Chapter Eight-Harry
I laughed as Jenny’s mother finished telling the story of the day Jenny went to school for the first time. Living just down the road, Jenny climbed the small fence and ran all the way home. When her mother returned 6 hours later from work, Jenny was already outside playing with Dusty.
“Carol, can I help you with the dishes.”
“Harry, you angel, but no thanks, I will manage.”
We had just finished a delicious meal of roast chicken, potatoes and vegetables and honestly, it was the best meal I had eaten since I had left home.
“Do you want to go sit on the porch? I could get us ice-cream.” Jenny asked.
“Okay, sure. Do you want me to help?”
“No, I got it.” She replied, smiling at me before getting up and carrying the dishes into the kitchen.
I got up from the table and made my way through the living room to the porch.
It was a warm summer’s evening and the stars were shining brightly. The moon was full and fireflies dotted the night sky. The darkened fields were still and silent and all was peaceful.
“Here.” Jenny’s voice broke through my thoughts as she handed me a bowl, which I took with a smile.
“It’s so quiet here.” I commented.
“It’s nice.” She said, smiling fondly as she observed the dark surroundings. “Nice and peaceful.”
I nodded as I placed a spoonful of ice-cream in my mouth and studied her as I did so.
Her dark blue eyes were shining in the light of the porch lights and her blonde hair was pulled into a high ponytail that reached shoulder length. Her petite frame was curled up on one of the cushioned couches that were scattered around the floor and she was wearing baggy light blue pajama pants and a white strappy vest that complimented her golden skin. Her lips were a light shade of pink and her face had a natural glow. Her tiny nose had a few sun-kisses that were also scatter lightly across her strong cheekbones and her eyelashes were naturally dark. She was beautiful.
“What was so bad about your life?” she asked, quietly. “You had it all. The fame, the money, any girl you wanted. What could possibly be so terrible that made you want to leave it all behind?”
I thought for a moment, cocking my head to one side, looking at her for a few long seconds.
“It eventually became too much, I think. I lived such a normal life than all of a sudden money, tours, publicity. I was thrown into the spotlight before I had a chance to really think about it and nothing in my life was private anymore. People knew my weight, time of birth, family, where I was every second of every day, and I think a time comes when it just becomes too much for any human being to handle and I cracked. I couldn’t take the pressure of maintaining an image that I had spent that last few years building, I couldn’t bear the thought of letting anyone down. So, I ran away from it all.”
Jenny sat still, listening contently to what I was saying and for the first time in a long time I realized someone was really listening to me, because they wanted to, not because I was ‘Harry Styles’. Her legs were pulled up to her chest and her blue eyes looked damp.
“It must have been hard.” She said, looking me in the eyes.
“It was.”
“I know it is a very different scenario, but I guess I understand where you are coming from.” She said, looking out across the fields.
