I
In Denton, the nights had succumbed to the spring. The fragrant scent of jasmine trees blended with the sounds of insects. The tulips welcoming them laid red carpets on both sides of the road. Concealing one face, the Moon struggled with the darkness with Ford advancing on the highway.
“Honey, I’m afraid your permission will be a trouble for you,” Lara said.
It became a habit for her to break the long silences with the worries she accumulated. However, they were easy to tolerate, as she did not prolong the matter too much.
“Don’t worry darling, he owes me a lot. Besides, I’ve worked harder than usual last week. Let’s not think about such issues on our vacation, okay?”
He was sure that the chief would not mind this 1-week leave, because he had been working non-stop for 2 years. Convinced, Lara gently placed a warm kiss on Simon’s face.
“You did it again,” Lara laughed.
“Not at all. How is it possible when looking at the road?”
Simon closed his eyes as usual when Lara’s lips were touching his face. But he did this unconsciously. Meanwhile, Tuffy was sleeping quietly in the back seat. There wasn’t much she could do as the car was continuing to cut through the darkness.
“How much further do we have?” Lara asked.
They had decided not to use the internet during the holiday.
“We are going to arrive in 3-4 hours.”
“I’m so sleepy,” she yawned. She looked at the phone: “May 18, 4:01 am.”
Despite sleeping for a long time, her body still wanted to surrender to the spring air that she missed.
“At this rate, you’ll pass Tuffy.”
“You are nasty!” She smiled. She leaned back in the chair slightly.
“Do you want music?”
“No, don’t let Tuffy wake up. And the sound of the road is better. Wake me up if you stop somewhere.”
“Sleep well, I won’t stop until Tuffy relieves herself.”
“Okay, my life.”
***
Lara woke up. She was alone in bed. She had a headache and was tired. “Maybe from sleeping too much,” she thought. The bedroom, dominated by blue and white colors, was peaceful. She put on her slippers and started exploring the house. The 2-storey house, whose front was completely covered with glass, was facing the forest. She entered the kitchen.
“Simon, darling? Tuffy? Where are you?”
No one was there. She went up. She couldn’t find them either in the gym room to the left of the hallway. She began to call out loudly.
“Sam! Tuffy! Where did they disappear…”
She hoped to find them in the last room in the hallway. She opened the room. This was the warehouse. There were various items like bicycle, fishing rod, board games, dresses, wardrobe and etc. The last thing that caught her eye was the little black box plugged into the outlet...
“Lara. Lara, darling, so you’re awake.” Simon had arrived. “There was a problem with the car, I was taking care of it. Tuffy is with me too. Are you okay, darling, you look pale?”
“Oh yes, I’m fine. I just have a little headache. Why didn’t you wake me?”
“I couldn’t bear it.”
The smile he was trying to put on his face seemed strange to Lara. Instead of emphasizing the joke, it was as if the fake smile was trying to suppress the longing, the despair. She immediately gave up on this absurd notion.
“And we didn’t come here to wake up at 7 am, honey, remember?”
This time the smile was more sincere.
“You must have caught a cold on the way. Let me prepare you medicine. You will have nothing in 1-2 hours.”
***
While Lara was relaxing on the sofa on the first floor, Simon was at the table preparing medicine. The melancholy of the isolated house in the forest was not the kind she wanted to escape, but rather rested her soul. But she didn’t feel vigorous. She couldn’t wait to get well soon and explore around.
“Well, tell me, did you like hous…” Lara hugged him from behind.
Simon was not expecting this. He was a little scared, though he didn’t show it. Meanwhile, he continued to prepare drugs.
“Everything is so beautiful, my dear, I feel happier than I have ever been.”
Leaning her left ear on Simon’s back, Lara could hear his soft heartbeat.
“I am pleased about that.” He continued his work without interruption.
“I wish we could come here more often, or live here all the time, wouldn’t it be nice?”
“Sure.” His voice was weak.
He deeply empathized with Lara’s anxiety this time.
“So glad I have you, Sam.”
Simon stopped. He did not answer. He usually embellished such emotional moments with his jokes. His silence seemed strange to Lara.
“Sweetheart?” Lara came near.
“Oh, I forgot hot water,” turning, he left.
He hadn’t been able to hide the tears on his cheekbone. It was the second time Lara had seen him cry. She was surprised. “It is because of the change,” she thought. She decided to ask its reason when Simon returned. But very soon she would forget that. She sat on the sofa. She was watching outside. She had just begun to perceive the scene in front of her eyes since morning; alone Ford was looking at the small pond 30 meters away. The clouds caressing the beech trees lined up one after the other seemed to hide the sun forever. The area was bare. It seemed like it had been a long time since the trees had shed their leaves. All the flowers and insects had disappeared. There was nothing left for the wind to blow. The abstract counterparts of all these images were already starting to turn into a dead end in her brain... Meanwhile, Simon returned with the kettle in his hand. Plugged it in and got it working. He was standing waiting. Lara had sunk into the distance. Simon could not free himself from the emptiness hiding behind her eyes...
“Sam,” Lara continued to stare out the window. “Why are there no leaves or flowers on the trees? Everything was colorful when we were on the way.”
The water boiled. Ketl stopped.
“Because it’s higher up here, darling. In a few weeks, they will come to life when the weather warms up.”
He poured the water into the glass with medicine mixture. Short silence fell. Lara felt incomplete. She missed Tuffy in a short time.
“Where is Tuffy? I’ve not seen her.”
“Drink this.” He made her drink the medicine. “Around here. She will come soon. Tuffy, Tuffy, baby,” he called.
Tuffy arrived. Sam gave her food from the fridge. Lara tried to pick her up, but the dog jumped to the ground. She couldn’t believe her eyes. This was the first time the dog behaved like this.
“Are you sick, babe? Why is she acting like this?”
“She’s obviously very hungry, that is why she is fretful,” Simon said. “It may also be because she is not used to the house yet.”
Second argument made more sense for Lara.
“You get some rest, finish the medicine, and after you’ve recovered, we’ll walk around the garden. I’ll check the car again.”
“Okay, sweetheart.”
Simon took his coat with the key and tried to put on his shoes.
“Sam.”
“Dear?.”
“Where did you get the coat? Is it that cold?”
“Oh, the jacket is from the Davidsons, I found it in the warehouse, they left some of their clothes. I didn’t expect it to be this cold.”
“Why did the Davidsons leave their clothes here?”
“They had found a new customer for their house in Kort. They were going to go to Kort and should do their business immediately and come back, so they left their belongings. They couldn’t return because Mrs Davidson’s manager had a heart attack at the time.”
“Mr. Osipov had a heart attack?”
“Yes.”
“Pretty odd. Mrs Davidson never told me about it.”
“She only told me after I insisted. Obviously Mr. Osipov admonished, or his son. Who knows...”
“Understood. But we never took thick clothes with us. You said it would be hot.”
“I forgot to tell you. I accidentally checked the weather in Lower Denton. I got them mixed up because the names are the same. In fact, the air here is below normal right now. Luckily, the Davidsons’ holiday coincided with the autumn. We will manage with their clothes. The weather will warm up in a week, don’t worry.”
“Oh, okay… you got off cheap thanks to the Davidsons.”
“And don’t forget Mr. Osipov.”
“You are nasty.” Lara smiled.
Simon nodded in agreement.
“Good work to you. Together with Tuffy we will be watching you.”
Before closing the door, Simon looked at her once more. They both felt that the glance took longer than it should have...
***
