Over at Murphy and Stanley's place it is last Friday of the month story day... click to read more!!!
Normally I use a photo to prompt my stories and this is no exception; but we are also given a sentence by M&S which we have to highlight in the story... This month it is
A few more, then Bess focused on her eyes. They were tired. Tired of concrete and glass. Tired of screens and keyboards. Tired.
Looking across the straits towards the mainland she took the point between one hill in the background and another before it. The furthest mark on this horizon. Holding that for ten seconds, she then followed the rim to the left, slowly and consciously, noting each lift and drop of the land. Just the eyes, no turn of head. Then back again. Rest for ten seconds on that centre dip. Then she traced the rim to the right and back again to the centre. Rest for ten seconds.
Again she checked her posture. Shoulders back. Stretch. Twist. Shake. Settle. Slowly tranquility returned.
MMMMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Bess nearly fainted at the noise in her left ear. Turning, she jumped a metre back in surprise.
The surprise turned to incredulity...
"Whit are ye aboot then hen?"
Bess swallowed, looking about her to make sure there was no sign of a farmer or another walker. No. Just herself; and a talking cow.
She answered "Breathing. Walking. Seeing. Being......" she trailed off as she found herself drawn forward to the big hairy head. She felt her feet move beneath but not of her own will. Something demanded a closeness, an intimacy, which her rational mind declared 'absurd'.
"Och, lass, let it oot. Hae a hug." Bess blinked at the cow. "Go-oan, gie us a cuddle..." Which Bess did, because the warmth and the insistent pull of a pounding, throbbing sound in the voice drew her close.
"All thon looking outwards is braw for the short term, wee lass; but dae ye nae think it's time tae look inwards?
Bess knew those words of old. "GRANNY?!"
The shaggy head snuggled against her. "Aye lass, 'tis myself."
"Oh Gran, how did this happen?"
"It's a fine place to be in hen. Munching and meditation. That pretty much sums up my life. Well that and calving. I dinny mind that, ken. It's what my life was like with all o' you, anyhoo! Ach, but noo I hae time tae take the longer look. Intae mysel' y' ken? Live simply Bess. Dae more o' this breathin' and walkin' and stuff. Especially the being. Just being is the key."
Bess stared into the one eye which faced her. For the briefest of moments she could swear she saw...
What?
Nothing. Everything.
"Away you go noo, wee lass. Live rightly. Live lightly. Then all will become right and light."
The cow gave one last snuggle and soft huffing, then turned and sauntered away.
Bess knew she would remember this forever because her grandmother had said those exact same words the last time she saw her. Now, in the middle of wilderness, the message came again.
Turning back to the view up the water, Bess focused on the notch on the horizon. Then closed her eyes.
ॐ (c) Yamini Ali MacLean 2014.
Normally I use a photo to prompt my stories and this is no exception; but we are also given a sentence by M&S which we have to highlight in the story... This month it is
" I knew I would remember this forever because . . ."
but I am taking a small liberty, changing 'I' to 'she'... and again I am reworking one previously published on the TAKE TOO blog. (It had to be recycled sometime, so why not now?!)
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Ponderment
Bess breathed. Deeply. The air was so clear it was painful in the lungs. Tainted with the tang of the sea. Squaring her shoulders, she took another deliberate and considered breath, right to the diaphragm. Count to ten. Out again.but I am taking a small liberty, changing 'I' to 'she'... and again I am reworking one previously published on the TAKE TOO blog. (It had to be recycled sometime, so why not now?!)
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Ponderment
A few more, then Bess focused on her eyes. They were tired. Tired of concrete and glass. Tired of screens and keyboards. Tired.
Looking across the straits towards the mainland she took the point between one hill in the background and another before it. The furthest mark on this horizon. Holding that for ten seconds, she then followed the rim to the left, slowly and consciously, noting each lift and drop of the land. Just the eyes, no turn of head. Then back again. Rest for ten seconds on that centre dip. Then she traced the rim to the right and back again to the centre. Rest for ten seconds.
