Jack and Isla

FIVE

 It had been a week now, since they arrived in the cabin. After they spent the morning in town, getting the key and supplies and also having her hand looked at, Isla and the boys headed out to the lodge. It was a beautiful walk and even though the winds still had a chill to them, that was the last snow they had for the year and the sun was getting warmer and higher each day.

The first trek took about an hour as they kept stopping along the path for various reasons. The deer that happily walked across their path, not more than 100 yards in front of them, coming out from the thick trees gracefully. It stopped and looked at them as if it knew the boys had never really seen anything like it that close before in the city and letting them have a good look. 

The small river that looked like it had stepping stones going across, if not for the higher winter water levels rushing over them, down from the snow covered mountains. The boys made plans to come back when the water levels had gone down from the snow and explore on the other side of the river.

Freddie found multiple trees whose branches were low and strong enough for him to climb up, with Bradley insisting on trying to get higher each time. The path itself was easy to walk on being a mix of small gravel and dirt and was only wide enough to get a small truck down and nothing bigger.

The trail led to a clearing in the trees that revealed the most beautiful view that she has ever seen, that it took her breath away. The sun was shining over a meadow that had the early signs of spring, with a few different pops of colour popping up already. There was what looked like it was supposed to be a mown path that led down to a waters edge through the centre of the meadow, with a small pontoon leading out into the water. Calm, blue water that lapped at the edge of the sandy shore and reflected the clear blue skies. Complete with a small row boat moored up.

Over to the right of the meadow, with its back to the treeline, sat the lodge. It was a completely timber built building, that was a decent size. It had two floors and a wrap around porch, with a log store and garage attached to the side. The windows had the shutters on the outside of the building just like the ones in town, but albeit a bit more run down, with some hanging on by the last hinge or some completely missing altogether.

The more she looked, the more Isla noticed. A missing step on the way up to the porch, a couple of roof slats missing, guttering on the floor instead of the roof. The far side of the porch itself looked like it was going to collapse in on its foundations. The chimney stack looked about to topple in the next strong wind. The small boat on the pontoon even had a gaping hole in the bottom.

As they ventured inside it was no better. Bradley put his foot through a floorboard as he stepped inside and within 2 mins, Freddie had also put his foot through a floor board 3 steps up the stairs, just as Isla opened the kitchen door for it to completely fall off the hinges and frame altogether. All this was topped with the cobwebs, dust and even the few bird nests that were in the roof beams, they were just thankful to have running water, even if no electricity or heating.

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They had spent the first week cleaning mostly and clearing out the stuff left and sorting through Eric things. Bradley had found a couple of push bikes in the garage, just before the roof came in on itself, but he did avoid telling his mum he was in there when the roof came down. He had managed to fix them both up, so at least they didn't have to keep walking into town and Isla was now trusting they were safe enough to venture out around a bit more.

Coming into the second week, Isla decided that having slept on the floor in front of the fire was enough. The boys were happy as Brad had made them both makeshift hammocks on the beams in the bedroom, so they were not in a rush.

Isla borrowed one of the bikes and with a bag on her back ready, she made her first ride out to town. She again took her time, enjoying the ride and the freedom she felt. She could not remember the last time that she had the chance to do something so freeing. As well as making her stop work, Stu had made her give up any hobby, or activity that she enjoyed doing, guilt tripping her into thinking if she was spending time for her then she was not being a good mum.