My Lost Orchard

Chapter one

1957

It was a hot one, that summer was, but I paid no mind to it in my innocent youth. Instead I spent my days fingering through the pages of my father's library books. Losing myself in the idea of adventure, the surplus of knowledge and excitement that could be found between two bound leather covers. But during that particular summer of 1957 there was a newfound excitement running rampant through my veins. My parents would be leaving for a whole month starting in July, and I would be free to do as I pleased for the whole time they'd be absent. I could tell they were hesitant to leave me alone, afraid I would set the house aflame, but I assured them I would be fine.

"I'm nearly 17 mother, I'll be okay on my own."

"Maybe I should have Marsha come stay with you, so you don't get lonely," her soft, slight voice played in my ears. Marsha was our maid that came on Wednesdays, one I'd grown quite fond of since we moved to France.

"You leave me alone all the time, how is this any different?"

"We've never left you alone for more than a few days! You're sure you'll be okay?" I nodded to her, watching the worry fade away from her already tightly structured face.

We continued to have this same conversation all through the month of June. Her worrying, me assuring, and my father nodding politely from across the dinner table. But in the end they had no say in whether or not they had to go anyway. They left on a Saturday in early July for their train to Italy. They were in the field of medicine, both my mother and father. My mother was a nurse, and my father a brain surgeon. And they expected me to marry a doctor myself, and have a doctor, and slowly melt into the form of my mother as my life went on. So, though I loved my parents very much, I was relieved as I watched their car roll swiftly out of our driveway, dirt kicking up behind them.

My parents were the type of people that most people want to be. Smart, attractive, neat, and wealthy with a simple daughter and a beautiful house in an exotic place. And I lived the type of life that most people can only dream of. I grew up in a big house in Northern Alabama, where everything was green and fresh. We had horses and ducks and about 20 servants that ran the whole house. When I was 15 we moved to the French Countryside about 30 miles outside of Paris. Just the three of us then, only a day staff that came when we required them to clean or cook big meals, which was rarely ever. My parents were almost always in Paris at work, but thought it best to keep me away from the temptations of the city. In the whole two years I'd lived in France leading up to that summer I had been to Paris maybe three times.

My tutor came Monday through Thursday during the year because the only schools near by were french, and my french had always been poorer than my mother was willing to admit . My tutor's name was Jacque De' La Mer. He was young, early twenties maybe, and such a handsome man he was. He had caramel hair that fell in tuffs down around his ears and eyes that shone a sea foam blue when the sun hit them just right. He would tell me stories about the women he loved and how they were engaged to be married. I dreamt about being that women when I got bored during lessons. He was just so nice to me I couldn't help but develop the type of crush most seventeen year old girls have already acted upon. But I knew Jacque and I would never be, for when he spoke of that women, though I can't recall her name now, he had such a lust in his eyes it was hard to picture any man every feeling that way about me.

But my loneliness was inevitable during that month because Jacque didn't come in the summer. It would just be me and Dolton, my faithful lab and housewarming present. I had planned to spend my time of blissful solitude in the orchard behind our home. It was a hike through a small forest to get there, but it was a hike I knew well. The day was a warm one, requiring me to wear a loose white sundress that fell just below my knees. Mother hated when I wore that dress, said it was too provocative to be worn by a lady, but it wasn't like anyone would see me, so I wore it anyway. I packed away the necessary things I would need to spend a week outside; A tent with my sleeping necessity's, four pairs of clothes, six bottles of water, a pack of crackers, a jar of jam, and three turkey sandwiches that my mother had made for me before she left.

I would be spending my time in the orchard just a mile or two to the left of our house. I'd spent lots of time in the woods that surrounded our hidden home, and knew my way easily. The orchard was my escape from the stiff rules my house held. I knew that this time of the year it would be abloom with fresh, beautiful pears and was eager to find my way back there.

The woods were thick with leaves and branches that thrived with summer's life. I could see the sunlight peeking through the break in the trees. As I entered the clearing my heart skipped a beat, the pure beauty surrounding me completely. Every time I went there it seemed to become more and more beautiful. The trees grew taller than I did and the pears were a soft gold that gleamed against the rays of summer light.

I let my heavy bags fall to the ground and called for Dalton to follow me as I ran, laughing as I reached out to touch the leaves and branches that struck against my skin. My brown hair flew behind me as I let my feet take control. This was what I'd been dreaming of since the moment my parents had told me they'd be leaving. The freedom to run as far and as fast as my thin legs would let me before melting into a heap on the soft earth around me. My parents weren't fond of me going into the woods, though that never directly forbid it, so I in the hours I was alone, and explored all there was to see.

Eventually my legs did grow tired so Dolton and I walked back to where I had left my bags. Finding a good sport I put my tent up and set all of my things inside before climbing out of the tent and resting against one of the trees next to me. The summer sky was setting and the colors of the dawn were swirling above my head, a pinkish glow loomed over the entire orchard. I grabbed one of my books and went back to my perch against the trunk of a golden tree. I read until the sky was too dark to even decipher shadow from life.

Finally, when the stars emerged and the sun faded behind the earth, I crawled into my tent and rolled into a ball next to Dolton. I shut my eyes listening to the sound of the wind against the leaves and the soft chirp of sleepless crickets until my mind drifted into its peaceful slumber.

I was standing in complete darkness, everything around me fading into nothing. Not a sound could be hear, it seemed the whole world had become mute. Everything was completely still until I felt the rush of fingers trailing the length of my arm. Goosebumps rose on my skin and my breath quickened to the pace of my ignited heart. The fingers felt rough in contrast to my smooth skin and sent endless shivers throughout my entire body.

Within seconds the fingers wrapped around my own. The hands big, clearly male, but who? Jacque, no Jacque had the hands of a painter, not of a farmer boy. Their strength turning me around, I could feel the heat of the other person through my thin clothes, but could not see a thing.

Then he pulled me close to him and every ounce of my body felt like it had been shocked by lightning. Who was this stranger? I felt his mouth near my ear and felt the warmth of his breath as he talked. "Soon," his voice was deep and young, a sound as sweet as sugar that warmed me to the very core of everything I was.

My eyes opened in a shock and my body was covered in a sticky layer of sweat. The heat I felt from this boy was still radiating through me. The sun shone through the thin fabric of my tent and burned my eyes. I pulled myself into a sitting position and poured water onto a cloth before wiping my body with it. I climbed out, stuffing crackers in my mouth and grabbing a pear out of a tree. I let the sweet liquid cleans my throat. I decided to take a walk and think. The orchards were always somewhere I could feel free to think my own thoughts.

I had always wished for a sibling to keep me company. I remembered when I was five and my mother lost a child. It was the only time I can remember having even seen my father cry, the only time I can ever remember my mother without a smile plastered on her thin face. I wanted a baby sister so badly that I'd screamed when my nanny had told me mother wouldn't be having one. My parents always spoiled me though, making up for the nights I spent alone. They loved me, I knew that. My mom wasn't supposed to be able to have kids, but I was a miracle. For as long as I can remember my parents had been in love or what I thought at the time was love. I had never touched love, never met someone willing enough of it.

I walked back into my tent, Dolton trailing behind me his tail wagging happily from behind him. I left my shoes with my stuff and let my feet get the best of me, sprinting off in the other direction. My body felt free when I was running and lose, like I was made only of air. I finally slowed my pace huffing and puffing as Dolton ran up next to me running circles around my feet in egear desperation to keep going. But quickly he stopped, looking off and sniffing towards trees to our right. Then, with no other warning, he was gone and I was off with him to see what new adventure he'd discovered for us.