| Comforting Stranger Copyright�2001M.A.Anderson Peggy sat alone in the cool of the evening out front of her outback homestead. The day had been sweltering with the temperature soaring high into the 40�s. She had been in her art studio all afternoon trying to add some finishing touches to one of her paintings, but found it difficult to concentrate on the project before her. Her mind a mesh of sadness and longing. She couldn�t understand why people had to die, when there was so much in the world to live for. The painting that had been perched on the easel in front of her had depicted a morbid, depressing scene. A city in perpetual darkness. One abandoned by God. A stark reminder of how confused her feelings really were at that moment. Now, as she sipped iced tea, rocking gently in the swing seat on the front porch of her weatherboard, ranch style home, the intense feelings she had experienced earlier were dissipating and she was feeling calmer. Toby, her faithful, old silky terrier lay at her feet quietly snoring. He had been her beloved pet for several years, and by human age he would be almost seventy. She shifted her feet so that she wouldn't waken him and gazed out at the gum trees stretched across the distant, red horizon swaying gently in the warm breeze. The sun had almost set, its pink hue glowing just below the magenta coloured sky. She had loved Rick for nine wonderful years and now she was alone. It had been a difficult time for her...his sudden death, the identification, the funeral arrangements. She needed time to grieve. Time to get her thoughts into perspective. Time to understand why the only man she had ever truly loved had been taken away from her by such a senseless act. Tears of sadness slid down her face. What was she to do now? They had no children. Rick had believed that they should concentrate on their careers before creating a new life between them. She had been content with the pact at first, but after five years had decided it was time to reconsider the idea of starting a family. Rick had been against it, saying they were still young and that it was too soon. Why too soon? Peggy wiped her face, eased herself out of the swing seat, picked up the half empty jug and her glass and walked inside to the kitchen. Toby had not budged. As she stood at the kitchen sink, washing her glass and absentmindedly gazing out of the open window, she suddenly realised that headlights were approaching. She turned to look at the clock above the refrigerator. 7 p.m. Who would be trekking all the way out here at this time of night? she wondered. She placed the washed glass in the dish drainer and walked across to the front door. Stepping out onto the porch, she moved along to the end rail and stood watching as the dust trail got closer. |