The Aroma of the Country

G~ 6:46 PM 0

He had never been out of the city before. Born and raised in the metropolis of skyscrapers, fast lifestyle and change. However, in some rash decision he had allowed someone to take him out of his home and comfort zone. It was a tall order and he never would have believed anyone would have been able to do it. Cities were all that he had ever known. His life was devoted to traveling around to each and everyone of them. He never would have expected that one time someone would dare him to leave his comfort zone.

"Come on, I said that you would be fine." He pulled the hesitant city dweller further into the field where he had grown up. In stark contrast to his companion, he was born and raised in the fields outside the cities where the air was fresh, the work was hard and the days long. However, it was something that he could never get enough of. He had traveled to the city for his brother's wedding and had just happened to meet another guest.

They had walked down memory lane together over drinks that wedding day and then decided to have a few more along the way. All the while they were accompanied by their past selves of ten year, eleven years and so on. So many things were left long ago, dreams deferred and hopes forgotten. However in these moments they found solace and friendship. Boldness was the result as one invited another to explore a whole new world that was steady, unchanging and calm.

Taking up that bet, Marc now found himself actually taking in the natural world with Jeff y his side. It was shocking that he was walking barefoot among the fields unafraid of what might be lurking and unconcerned that his feet would be dirty. He laughed and played without a care in the world. This was his holiday and he was enjoying it immensely.

He met Jeff's family and helped around the farm with anything from driving tractors to milking cows. It was an organic farm that practiced the old ways of producing all without chemicals and preservatives. The food was crisp and the water cold after a long day of hard work. It was more exhausting than anything else he had every done. It was exhausting, but also more rewarding than anything else he had ever done as well.

Sleep came easy, and there were no projects to follow him to bed. His phone did not get reception and there was no WiFi to check his email with. Instead, he could rest easy without having to worry about the world that races outside. Instead, he was sung to sleep by the chirping cicadas.

The days passed and the world outside called once more. It was impossible for him to completely ignore his responsibilities. He had work to get back to, an apartment of stuff to move into a new apartment and so on. There was so much to be done and so much to take care of. He decided that he was taking the train back instead of inconveniencing Jeff to drive him back. Jeff's hand lingered a bit longer than he had expected. However, he knew that there were so many thing dividing them. He had work, he had responsibilities and he had... not leg to stand on.

The train was leaving, but he had to get off. His responsibilities could wait, but perhaps he could find something else in this brave new world that he had discovered. If he did not like it then, he could always come back. The city and its life were not going anywhere. He grabbed his luggage and hopped raced to the door. It was odd because people were usually racing to get on the train, but hardly ever to get off, especially at this stop. The conductor was baffled as his passenger quickly jumped off.

The platform was empty ad Jeff had work to do back at the farm, but it was also possible that he had not wanted him to leave. In his haste he realized that his phone was probably going not going to reach. Him he raced towards the ticket office in hopes that he could use their phone and call ahead to let them know that he was coming back. As he was frantically trying to remember the number or figure out a way to look it up, he slowly dropped the phone. The scent was all too familiar. He had come to love it and want more of it. It may have been greed or something more. But he had never flet this way before.