Promise Of Spring
Coffee Break Tale
Anna and Mark sat in uncomfortable silence. They were deliberately avoiding any chance of catching the other’s eye. He drove along the crowded dual carriageway with his eyes fixed on the road while Anna stared out of the window at monotonous fields of sheep.
She was not sure exactly how they had fallen out again. Something petty, she supposed, in the frantic chaos of the morning as she had packed the children off to school in a flurry of arguments.
Today was a rarity, a shared day off when they could spend time together for a change. It was Mark who had suggested that they sling their walking boots in the back of the car and head off to Exmoor for a proper hike. This was something they had done often in the days before their energetic brood of children came along, peppering their lives with joy and strife in equal measure.
Anna closed her eyes and let herself doze off to the purr of the car engine. She couldn’t remember when she had last had an unbroken night of sleep.
When she awoke, the mood had shifted subtly. Mark was humming softly now, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel in time to one of his favourite songs. He had turned the volume down low so as not to disturb her and gave her an uncertain grin when he caught her gaze dwelling on his face. The long drive had clearly soothed him and his features looked a little more relaxed.
Anna glanced doubtfully out at the mist sitting heavily on the moor. The car skirted the riverbank and climbed ever higher through the Exmoor woodland but it was still foggy when they parked. They laced on their boots and set out, map in hand, down the muddy lane which wound its way between the ghostly hedgerows.
They were aiming for the Avill Valley, a local secret whose fame was slowly spreading, so they were not sure whether to expect beauty or gimmicks.
The walk across the fields was slippery but the descent to the valley floor was infinitely more precarious. Anna almost fell over on several occasions and only Mark’s quick reactions saved her from a total mudbath. They had to clasp gloved hands to remain upright on the well-trodden path.
When they emerged at last from the shadows to the clearing by the river, they were astonished by the sight that met their eyes…
Carpets of delicate white snowdrops covered the banks in every direction, spreading in soft, snowy drifts among the ancient mossy trunks. Planted centuries ago by Benedictine monks to celebrate Candlemas, their graceful bells were fringed with beautiful markings of vibrant green. It took their breath away.
The mist had lifted but it had clearly deterred other walkers so Anna and Mark were alone when they embraced. They looked up again as a shaft of afternoon sunlight cut unexpectedly through the canopy of grey clouds, dazzling them both. The first signs of spring were glimmering through the gloom, Anna decided, and they watched in wonder as the bright sunshine lit up the snowdrops at their feet.
Suddenly they heard the chatter of approaching voices. A family with four excited children burst from the forest and raced along the river bank. They were struggling to keep pace with their lively border collie.
Anna and Mark moved apart instinctively and laughed aloud. They wrapped their scarves around their necks once more to keep out the chill wind and turned back to the main track.
The journey uphill was strenuous and even more challenging now because of the enormous puddles from last night’s rain. The couple slid and stumbled along, talking and joking all the while, on the steep path back to the car.
They were happy in the knowledge that their easy companionship had been restored.
On the drive home, Anna smiled as she watched the spring lambs through the window. She was no longer dreading the thought of her hectic evening as she pondered on what to feed the hungry horde for dinner on their return.
Her mind was still full of sunlight and snowdrops. Every winter is followed by a thaw, she reflected, and it was those rare, extraordinary moments that lit up the most ordinary of days.