"The Day Off"

Kate took a deep breath then stepped through the door, letting it slam shut behind her. This was her first day off since they had moved to The Glen, and she was looking forward to exploring the town.

She stopped at the edge of their property, closed her eyes – enjoying the feel of the sun’s warm rays on her face and the gentle breeze flowing through her hair.

After a moment, she opened her eyes, looked off into the horizon, deciding which way she might begin her journey.

She’d been to town more than once already. Not too much there yet to explore. There was the boarding house and tavern, which she’d been to on more than one occasion, and she’d seen a sign for a small shop, she thought. And of course, there was Colin’s garage – just a bit down the road from what served as the town’s center. No, she’d seen all that she wanted to see there. Today, she was going to head off in the opposite direction. Today, she was going to just explore – see where her feet might take her. Maybe even meet a few neighbors, if she was lucky.

She’d packed herself a small sack lunch, which she had carefully tucked into her backpack – along with a bottle of water and of course, her camera – something she often brought with her when she was out and about. She was ready for her journey, wherever it might take her.

Kate pulled out the camera from her backpack and slipped her hand through the small nylon strapped attached to it – letting it dangle from her wrist. She wasn’t a professional photographer by any means, but she did quite fancy capturing on film what she experienced in life. It had just somehow become a part of who she was – an extension of herself, so to speak.

Colin, of course, thought it was all too silly, and often shied away from being captured in one of the many snapshots she was endlessly trying to take of him.

She only ever managed to get a decent photo of him when he wasn’t aware that she was taking it. She liked that, though – recording a bit of him just doing what he did naturally – just being, well, just being Colin. It was if she were recording that little bit of him that he kept to himself – that private part of himself that he couldn’t seem to open up to others, to share. She smiled to herself, thinking about it now.

They had been through so much together, become so close over the past few months, though still there was so much of himself that he wouldn’t...or couldn’t...share with her. Almost as if he kept a part of himself locked away, afraid to let others in. Afraid to let her in. All of this played through her mind, as she headed off down the road, pausing every now and then to admire the landscape and snap a few pictures.

She’d heard that there was an old mill as well as chapel somewhere close by, and a garden center, too. Might be good places to take some photos, she thought. As she walked on, Kate couldn’t help but notice how all of the houses she passed seemed so completely different from one another. She had never lived anywhere but a large city before, and found the beauty and uniqueness of what made up The Glen to be awe inspiring, to say the least. She paused on the road a moment, looking off in the distance at the grassy hills that seemed to roll on forever – but for what appeared to be a log cabin of sorts set in the midst of them, and just beyond that, a large barn and horse stables. She smiled, imagining what life must be like living in a place like that. She snapped off a few pictures, then turned and continued to walk on.

The sun was now completely overhead, causing tiny beads of sweat to form on the edges of Kate’s forehead. She wiped it away with the back of her forearm and pulled her water bottle out of her backpack and took a sip. She had no idea where she was or how far she had walked, but decided to continue on. If she did end up getting completely lost, she thought, she could always just go up to one of the houses and ask for directions. The thought of having to use her cell phone to call Colin to come get her wasn’t something she really wanted to entertain. He’d never let her hear the end of it, she was sure, and probably wouldn’t be too thrilled at the idea of her having another day off, either. No, she’d find her own way back home. She had always been able to take care of herself; never liked to play the ‘damsel in distress’. Colin knew that, knew it from the moment he’d met her.

Colin....

She twisted the cap back on the water bottle and slid it into her backpack once more. This was good – this time off. It gave her time to think, time to put things into perspective. As she walked on, she thought about all that she and Colin had been through. Their relationship had all happened so fast – almost too fast. She had told him she loved him, on more than one occasion, but did she? She knew she liked being with him, had feelings for him. He’d said he felt the same for her, too. Still, she wasn’t sure. He’d never really talked about their relationship with her before, or about his feelings, for that matter. Sure, they’d both said the words, but was it more than that between them....more than just words? He’d moved her here with him, but did he intend on ever marrying her? Would she agree to if he did?

