Hello, how are you?
Not bad, and you?
What are your plans for tomorrow?
Were thinking of just staying in and having a quiet day at home.
Why stay at home? I was hoping to suggest something a bit more exciting. My parents have a lovely little cottage in the countrysidesmall but cosy and beautiful. Lets go there! We could have a barbecue while the weathers still nice.
Its such a stunning placetruly beyond words. The woods are close by and the air is incredibly crisp and fresh.
That sounds great. Thank you for the suggestion.
Then start packing, dont forget the meat, and drive over in your car.
Alright, I replied, and then I headed out to the shop to buy some meat.
It was my new colleague from work who called. She seemed friendly and pleasant in every way.
I bought two kilos of meat, herbs, a fresh loaf of bread, a good bottle of wine and a cake for dessert. I figured that would be plenty, since theyd likely bring something as well. I marinated the meat with spices and popped it in the fridge. In the morning, we bundled up our child and drove to my colleagues house, where she and her husband and children were already waiting for us.
I noticed they only had a small bag with them. It crossed my mind that perhaps theyd left food in the cottage already. We made our way there. The cottage was truly as lovely and welcoming as promised, tucked right amongst some tall pines. The view was absolutely enchanting. There was a tent in the middle of the lawn and a charcoal barbecue set up.
We unloaded our groceries from the car. While our husbands got the fire going, my colleague gave me a little tour, showing off her vegetable patch and telling me how much they adore this place and try to spend as many summer holidays here as possible.
The children were running about, playing and laughing. It was all rather delightful. Soon, the men called us over to eat. Everyone knows how much hungrier fresh country air makes you. Later, we went for a walk and, returning, were hungry again. I was rather taken aback when I came to the table and realised that the only food on display was what wed brought ourselves.
We sat down to eat; the skewers came out brilliantlytender, juicy, absolutely delicious. We finished off with tea, had some cake, and then began to get ready to leave.
First, we dropped my colleague and her family back at their home. As we said our goodbyes, she commented on how lovely it had been, how much theyd enjoyed everything, and suggested that next time, we should marinate more meat as there simply hadnt been enough.
We were left with an uneasy feeling after that outing. It seemed as though they were only used to enjoying someone elses generosity. I really dont fancy going away with them again.
