Beyond the Grasslands
The bell tower stand still tanned
in the dusking sky. The afternoon is long, the birds are rendering west as they
follow the setting sun, and the townsmen are retiring to their respective roofs
before the evening falls. While all other people are returning home, she is
walking against the flow by heading to the bus terminal. Down the alley she pass
by the beautifully crafted bouquets of flowers in a boutique and followed a day
dream that one day, she will be given one of those by a man who truly love her.
In the glass window there is a signage written in velvet red – Valentine’s Day,
and then a curve of smile in her lips showed upon knowing today is a special
day. For a moment she thought that this day would be extraordinary because she
will be meeting the man who have waited for two years and invested a trust
worthy relationship before he could officially ask her to be his girl.
She was only 17 when they first
met in a feast where all of the farmers gathered to celebrate the bountiful harvest
of the season. The countryside has always been his favorite pastime, the long
road trip stranded in the middle of nowhere is his adventure, but this time
it’s going to be a different experience. He decided to stay for the night at
the barn, the smell of chicken and animal manure is an unusual fume he
encounter at the very least in the city. He was envious of the sight of the
wide farm where grass are free to grow, where life is easy and predictable and
where you never overthink of what the future should be. That afternoon he went
to dine in a saloon where everyone is a stranger and so was he. It was the first
time that he saw that gentle face a gloomy room, her tanned complexion matched
her tangerine scarf that lay femininely on her black satin hair. He was about
to start a conversation but all he got was her name and she went off.
The 3rd bus already is
here but to her disappointment, he isn’t there. She open the letter and read
carefully one more time his instructions- “
wait for the 3rd bus to come and I will be there”
She is hoping to see that face
again she saw 2 years ago, but the last passenger that came down is not him.
She grips that paper in her hand and it seems that all her dreams she had hoped
to come for the day was gone. Two years ago he was like chasing butterflies; he
searched for her address for him to write her a letter and continue to keep in
touch. Even if he knew that she won’t be pleased in urban living, he
continually writes her letters to tell the story of the life beyond the
grasslands. She was fascinated by the world she hasn’t gone to and what would
it be like wearing diamonds and how to party in a grand ball. She is teary eyed
knowing that her hope did not come.
The moon is shining bright
tonight. She waits there in the bench looking at the far side feeling the cold
crisp of the air. She was lonely. An hour ticks and she is about to let go of
the heartache when suddenly somebody is calling her name from someone down the
road.
“Julia! Julia!” A man in his late
20’s wearing a coat is running towards her. And yes, it is someone familiar to
her. A sudden burst of adrenalin rushes through her consciousness when she
recognizes that face, and it was him two years ago.
“ Bart!”, she whispered with joy.
She came running to embrace him and for the first time, she kissed the stranger
that she knew a long time ago. “ What took you so long?”, she asked.
“ I had to take the next bus because
I almost forgot my present for you.”
There was no bouquet of roses as
she expected, rather, he handed her a paper bag wrapped in a plastic bag.
Inside was a red rose in a pot of soil.
“ I’m sorry I didn’t buy you a
bouquet of roses for this evening because I know by the time I get here it will
be dried out. Before I left your village two years ago, I took some roses from
your house’s backyard and grow them in my apartment way back in the city to
keep a memory of you. Now I had to get back and return it to where it came
from. I am hoping to grow these roses with you now and forever.”
It is not the fairy tale that she
wanted to be, but the thought of having him this time is happiness that only
the horizons can reach, and those roses will be in their home forever.
Author: Mash Davis
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