It was all so confusing now....everything so jumbled up in her mind. There were so many differences between them that they’d have to work out sooner or later, that they’d have to talk about. Until now, though, they just seemed to live one day at a time, almost. Just go through the motions and not think about the future, really. Well, except for moving here and opening the garage, of course. But even that had only happened with her urging him to do so. Had she not seen the postcard that day in the bar, they may very well have been still there – back in Sydney – her still a barmaid and him still bouncing around from job to job.

So lost in thought was she that Kate didn’t even notice when she nearly collided with the side of what appeared to be a large flying saucer that had somehow crash landed in the middle of a large, green patch of land. Startled, she stood back, admiring the strange metal and glass structure. She’d never seen anything like it – especially not here in The Glen. She backed away a few feet more, lifted her camera to her eye and peered at it through the viewfinder – zooming in and out to snap off a few pictures of the different lines and curves. Amazing, she thought. Cold, but yet full of beauty and grace all the same. She couldn’t help but to wonder who would live in such a structure. What kind of a person were they? Definitely the creative type, she thought. She stood there a few moments more, taking picture after picture, then decided to move on. There was still so much more she wanted to see before she had to head back home.

As Kate rounded a hill, she came upon a beautiful cottage surrounded by the most wonderful garden. She didn’t see the owners around anywhere, so she walked a bit closer to get a better look. Like she had with the other houses she had come upon, Kate wondered what the people were like that lived here. The house just made her feel....happy, somehow. It was warm, inviting...yes, cheerful. She imagined the people that lived here must surely be that way.

Kate imagined herself and Colin living in such a place. Happily married, two kids running around the yard...her tending to the garden, Colin coming home from work to greet them with hugs and kisses all around. She sighed. If only... but, was that what she wanted? Somehow, she wasn’t really sure. She knew it wasn’t who she was at this moment in her life, and certainly not who Colin was. Could they ever be those people? Would they even want to be? But...then....maybe....someday, maybe....

Kate took quite a few pictures of the garden and of the house itself, and then quietly walked on. Beyond the house she could see a barn and horse stables...similar to the ones she had noticed near the cabin. She paused for a moment, wondering if she’d be able to see the horses, then decided she’d just better keep going.

Just past it, Kate happened upon what must have been the new Garden Center she had heard about. She saw the green house and rows of plants and flowers. She saw two women inside, talking to each other – wondered if one of them was the owner. Kate watched silently, as they went about their business – tending to the plants, chatting as they did so. She thought about going in, introducing herself, but decided at the last minute to just keep walking. Somehow, with all that was on her mind right now, she didn’t feel like socializing with another person. She simply needed to spend this time alone...just her and her thoughts.

It wasn’t too much longer that Kate became aware of how hungry she was getting. She checked her watch...realized it was well past three in the afternoon. She’d been walking all day and hadn’t taken the time out to eat anything. She decided to press on just a bit further, stopping under the shade of a tree. She slung her backpack off and let it drop on the ground by her feet, then sat down beside it. As she rummaged through the pack, searching for her sack lunch, she happened to catch sight of something across the way. It was what must have been the old mill!

She opened her lunch and took out the sandwich she’d made earlier that morning – soggy, but it would have to do. She was too hungry to complain. She took a bit, then picked up her camera again and peered through the viewfinder towards the mill. Someone was moving around inside! She snapped a couple of pictures, then set her camera aside while she finished her lunch. Once she was done, Kate gathered her belongings and stood staring at the mill. Not wishing to impose on the owner, she decided it best if she just kept going on her way.

Kate stopped just once more on her journey, watching in the distance as a couple rode their horses across a field. She smiled to herself as she watched the merriment in the way they rode alongside one another, the way they playfully teased and chased each other- realizing that they must truly be very happily in love. She managed to snap a photo of them without being seen as they rode off into the horizon. She thought about the couple as she walked on, wondering if she and Colin appear that way when other people look at them. This was on her mind still as she found herself walking up to her own home, as Colin stood in the doorway...a concerned look on his face.