The Journey

Part 1

Hey y'all! So this is my first story on Wattpad. I've been thinking about publishing on here for a while now but just haven't had the time. A couple days ago I found a short story that I wrote for a middle school assignment and decided to see if anyone would be interested in reading it. Anyway on to the story.

As Grace awoke to the sound of the men loading the wagon and the small group of women making a meager breakfast, she thought back to her childhood and how blessed she was to grow up in a large house with a loving family.

She remembered going shopping in the lavish stores in Toronto with her mother and older sister, Mary.

After spending the day strolling the crowded streets, they would go out to dinner at one of the finest restaurants in the area. A restaurant where there was no limit to the flavorful, nourishing food.

Oh, how she missed the food! What she would give to have a bowl of vichyssoise, the thick hearty soup that never left her hungry or unsatisfied. Or the sweet tanginess of the custard known as orange fool.

Grace was snapped back to reality by the smell of beans. "Not beans again," she thought to herself. She didn't know how much longer she could live off of the bland, tasteless, mushy beans. She supposed it was better than nothing, but it would be so nice to have something different for a change.

As she stood, Grace greeted the others with a small smile. While walking over to collect her modest breakfast, she glanced around at the scenery.

The environment, in Grace's opinion, had been one of the most drastic changes: going from a city with tall buildings, bustling walkways, and streets filled carriages and even some automobiles, to now traveling on a small pathway every day through the tall evergreens and aged oaks, occasionally stumbling upon a small stream or river.

Another thing that had astounded Grace was the animals. Everywhere she looked, she would see some new creature of God moving about - from the small fowl and squirrels, to the enormous moose and bison.

Once she was done with her breakfast, she gathered her possessions and climbed into the cramped carriage.

During the long hours Grace spent in the carriage that day, she once again struggled with the same thing she had been wrestling with more and more each day.

Grace had been struggling with the idea that she had not made the right decision to move out West.

She knew that it was God's calling for her to become a schoolteacher in one of the small villages in the Canadian territories.

But she also missed her home and family so much! She longed to be back with her parents who were always there for her and supportive of her choices. She also wished, every day, to once again be reunited with her siblings.

Her older sister Mary was the sensible, orderly one who always seemed to have time sit and listen to her younger siblings. Mary with her straight, dark brown hair and slim figure, looked so much like their mother; but with the soft dark eyes of their father.

Grace also missed her younger siblings, Rose and Philip.

Rose was the perfect mixture of both her parents, with her mother's dark hair and her father's curls. She was also the only one of the four that had gotten their mother's piercing green eyes. Rose was the reckless, lively one of the three sisters. She never ceased to concern her parents with her wild antics.

Then there was little Philip. His sisters adored him and his parents coddled him. But even so, he was one of the sweetest, most genuine boys you would ever have the pleasure to meet. Philip, with his sandy blonde hair and big hazel eyes, was the pride and joy of his family.

As Grace was jostled out of her thoughts by the carriage once again hitting a rock in the rough dirt pathway, the reality of the decision she had made finally struck her. She was not merely going on a short trip or vacation. She, Grace, was moving away from her family and all that she was accustomed to and familiar with.

Grace started to tear up at the thought. She would not be able to see or have contact with her family for a lengthy amount of time! As she realized just how extended the amount of time would be, it registered with her that by the time she got home Rose would be a woman, and Philip not a boy but a young man!

Tears silently streamed down Grace's face as she wondered if the decision she had made to become a teacher would really be worth it.

So that's the first part of the story. I will try to update as soon as possible. Let me know what you think and feel free to ask me any questions you have.
Love y'all,
Kathryn