John Leigh The Journey

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John Leigh                                The Journey

It was unfortunate, he thought, that the sand was a little hotter than he would have ideally liked. Looking out across the horizon the poison blue ocean was already beginning to pour into the sand and saturate it. When the waters came in, it was always time to leave. As he turned, the sand absorbing his feet in the wake the wonder what would happen one night, if indeed, he did remain out and watch the sea. Perhaps the old tales were not true, perhaps there was nothing to be scared of.

‘Modeerf’ his wife shouted out, ‘Modeerf’!

’Yes’ came the reply, his reaction a little slow from having been walking alone for so long.

‘You must come back for dinner now, walk beside me, let us talk for a while, we shall go through the trees’.

As open as the sand and water were, the jungle was equally dense. The thick, toxic green leaves draped themselves around black and brown barks. The floor of the forest was littered with seeds and smaller, less noticeable vegetation. It was not uncommon to see many different animals if one took even the shortest of walks through this perfect, tropical forest.

‘Modeerf’, his wife’s voice came again, this time accompanied with a note of concern. ‘You have been spending a lot of time recently, wondering away from the people, concern is growing, is everything alright?’ She hesitated; the words had come quickly until this moment. ‘Perhaps you are not happy with me?’ Bowing her head, she stared at the floor as they walked together in silence. Modeerf began to think, it was very unusual for his wife to be this sensitive, he had always walked alone, as long as he had known her. This can not be of her own decision.

‘Your being foolish’ he replied slowly and carefully. ‘You know how much I enjoy to walk alone sometimes’. She looked up at him, a tear gathering in her eyes,

‘the others talk, they say I am no good, that I do not please you and… that, you would rather be alone!’ Ahead the dense jungle was beginning to thin, the blue smoke of wood fires drifted gently up and into the darkening skies. They were approaching the village. Looking up from his feet, Modeerf realised perhaps he should indeed pay a little more attention to his wife, taking a deep breath he stopped her and whispered into her ear.

Join now!

‘Nothing has changed Iree, I love you as much today as I did when we first met. I walk alone so often because I like to think of both the past and present. But every meal and every night, I am entirely yours.’ She looked up at him, took his hand, smiled whilst still sobbing and they continued walking toward the village.

The leaf strewn floor gave way to ankle length dry and bristly grasses. The trees were much thinner here and a quiet noise of work and play arose from the village. Houses and buildings made from mud and ...

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