Again she checked her posture. Shoulders back. Stretch. Twist. Shake. Settle. Slowly tranquility returned.
MMMMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Bess nearly fainted at the noise in her left ear. Turning, she jumped a metre back in surprise.
The surprise turned to incredulity...
"Whit are ye aboot then hen?"
Bess swallowed, looking about her to make sure there was no sign of a farmer or another walker. No. Just herself; and a talking cow.
She answered "Breathing. Walking. Seeing. Being......" she trailed off as she found herself drawn forward to the big hairy head. She felt her feet move beneath but not of her own will. Something demanded a closeness, an intimacy, which her rational mind declared 'absurd'.
"Och, lass, let it oot. Hae a hug." Bess blinked at the cow. "Go-oan, gie us a cuddle..." Which Bess did, because the warmth and the insistent pull of a pounding, throbbing sound in the voice drew her close.
"All thon looking outwards is braw for the short term, wee lass; but dae ye nae think it's time tae look inwards?
Bess knew those words of old. "GRANNY?!"
The shaggy head snuggled against her. "Aye lass, 'tis myself."
"Oh Gran, how did this happen?"
"It's a fine place to be in hen. Munching and meditation. That pretty much sums up my life. Well that and calving. I dinny mind that, ken. It's what my life was like with all o' you, anyhoo! Ach, but noo I hae time tae take the longer look. Intae mysel' y' ken? Live simply Bess. Dae more o' this breathin' and walkin' and stuff. Especially the being. Just being is the key."
Bess stared into the one eye which faced her. For the briefest of moments she could swear she saw...
What?
Nothing. Everything.
"Away you go noo, wee lass. Live rightly. Live lightly. Then all will become right and light."
The cow gave one last snuggle and soft huffing, then turned and sauntered away.
Bess knew she would remember this forever because her grandmother had said those exact same words the last time she saw her. Now, in the middle of wilderness, the message came again.
Turning back to the view up the water, Bess focused on the notch on the horizon. Then closed her eyes.
ॐ (c) Yamini Ali MacLean 2014.
Wow! You took our breath away! "Live lightly", how meaningful those two words are! Well done!
ReplyDeleteYour Pals,
Murphy & Stanley
Hari OM
Delete**blush**.....
OH MYYYYYyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy this is FABULOUS... We loved it.
ReplyDeleteDo we dare say it is very.... MOOOOOOOOOOOOOving?
Hari OM
DeleteBrwwhahahahahahahahahahahaha.... thanks guys, I'll take your 'mmmmmooooove' and raise you a tail! Looking forward to everyone else's as they go live... Yxx
Wonderful story, lovely notion. Yes, I too could cope with coming back as a heilan' coo!
ReplyDeleteYour FFHTs are always such a treat.
Cheers,
Gail.
Hari OM
DeleteOh thank you Gail; it's a treat to write them! Yxx
oooooh! we loved this too!
ReplyDeletehugs
Mr Bailey, Hazel & Mabel
Crikey Aunty ...... I loved it. Frankie and Ernie stole my line. I found it very moooooooving too.
ReplyDeleteI talked to animals all my life but none talked back well not in english and to find my gran that would be wonderful.
ReplyDeleteMerle.......
that's a wonderful post... and we all need such a place when our eyes are tired of the concrete, the glass, the cars and all that techie stuff. A place to remember what granny said...
ReplyDeleteeasy rider
WELL IN OUR HUMBLE OPINION YOU CAN RECYCLE THIS ONE ANYTHING!
ReplyDeleteEXCELLENT.
HUGS MADI AND MOM
Hari OM
ReplyDeleteAw shucks, thanks...you are all you wonderful creators too!!! Yxx
What a great story!!!!
ReplyDeleteLoveys Sasha
This is wonderful!!!! You are amazing with words. :-)
ReplyDelete