or something are all open and lined up, you can actually get messages from the universe about what it wants you to do.” She paused for a quick breath before going on. “And,” she said, putting her other hand on Bru’s shoulder, “she also said that this guy is the best guide in Sedona to take you to the vortex to hear it. The universe, I mean. So either you’re lucky or it’s meant to be!”
“Whew, girl,” Bru said. “You talk like you’ve been here your whole life.” He slowed the jeep and veered off onto a tree-lined dirt road. “I can’t promise the universe is gonna tell you what to do with your life up there. But if you can keep quiet and listen close enough, for long enough, it may whisper something you need to hear.” Bru winked at me. “Now hang on. It’s about to get rough.”
He shifted the jeep into a lower gear, and almost immediately the road stood up steep and rutted in front of us. We bounced hard over a big rock in the middle of it, and Ashley and Julia got quiet while Bru concentrated on navigating the so-called road. My eyes took in the silhouettes of trees and shrubs close by, and towering formations of rock all around us in every direction. The sun had yet to wash color into them, but already I was impressed by their sheer size. Nothing was this tall or majestic where I came from.
“Now, the vortex we’re headed to this morning, ladies, is called an upflow vortex, meaning it’s a place where energy flows out of the earth,” Bru said over his shoulder. Julia and Ashley leaned forward to listen better, and he raised his voice. “The Native Americans used to come to this kind of vortex when they needed to commune with the Great Spirit, or like Ashley called it, the universe. They believed the energy flowing out of the earth carried their thoughts and questions up to the Great Spirit, and in return it gave them clarity and perspective.”
“We all could use a little of that these days,” Julia said from the back seat.
“True,” Bru agreed. “But they were old hands at the art of meditation. Most of us these days aren’t so good at that. We got too many other things going on, too much noise to listen to. Which is why my favorite thing to do is show people this place for the first time.”
He took his foot off the gas and let the jeep coast to a stop, then pointed up the canyon to a massive rock silhouetted against the indigo sky. “That’s it right there. Carousel Rock. You’ll be a full mile above the valley up there. Enough to give anybody some perspective.” He eased on the gas again, and we went back to bumping up the road.
“So, what do we do when we get up there?” Ashley asked. “Do you, like, chant or burn incense or something?”
I’d kind of been wondering the same thing. Wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d said yes.
“Nope. When we get up there, that’s when I’m gonna leave you ladies to yourselves. You split up—find your own little spot that draws you on the rock and go sit.”
“And then?” Julia questioned.
Bru turned the wheel and shrugged. “And then see what happens. Close your eyes or keep ’em open. Whatever you feel like doing. And then just be still. And listen.” He looked at Ashley in the rearview mirror. “Think you can do that, missy?”
Ashley sat up straight and serious. “Oh, yeah. Totally. I’ve been doing yoga for, like, two months.”
“Good.” He nodded. “Honor?”
“Yep. Helps I didn’t get much sleep last night. I don’t feel like doing much else.”
“All right then,” Bru said. We were quiet as we climbed up the canyon to Carousel Rock, maybe pondering what the universe would have to say to us.
19
“Um, Bru? Is there a place to pee before I go listen to the universe?” Ashley was hopping from one foot to the other while her mom climbed out of the jeep.
“Yep—we got boy trees and girl trees out here.” He pointed across the dirt road at a hillside dotted with cactus and sage brush. “Just don’t get too friendly with the spiky ones. I’ll wait right here for ya.”
“I’ll go with you, honey,” Julia said, and she and Ashley linked arms to go find a couple of girl trees. I got out of the jeep and stretched in the cool morning air.
“You wanna head up first, go right ahead,” Bru said. He pointed to a narrow trail that snaked up the base of the rock. “Just watch your step. And once you’re up there, find your place and sit awhile.” He turned around and checked the ridge behind him, where the deep blue was already fading to light. “Sun should be up in twenty minutes or so.”