sweety
04-07-2011, 01:11 PM
It was nice and cool in the shade of the tree, I was glad to escape the burning sun for a while.
The old oak tree on the hill commanded a splendid view of both the village of Tigernach in the west and the town of Oilioll in the east, which even boasted a train-station.
It's a favourite spot of mine, kind of like being in no-man's land. I often come here to be on my own for a few hours. A slight breeze was blowing and the air had the scent of wild flowers.
A pair of pretty painted butterflies were probing for nectar among the wild daisies, but when I opened a can of beer they took flight.
I was surprised to see a girl in a black track suit running up the hill. When she came to the tree, she seemed taken aback to see me there, she stumbled and twisted her ankle.
She looked very agitated and nervous.
''Can you stand on it? '' I asked.
She tried to get up, but lost her balance.
''You’d better rest a bit and take the weight off", I said.
'Yes, it might be the best thing.''
She sat down on the carpet of green moss surrounding the tree.
''Are you in training?'' I asked.
''No.''
''Only I saw you running.''
I noticed her knuckles were bruised and bloody, so I asked her what happened.
"I'm in a hurry to catch the train and I fell climbing over the fence."
That’s strange, I thought, there’s grass on either side of the fence.
I offered her a can of beer, but she declined.
''Let’s have a look at the ankle."
I felt it wasn't too bad, it looked like a slight sprain.
"Give it a minute and I’ll help you to the station."
''It's nice here, it makes for a good hiding place'', she said.
"Yes I like it and it has a panoramic view of the countryside, I come here every chance I get.''
''Does your boss work you hard?'' She seemed anxious.
''No, it's not that. I'm a carer, I look after my ailing mother. Just now and again it's nice to get away to be on my own.''
''I know what you mean. My mother was an alcoholic, she drove me mad, then one day she fell down the stairs and died.''
''Oh, I'm sorry.''
''Don’t be, I wasn't.''
We fell silent and listened to the birds chirping and enjoyed the faint sensation of heather in the air.
She opened the small rug-sack she was carrying and took out a packet of cigarettes. A ring, that somehow looked familiar, fell on the moss. I couldn't see it clearly because the sun hit the little diamond, its dazzle blinded me. She looked at me and put it away hastily.
''My mother used to call heather, the purple dream", she said. "Do you want to hear something funny?"
I nodded.
"My father proposed to her in a bog of purple shimmering heather."
I was about to say "how romantic" but thought better of it.
"Can we go now? I think my ankle will be OK."
Downhill, the train-station wasn't far, even with her sore ankle we made it in time for her connection.
''So you don’t live round here'', I said.
''No, I'm from Dublin, I don’t think I could live in the country.''
''I know what you mean, here everyone knows your business'', I said.
Then she was gone.
I strolled back home. There was an ambulance and a squad car parked in front and a crowd of people lined the footpath. They lowered their heads as I walked past.
I became afraid, had something happened to my mother?
A garda met me at the door and led me into the house.
''I’ve bad news Maolgfhoghmhair, your house has been burgled and it looks that your mother disturbed who ever it was, there are signs of a scuffle. I think she was pushed down the stairs and broke her neck.''
The old oak tree on the hill commanded a splendid view of both the village of Tigernach in the west and the town of Oilioll in the east, which even boasted a train-station.
It's a favourite spot of mine, kind of like being in no-man's land. I often come here to be on my own for a few hours. A slight breeze was blowing and the air had the scent of wild flowers.
A pair of pretty painted butterflies were probing for nectar among the wild daisies, but when I opened a can of beer they took flight.
I was surprised to see a girl in a black track suit running up the hill. When she came to the tree, she seemed taken aback to see me there, she stumbled and twisted her ankle.
She looked very agitated and nervous.
''Can you stand on it? '' I asked.
She tried to get up, but lost her balance.
''You’d better rest a bit and take the weight off", I said.
'Yes, it might be the best thing.''
She sat down on the carpet of green moss surrounding the tree.
''Are you in training?'' I asked.
''No.''
''Only I saw you running.''
I noticed her knuckles were bruised and bloody, so I asked her what happened.
"I'm in a hurry to catch the train and I fell climbing over the fence."
That’s strange, I thought, there’s grass on either side of the fence.
I offered her a can of beer, but she declined.
''Let’s have a look at the ankle."
I felt it wasn't too bad, it looked like a slight sprain.
"Give it a minute and I’ll help you to the station."
''It's nice here, it makes for a good hiding place'', she said.
"Yes I like it and it has a panoramic view of the countryside, I come here every chance I get.''
''Does your boss work you hard?'' She seemed anxious.
''No, it's not that. I'm a carer, I look after my ailing mother. Just now and again it's nice to get away to be on my own.''
''I know what you mean. My mother was an alcoholic, she drove me mad, then one day she fell down the stairs and died.''
''Oh, I'm sorry.''
''Don’t be, I wasn't.''
We fell silent and listened to the birds chirping and enjoyed the faint sensation of heather in the air.
She opened the small rug-sack she was carrying and took out a packet of cigarettes. A ring, that somehow looked familiar, fell on the moss. I couldn't see it clearly because the sun hit the little diamond, its dazzle blinded me. She looked at me and put it away hastily.
''My mother used to call heather, the purple dream", she said. "Do you want to hear something funny?"
I nodded.
"My father proposed to her in a bog of purple shimmering heather."
I was about to say "how romantic" but thought better of it.
"Can we go now? I think my ankle will be OK."
Downhill, the train-station wasn't far, even with her sore ankle we made it in time for her connection.
''So you don’t live round here'', I said.
''No, I'm from Dublin, I don’t think I could live in the country.''
''I know what you mean, here everyone knows your business'', I said.
Then she was gone.
I strolled back home. There was an ambulance and a squad car parked in front and a crowd of people lined the footpath. They lowered their heads as I walked past.
I became afraid, had something happened to my mother?
A garda met me at the door and led me into the house.
''I’ve bad news Maolgfhoghmhair, your house has been burgled and it looks that your mother disturbed who ever it was, there are signs of a scuffle. I think she was pushed down the stairs and broke her neck.''