Exploring the Forbidden

In the early afternoon, when our chores were done and Grandmother took her afternoon nap, I decided to sneak off to the barn just to check to see if the kittens had opened their eyes. Maneuvering the crutch that Grandpa had carved from an old oak branch, I walked the sandy path with difficulty, but the thought of holding a kitten gave me the strength to continue.

Photo: Patricia Lambert

As I approached the time-weathered barn, the smell of hay was comforting, but as I heard the cry of the kittens, my heart raced with anticipation. I peeked through the crack at the tiny furballs, their eyes not yet open.

Suddenly, I heard a fluttering sound drifting from the rafters, and looking up, I saw the owl, his fierce gaze watching over the scene below as if to proclaim himself protector of the kittens. I froze in the shadow of the feathered beast whose wingspan seemed to swallow my seven-year-old frame.

The owl took to the sky and circled back to me as if to guide me toward the sun. The land was vast with furrows for the freshly planted field, making it difficult to navigate my crutch, but I was not discouraged. When the owl, once again, soared back up into the sky before diving back toward me, I realized it was a dance; a silent conversation between the two of us as we shared a growing bond.

I stumbled and my legs folded beneath me, but I didn't cry out. Instead, I took a moment to breathe; to feel the cool earth beneath me and to listen to the steady rhythm of the owl's flight, as he circled back, wings brushing my head, coaxing me to rise up and continue my journey, I found the strength to challenge him.

I approached the center of the field, and as I looked far into the distance, a vast scene stretched out in every direction, and I felt a l strange sense of peace. It was as if the universe had opened its arms to me, welcoming me into its embrace. I had found my place in this old forgotten corner of the world. My Grandpa's field would become my playground, the owl my companion, and the barn my sanctuary.

This is my story, a tale of growth and discovery; of finding strength in the most unexpected places. As I looked out over the land that would become my summer home for many years to come, I would discover that I would carry the spirit of the farmland throughout my life, wherever my journey took me.