Just found out that i haven't won the rowan coleman short story
comp. so i thought i'd post the story here to see what you
wonderful people of the cloud think of it. as usual any comment is
welcome.
Here I am sitting on the front of a brightly
coloured Gypsy caravan, being pulled by a white horse. I don’t
know where we are going only that we are going together. Jess
turns her head and her silky black hair falls across her face.
She smiles and I smile back.
“Its nice today,” she
says.
“It’s always nice with
you.”
She
laughs and her face lights up. She leans over and we kiss, just a
bit of a peck.
“Can you take the reins?”
“Yeah sure.”
She
climbs past me and pulls the curtain back and disappears into the
caravan. Her perfume is intoxicating – it lingers and I breathe
deep. A few moments later she reappears and shoves me over before
taking the reins.
“I’ve made you some nettle
tea.”
I
slip past her and into the back. On the small table is a copper
pot – steam escaping from the spout. I pour a little into an
earthen cup and sit back and drink. I feel the caravan stop and
moments later Jess slips through the
curtain.
“I
hope you like the tea,” she says.
“It’s wonderful.”
“It’s getting late,” she says. “I think we
should stop for the night.”
“Whatever you say, Jess.”
I
help her with the horse and we clean the tack together before
settling down for some much needed food. It’s my turn to cook and
while she gets cleaned up I prepare the Rabbit along with wild
roots and herbs. It is something I’ve seen Jess cook and hope
that it will taste as nice as hers. The fire is ablaze and the
contents of the pot are bubbling. Everything is ready and I wait
in anticipation.
She
emerges from the back of the caravan, warring a long flowery
skirt and white lace-up blouse. Her feet are bare, as they always
are. Her hair reflects the light from the moon. My mouth opens
and I can feel myself starring as she slowly saunters towards me,
perfection in motion.
“Close your mouth,” she says. “You’ll be eating
flies tonight.”
She
laughs and I can’t help but feel embarrassed. She sits next to
the boiling pot and stirs it.
“Smells good.”
“I
hope it tastes alright,” I say.
I
get up and ladle some of the stew into two bowls while Jess tears
chunks off the loaf she bought today. We sit looking at the
rabbit stew, waiting for the other to have the first
taste.
“Well here goes,” I say. “Mmmm, needs
something.”
Jess dips her spoon in. “It tastes good for the
first attempt.”
“You’re just saying that.”
“No, but you’re right it does need something,
salt perhaps?”
“I
knew I’d forgotten something.”
We
sit and watch an Owl out hunting for a field mouse or some other
poor creature. It’s something I’ve never seen before. Since
meeting Jess there are lots of things I’ve never seen or done
before.
I
look down at my wrist and remember that I had sold my watch the
day I climbed onto the caravan. I had sold everything that day
including my designer suits and shoes. Everything went within
three hours of Jess putting it out on the table at the local car
boot sale.
“You don’t need money where we are going,” she
had said. “All you need is me.”
The
money we made was put in an envelope and posted through the door
of a church. A note Jess had written said that the money was for
the poorest children in the parish. There was also a Gypsy curse.
If the money was misused those responsible would be struck down
by a horrible illness. That was two weeks ago
now.
“What are you thinking?” she
asks.
“Just thinking back to when we
met.”
She
smiles that reassuring smile and takes my hand in hers. She turns
away and when she turns back, that’s when I see a tear – the
first I have seen her shed.
I
reach out and wipe it off her cheek. It glistens in the moon
light. I want to keep it to cherish it.
“Are you alright?” I ask. “Is there something
wrong?”
“I’m fine,” she says. “It was a happy tear. I
was thinking back to when I first saw you.”
“I
won’t forget that day either.”
She
looks into my eyes and says. “The first day I saw you was... when
you were born.” 
