Olivia, youve got to hear this, I said, the way I manage to look like a queen in gold every day is that Im up at five in the morning, milking the cows, feeding the calves, handing out the feed, and only then do I head off to my proper job. Theres nothing to be jealous of, really.
Oh, Milly! Look at you, all dolled up in goldchains, hoops, even a little gold bracelet, I chattered away, unable to stop. Youve always been the village beauty, and they say life out here is rough. If anyones got it, its you; any city folk would quit their jobs just to move to a place like this. Living in the countryside, looking sharp, and sparkling in goldwhat a dream!
Milly, the truth is Im up before the rooster, milking the herd, giving the calves their drink, sorting the feed, and only then do I get to my regular work. So theres nothing to envy. If you knew what village life was really like, youd think twice before bragging.
Olivia, Ive known cows and pigs since I was a nipper, unlike you who suddenly turned into a country lassstill a mystery to me. We all thought after school youd never go back home.
Well, we cant change the past. In our youth were all idealists, convinced everything will go our way, only to find out life has other plans.
Olivias temperament was stubborn; if she said shed do something, shed see it through. From the earliest days she claimed the village with its fields, potatoes, cows, and calves was beneath hershe was pretty and clever, deserving the best, and she swore those cows would never be her concern.
Mum, Im never coming back to this village. Ill finish school, head to the city, find a rich fiancé, get married, and stay in town. Ive had enough of rural life!
All right, love, if thats how you feel. Who knows where life will take you? The village isnt worse than the city; people live there too. If youd only fetch the cows, dear, it would make things easier for me while Im cooking dinner.
Imagine me chasing after cows! The whole village would have a laugh. Id rather not even think about it, Mum.
Other lads and girls help with the cattle, they lend a hand to their parents. What makes you think youre any different, love?
Mum, I dont need to compare myself to anyone else. Ive got my own head on my shoulders.
Olivias mother, Margaret, sighed quietly as she walked to meet the grazing cows, while her daughter piled on layer after layer of makeup for the village disco.
Olivias friends eyed the local queen with envyshe never bothered with household chores, never washed a dish, let alone stepped foot in the barn. She didnt even know which side of the cows to approach. A lateblooming, unexpected girl. Her older sister was already married with grandchildren, and Margaret had just learned she was expecting again; theyd given birth only two months apart. How could anyone not spoil the little one?
Years passed, the children grew, the parents aged. Olivia finished school with a string of Cs, nothing spectacular, but ambition enough to keep her moving.
She chose to train as a nursery assistantclean, respectable work with a bit of dignity. Margaret and her husband sold a couple of steers and paid for Olivias first year of study.
No one realised at first that Olivia was juggling her final college year with constant trips back home. Shed sit before the mirror, prim herself up, stare out the window as if waiting for someone, while the nightclubs stayed empty.
She started to gain some confidence. Then one weekend the inlaws dropped by, saying theyd bring a trade.
The parents were baffled by the jokes the inlaws told, but Olivia, without asking permission, threw herself into a relationship with a fellow villager shed known since school. Four years later they were together, both from the same little hamlet, and after college they married.
She completed her college while already a married, heavily pregnant wife. Rumour had it shed passed her exams mainly because of her situation, not academic brilliance.
They rented a flat in the city and settled in. The parents sent parcels of provisions, hoping the young couple would fend for themselves. Olivia went on maternity leave, and her husband, Victor, took on two jobs. Their baby girl, a spitting image of her mother, arrived. Two mouths barely covered Victors wages; three would have been a disaster. Victor snapped:
Enough of this! Im fed up paying half a salary to Uncles rent. Lets move back to the village until Lily grows up, and thatll be that.
So they packed what they could, and off to the countryside they went. Victors parents had bought another house up the lane, leaving the old one empty for a while. The young couple moved in, Victor found work on a farmhe was a proper mechanic, qualified and all. The pay was a touch lower than the city, but everything was on the house, no rent to worry about. Olivia initially protested, Why bring me back here? but soon settled, with Mum and Motherinlaw helping with the baby and the groceries. It felt more like a story than real life.
That fairytale didnt last long. Both mothers started complaining that Olivia spent hours in front of the mirror while they toiled in the garden. Let the granddaughter sit with us; let Olivia work the beds, they urged. Victor shot a glance at Olivia, and she understoodoff to the garden she went, pulling carrots all summer, the rows looking immaculate. The next year she decided to plant her own plot, tired of begging her parents for every carrot.
Victor, meanwhile, began breeding cattleseemed profitable, with hay and feed coming from the farm. Where there are calves, there are cows. The Olivers moved to the town centre, gifting a young cow to the farm. At first Olivia struggled with the early mornings, but soon she was in the swing of things.
Four years later a spot opened up at the nursery when a senior member retired. She seized it, and the little establishment flourished.
Olivia never noticed her citylife dreams slipping away. From dawn till dusk she was busy with chores and responsibilities. Her motherinlaw had already moved to the town, her daughter was at school, and Olivia remained in the village, working her way up to head of the nursery. Victor suggested, Maybe its time we think about moving closer to the city?
Victor, whats wrong with here? We have our house, our garden, the whole lot. Moneys enough, and we still drive into town often. Id rather stay; who would look after the nursery if I left? Lilys about to finish school, then well see. For now Im happy right where I am.
Twenty years slipped by like a single day. The old school class reunited for the first time since graduation. Olivia saw many familiar facessome still in the village, others whod moved to the city. She hadnt kept in touch with her childhood friends, Kate and Tara, for fifteen years, but they all gathered for the reunion.
They were stunned at how adult life had turned out. Half the former classmates now lived in the city, something none of them had imagined.
Take Kate, for instance. Shed worked on the farm all her life, her parents both farmhands. She barely went to school, never planned on further education, and a spot on the farm was waiting for her. She did a short stint training as a cook, but ended up marrying a city businessman, moved into a flat, bought a carnow look at her.
Then theres Tara, who married her classmate Michael at the end of school, now lives in a city flat with a sleek car. Her husband runs a business, she doesnt work, yet she never dreamed of city life, always longing for the countryside.
The reunion was warm; they swapped numbers, marvelled at each others twists of fate, and went their separate ways. Olivia and Victor returned home, thoughtful and serious, each lost in his own thoughts.
Im sorry, love, I took you back to the village when you swore you couldnt stand it. Youd be living in the city now, driving a car every day.
Dont be silly, Victor! I drive a car now, we live fine enough. City life isnt all that bright eithereverywhere has its pros. I prefer the village. Im worn out by the city hustle. As a child I didnt help at home because Mum and Dad spoiled me. I thought it was shameful to get my hands dirty. If you hadnt dragged me back then, we might still be renting or paying a mortgage. Remember how Id fear even clearing my own plate? Here, in the village, with you by my side, Ive learned you have to work wherever you are. Were not far from the city; moving is always an option. We have work, a roof over our headswhat more do we need?
When did you finally learn to love the village?
I always loved it; I just didnt realise it. Never say never. Remember how I shouted Id never live here? Turns out I was wrong.
