Stubborn Hearts

The taxi pulled over a wide, green gate just about 50 meters from the main road. During the ride, they passed by what seemed like the town’s center with houses here and there, one main hall, some small stores along the highway. She saw only a few people but given that it was almost four in the afternoon, everyone might have already been finishing up for the day. Everything in this town was small except for the towering trees that came to view just a few minutes after they came past the town and she could tell they were almost there. “Three more minutes,” the driver said smiling as if he sensed she was about to ask. She smiled back and nodded.  And here they were. She barely noticed the time. Beyond the gate was a private property, the driver said. He helped her unload her things and after paying him more than the meter, he smiled widely and thanked her. She thanked him back for driving her safely and off he went his way back to town. Sometimes, you would just be amazed at meeting some kind strangers along the way. Now facing the gate, she delved into her handbag for the paper containing the emailed instructions from the owner of the cabin. She had it in her phone but would rather have it printed as it was handier for her. She read through and found the 6-digit combination for the number-coded lock. Silly, the gate was not actually high enough and anyone about six-foot tall would be able to climb up in no time. But she knew that this place was far too safe from normal, big cities like the one she used to live in. “Great God,” she mumbled after successfully unlatching the lock. The cabin should not be that far from the main entrance as she recalled in the note. But she would never mind a long walk if she was welcomed with tall, green trees and a cool breeze, even with bags in tow. She took her time indulging her eyes and nerves with nothing but chirping birds and the swaying sound of the leaves above her. Freedom. A sense of liberation came rushing through her that she could try to scream. But she did not. She was too happy to be here and a blissful moment deserves a great space in her gallery. She took her phone out and turned on the video as she walked her way through the cabin. After a few moments, she stopped and gasped. She might had been smiling from ear to ear as the gorgeous cottage came to view. It was a combination of bricks and woods with pastel green-colored window panels and door. There were potted flowering plants at both sides of the three-step concrete entrance which she was hoping to witness in full bloom by spring. It had a small terrace with hanging blooms, and a small wooden table with two chairs would serve really well for coffee on a morning rain. Why for morning rain? Because a patio on the side would cover for sunny days. Ah, coffee! She badly needed one, she realized. Never rushing, she took a wide-angled shot to capture the beautiful cabin with the tall trees around it. Picturesque. She did not expect the place she just luckily stumbled across online available for lease would be this gorgeous! “You’re such one lucky girl,” she told herself. Satisfied with the shots, she put her phone back inside her bag and slowly walked towards the entrance. She was quite proud of herself. Looking back, this was not a decision she came up with overnight. It took some months of planning, researching and saving. And of course, barrels and barrels of courage. She was not one for spontaneity, for on-the-gos or shenanigans but God knew she longed for adventures. She envied some people who were so used to doing pack-and-go even without having written itineraries of some sort. Growing up, she had been surrounded with good rules. Yes, she had to emphasize on the good. Her parents were great, but they were not the kindest. She would understand the upbringing as they had to put up with two girls, especially her father. Her sister, Kayla, was two years younger than her. And with that age gap, one could tell that they were really close. They had silly fights as normal siblings would have, but never had she recall a big one. Well, if there was, maybe when she accidentally slipped a word to her parents about her sister’s getaway with her boyfriend during senior year. She smiled at the memory. Kayla was packing her bags then for a supposed overnight camping trip which they knew as one of the school’s retreat activities. It was just that, when she came to her room, she noticed that she packed way more than a night’s stay and Kayla realized she would be buzzing her with questions. So, she told her eventually that her boyfriend Jake asked her to spend the weekend away with him at a resort just an hour or two away from where they lived. It was a place owned by his parents. She knew her sister would be fine, but she mentally noted on the name of the resort just in case. She knew Kayla was dating Jake for almost five months that time and it was a sacred secret they kept from their parents. She believed she met Jake twice and thought he was a good fit for her stubborn sister. He was good-looking, kind and unbelievably rich. Her sister was one lucky girl to have met him. She had asked her to tell their mom and dad about her relationship, but she was too firm to keep it just between the two of them. They both knew how their parents would react. Besides her, she guessed only her three close friends knew about it, too. She assured her though that she would invite Jake over a family dinner some time after graduation and introduce him to our parents. She let her sister be. She was bad at lying. Well, not too bad maybe considering how it all turned out. Their parents were considerably calm upon learning about it until her sister came home. It was a very long, contained discussion which made Kayla hold back so much of her nerves not to fight back. One of the greatest attributes that their parents instilled in them was respect. Even if the conversation was intense, Kayla’s reasoning was still full of care. They both loved their parents but their love for their daughters was just so much that the rules’ hold became too tight to even breathe – one of which was to not have a boyfriend until they finish college. She learned to live up to it but her sister, the free spirit that she was, decided to lose the grip. She met Jake and you knew the rest. Their parents were unaware until she turned on the ignition.  So, they had that lengthy family meeting and fortunately, their parents learned to loosen up that night. Kayla did not speak to her though until two days later when she invited Jake in the house. The planned meet-up dinner came earlier than scheduled. Ah, her family. They had grown closer over the years especially when she and Kayla got their jobs outside town and started living away from their parents. She’d drive home every other weekend just to see them. She missed them so. She would contact them as soon as she was settled. She also missed her old apartment in the city and her lovely dog, Ciao. She had to leave him at her parents’ as she was still unsure where this little adventure would take her. He’d love this place for sure and she could just imagine him running around the cabin to the woods and back. Soon, if this went all well, she would take him here and who knew, she might consider buying this place instead? Didn’t the owner offer it anyway? She snapped at the thought and scolded herself for thinking so far ahead. She had always been in love with nature and she could not think of the perfect place to settle. At least, for the time being. “One day at a time,” she resolved. Tired from the trip and overwhelmed with how fast this day had gone, she was finally here. A new place and a refreshing phase of her life.  This was complete solitude. With so much excitement on what could have been inside her home for the next couple of months, she went in rushing to the door and was just about to insert the key when it burst open. “Goodness gracious!” She shouted. “f**k!” A curse word came out simultaneously. They could have bumped into each other’s faces had he not stepped back quickly. She was just as startled and shocked as the man who was now standing in front of her. His grayish blue eyes staring as if he could see her lost soul, and she could swear in good heavens that she would be in trouble. Big trouble.