The Meadow

Leaving

He was waiting at the airstrip with a bag full of clothes the next morning as I boarded the plane. My grandfather stepped off and stood at the bottom of the steps with his arms open. As always, I ran and hugged him tight, leaving my two bags sitting on the ground by the gates. He wrapped me up in a bear hug as always.

“There’s my little princess,” he said, “How have you been dear? Your mother?” he asked as I stepped out of the hug.

“Good, and she’s been okay. I’m a little worried about her though. How have you and grams been?” I asked wondering when he was going to say something about Damien, who was still standing by the gates and my bags staring in awe. He’d never met my grandparents and didn’t know they had money. He had assumed he would have to buy a plane ticket when he got there because he hadn’t had time to book a flight. That happened to be a good thing because I wasn’t going to allow him to come. This was something I needed to do on my own. I just wished he would understand that.

“We’ve been good, you surprised us when you called last night. It’s been a while since we’ve seen you. Your mother stopped bringing you around when you were just a young thing. But it seems she’s raised you well. Has she met anyone yet by the way?”

“There’s been no one since Dad.” I told him, “She tried dating once in a while but she wouldn’t go on more than one date. She seems so depressed, but I know why now.” Not mentioning that he’d seen me every other year all my life at his insistence.

“You know about the meadow? And the curse?” he asked as his hazel eyes rested on Damien.

“Yes. That’s why I’m coming. I’m going to break it. I won’t die, and I have to go there I can feel it in my bones. I was meant to go there.” I told him.

“Who’s the young fellow over there with the bags?” he finally asked.

“Damien, my boyfriend. I’ll be right back.” I replied as I turned and walked back to Damien. His blonde hair shone in the sunlight and his blue-green eyes sparkled in the sunlight as it started to shine through the clouds of dawn. He was taller than I by a good foot and a half, with me being only five foot; two.

I picked up my bags and motioned for him to follow. “I want you to meet someone.” I told him walking back to the plane and my grandfather.

He followed me still in awe, his steps a little slower and unsure. When I got to my grandfather I set my bags on the side as one of his workers quickly picked them up and put them on board. When Damien finally caught up to me I began introductions. “Grandfather, Damien. Damien, my grandfather.” I said motioning back and forth.

Damien dropped one of his bags and reached out to shake my grandfather’s hand. “What’s the matter boy? Cat got your tongue?”

“N..n…no sir, I’ve just never expected anything like this. When she said she was flying out tomorrow I thought she meant commercial flight. She never mentioned you had your own plane.”

My grandfather chuckled, “If you were a young woman who knew that she was inheriting everything from their grandparents, and looking for love. Would you tell anyone that they were rich?”

Damien cocked his head to the left in thought, “No sir I guess I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t do that even if I were a guy. And a girl like Elspeth already has enough guys after her.”

                “Well that’s because she’s my granddaughter. It’s nice to meet you young man.” my grandfather said releasing his hand from the handshake and patting him on the shoulder.

Damien winced in pain a little from the shoulder pat. My grandfather always had forgotten his strength though this time I wasn’t quite so sure that it was forgetting that caused it. “Nice to meet you too sir, I’ve heard a lot about you. Elspeth thinks the world of you.”

                “You didn’t say anything about brining anyone along with you ,dear.” My grandfather said to me.

                “That’s because I told him, he wasn’t coming. This is something I need to do on my own. He simply wants to protect me, when if he does that it’ll only cause everything to go as fate plans it.” I replied.

                “Are you sure of this? Is it possible that he won’t be the one thing you need to throw things off enough to change your fate?” he asked in deep thought.

                “I never thought of it that way..” I said trailing off.

                “I didn’t think you had. Now what do you say the three of us get going. Your grandmother is waiting and she’s expecting us by lunch.” He said as he motioned to one of his workers to get Damien’s two bags, and turned around to begin climbing the stairs. I followed as Damien cautiously followed us.

The inside of the plane looked more like a lounge than a plane and the seats were leather. There were a couple of tables in the center of the booth like couches that were half a circle and then there were a few spinning recliners. The leather was all tan and the tables were a deep mahogany. There were cup holders in the tables in case of turbulence. My grandfather waited for Damien and I to sit on one of the couches and then sat across from us in one of the recliners. His hazel eyes bearing into Damien, who put his arm around me and then brushed a strand of hair behind my ear before kissing my temple gently.

“I’ll keep you safe, I told you that.” He told me softly as he reached in his leather jacket and retrieved the picture he’d taken with him the night before. He seemed completely oblivious to my grandfather glaring at him, but I wasn’t.

“Granddad, will you please stop. He’s not going to hurt me.” I said and then looked at Damien. “I know you will, but this is something I really need to do on my own. Why can’t you understand that?”

“He better not” my grandfather said warningly.

“I won’t. And sweetheart, I understand but if I stay here and you need my help I can’t help you. That’s why I’m coming. Plus, I’d really like to get to know your grandparents.” Damien replied as I took the photo from him and deposited it into my winter coat pocket.

“Okay, i’m okay with that, but remember no matter what happens I’m doing it because I have to.” I told him snuggling into him more as my grandfather began to make conversation with him, playing the protective father as always. I felt kind of sorry for Damien but I knew he could handle it, plus it couldn’t go on for the whole 5 hour flight. Could it? Surely Granddad would get bored. I thought, as I slowly drifted off to sleep in Damien’s arms.