Lisa
The tall grass brushes against my shins as I walk through the field, trying to find the perfect spot to capture the sunset peeking through the trees. Love, my trusty Dobermann, trots along beside me, panting in the mid-July heat.
When I find the spot, I reach for my camera, angling it to get a perfect flare before snapping the photo. Immediately, I go to the gallery to review the picture and I'm beyond happy with it. The golden sun rays are peeking through the trees while capturing the movement of the tall grass in the warm breeze.
Feeling contented, I plop down right in the middle of the field. I grab my water bottle, while taking a swig before spilling some water into my cupped hand, letting Love get a drink.
"Good boy." I mummer, scratching behind his ear while he looks at me with his big brown eyes and goofy smile.
With a sigh, I recline back, resting my hands behind my head, watching the sky fade to black. The grass sways around me, rustling in the breeze, and I can hear the far off creek bubbling when I strain my ears. Love reclines next to me, with his head on my chest, and it's moments like these where I feel truly contented.
I could lie in this field forever. This place has been my escape ever since I learned how to ride a bike. In this field I feel like I'm a part of something bigger, rather than in a world where I don't belong.
I feel myself dissolve into the sky the second I spot the first firefly that's followed by dozens more. That's the magic of this field. It's like I'm levitating in the night sky, with the fireflies swarming all around me like stars, and the sky is crystal clear, letting me see every star possible. This field is miles away from the city, untainted by its lights and pollution.
I've always found solitude in the night sky, especially in the last few years. No matter where I am, I know I can look up at the night sky and someone else can see the exact same sky, thousands of miles away. Every night I look up at the sky and seem to notice something new amongst the stars. Despite the sky seeming so different every night, it still holds an unchanging familiarity. It feels like home.
Letting myself fall into a state of bliss, I lay in the middle of the field with Love in silence. After the last few years, I'm finally able to let myself truly appreciate the silence without any penetrating fear.
Right after high school, I enlisted in the U.S. Marines and quickly found myself fighting in Iraq. I completed a number of tours before I returned home after an injury that I suffered.
It was during a night raid. A bomb went off and it hurled me back a good fifty feet. I lost all the air from my lungs as soon as I hit the ground, and the ringing in my ears was so loud it was maddening. I heard the commotion from the aftermath, but it all sounded like they were hundreds of miles away. I laid on the ground just looking up at the night sky, unable to move, while trying to count the stars to keep my mind off the pain.
That was the last thing I saw before I slipped out of consciousness, with stars literally dotting my vision. It was the last thing I thought I'd ever see again, and I was perfectly contented with that. Almost.
There was only one other thing that I'd rather see one last time before I died.
An alarm shrieks, shaking me from my bad memories and scaring the absolute shit out of me. I jerk up, while breathing heavily, startling Love. I quickly grab for my phone in my pocket, turning off the alarm.
"Sorry, boy." I apologise breathlessly, petting him for comfort.
I need to stop setting these damn alarms, but I know that if I don't, I'll probably end up spending all night out here. And my mum would kick my ass if I wasn't home in time for supper. That and I can tell she's worried about me. Ever since before I left, she's been worried.
With a sigh, I reluctantly stand and head back towards my truck. I pack up my camera and took the drive back home, with Love happily hanging his head out the window the whole way, letting his ears flap in the wind.
"Hey, mama." I greet her as soon as I walk through the door. I walk over to the counter where she's buttering the bread and place a kiss to her cheek, while stealing a piece of bread in the process.
"Lisa!" she scolds weakly, trying her best not to laugh. "Go wash up." she says more sternly.
"Yes, ma'am." I mumble, with the piece of bread hanging from my mouth. "Hey, pop." I say while passing my old man, giving him a quick pat to the shoulder on my way to the washroom.
Since I've been home, I've decided to stay with my parents for a while before finding my own place. Trying to help my old man out at the farm for a bit.
After washing up, I grab Love's food bowl, giving him a scoop of his dry dog food. "Enjoy, buddy." I say, while giving him a pat to his head before leaving to let him eat his supper in peace.
I return to the dining room, taking a seat next to my pop who is reading the newspaper.
"Supper is ready." my mama announces, walking into the dining room and wiping her hands on her apron. Her golden brown skin seems to even glow in the soft lighting of our house. Looking at her, she looks much younger than her years. You'd never tell that she worked on a farm for the majority of her life. My pop on the other hand, he's starting to wear and tear. The wrinkles are starting to show on his face, his tan skin dotted with sun spots after working outside on the farm all his life. The man couldn't give a damn though. He's proud of all the hard years of work that he's done, and as long as he still has a face only my mama can love, that's all he can ask for.
"I'll help you, ma." I say, hopping up to help her set the table.
"Bambam called earlier." my mama says, shortly after we all say grace while scooping some carrots onto her plate.
"Yeah?" I say through a mouthful of mashed potatoes, earning me a glare.
"Yes." she enunciates, and a slow grin spreads across her face. "He said that you have your first client."
I smile. "Really?"
"Yes. He tried to call your cell but you must have been out of service range. I told him that you'd call him back after supper."
