The End Of A Farm Road
Wolf Sherman
- SynopsisThere
- really
- is
- something
- calming;
- almost
- medicinal,
- about
- being
- absorbed
- by
- an
- impromptu
- dusk—drive
- on
- a
- powdery
- dirt
- road;
- laid
- to
- sleep
- between
- those
- picturesque
- tall
- wheat
- fields
- that
- seem
- to
- stretch
- out
- forever.
- Sustenance
- not
- yet
- harvested
- —
- but,
- will
- be.
- Soon.
- And
- hanging
- low
- over
- such
- beauty;
- tucking
- it
- all
- in
- tight
- —
- before
- drowsiness
- seamlessly
- turns
- to
- dreams,
- the
- crisp
- early
- evening
- air,
- a
- promising
- scene
- overhead,
- implying
- to
- pull
- the
- rest
- of
- the
- clouds
- nearer
- to
- the
- full
- moon,
- and
- maybe,
- just
- maybe,
- some
- rain...PrologueHer
- voice
- quickly
- turned
- exited
- as
- she
- rushed
- over
- to
- the
- phone,
- plucking
- the
- receiver
- from
- it.
- “No
- one
- else
- has
- the
- number...”
- She
- smiled
- as
- the
- thought
- arrived,
- and
- she
- was
- right.
- “To
- make
- this
- phone
- ring,
- could
- only
- be
- him...”
The
- rather
- cramped
- townhouse
- was
- sparsely
- furnished
- and
- decorating
- it
- was
- accomplished
- without
- any
- real
- sense
- of
- purpose.
- Neglected;
- it
- would
- have
- appeared
- for
- an
- outsider.
- But
- in
- a
- strange
- sense,
- it
- was
- a
- home.
- A
- different
- kind
- of
- home.
- One
- where
- again,
- she
- could
- be
- a
- younger
- her.
- Answering
- the
- call,
- she
- momentarily
- glimpsed
- over
- at
- the
- kitchen
- counter.
- Not
- that
- it
- mattered,
- but
- it
- was
- bare.
- No
- bread
- bin,
- toaster,
- or
- waiting—and—ready
- appliances
- parked
- and
- lined—up
- near
- the
- kettle
- —
- which
- too
- was
- absent.
- In
- its
- place,
- a
- tall
- empty
- bottle
- of
- semi-sweet
- red
- wine,
- two
- small
- and
- crumbed
- side
- plates,
- and
- next
- to
- that
- —
- two
- large
- empty
- wine
- glasses.
- She
- wouldn't
- have
- to
- bother
- washing
- up
- much
- and
- no
- one
- would
- have
- anything
- to
- say
- about
- it.
- Not
- here.
- It
- was
- unlike
- her
- kitchen
- at
- home.
- And
- here,
- inviting
- friends
- and
- family
- over,
- would
- not
- be
- prudent.
- “I
- Love
- you
- too!”
- Then
- lowered
- her
- voice
- to
- a
- seductive
- whispered
- tone,
- “Hi
- sexy,
- it's
- only
- been
- five
- minutes
- —
- do
- you
- miss
- me
- already?”
- Not
- waiting
- for
- him
- to
- reply
- she
- continued.
- “You
- barely
- left...
- You
- can't
- be
- further
- away
- than
- three
- blocks?”
- Her
- smile
- was
- almost
- permanent
- as
- she
- looked
- over
- in
- the
- mirror
- in
- the
- lounge
- room
- where
- she
- stood
- —
- still
- undressed,
- brushing
- away
- at
- her
- long
- waist—length
- hair.
- She'd
- come
- to
- love
- her
- colleague.
- More
- than
- she'd
- ever
- loved
- her
- husband.
- “It's
- not
- long
- now...
- Yes,
- we'll
- meet
- in
- the
- next
- town
- tomorrow
- for
- a
- qui...”
- She
- didn't
- feel
- she
- needed
- to
- complete
- her
- suggestion.
- He'd
- know
- exactly
- what
- it
- was
- about.
- “No,
- it's
- far
- enough
- away,
- and
- no
- one
- knows
- me
- there...”
- Replying
- to
- his
- concern.
- “Oh
- I
- wish,
- but,
- you
- know
- I
- have
- to
- be
- with
- my
- family
- tonight.
- It's
- my
- son's
- birthday...
- And
- I...
- thanks
- to
- work...
- (but
- work
- could
- not
- be
- blamed
- for
- her
- absence)
- I
- haven't
- spent
- any
- time
- with
- my
- son
- for
- a
- while.”
- The
- call
- ended,
- and
- she
- applied
- a
- lighter
- layer
- of
- lipstick
- than
- what
- had
- circled
- her
- mouth
- until
- two
- hours
- before.
- “That's
- better.
- The
- purple
- would
- be
- too
- much
- for
- this
- evening.”
- Her
- conversation
- with
- herself
- in
- the
- mirror
- carried
- on
- while
- she
- looked
- over
- her
- shoulder
- to
- spy
- where
- he'd
- left
- her
- clothes.
- She
- noticed
- how
- it
- was
- trailing
- towards
- the
- bedroom,
- right
- from
- the
- front
- door,
- with
- short
- spaces
- in
- between.
- It
- made
- her
- smile
- again,
- and
- she
- blew
- a
- kiss
- into
- the
- mirror.
- Feeling
- needed;
- wanted,
- and
- sexy,
- wasn't
- a
- feeling
- she
- had
- been
- accustomed
- to.
- Not
- until
- recently
- that was.
pro-mbooks3 : libris
