Hey Sarah, you know how I manage to look all glittery and walk around in gold? Im up at five each morning, rush out to milk the cows, give the calves a drink, hand out the feed, then Im off to my real job. So theres really nothing to be jealous about.
Oh, Emily! Look at you, love! Youre not even from the village, youre a total showoff. All those gold chains, that little hoop earring, even a golden braceletblimey! Folks always say country life is rough, but looking at you, any city person would pack up and head out here just to live like you do. Living in the village, looking chic, dressing to the nines, and sparkling in goldthats the dream!
You reckon thats easy? Honestly, Im up at five, milk the cows, give the calves a sip, hand out the silage, then I head off to the main job. If youd seen what life out here is like, youd think twice before bragging.
Emily, Ive known about cows and pigs since we were kids, unlike you who suddenly turned into a country girlstill a mystery to me. We always thought youd never come back home after finishing school.
Oh, thats ancient history now. In our youth we were all idealists, convinced everything would go our way, and then life throws a curveball.
Emilys a stubborn sortwhen she says something, she does it. From a young age she declared that she didnt need any of the villages potatoes, barns, or straw because she was beautiful and clever, destined for the best, and that the cows would never be a part of her future.
Mum, Ill never go back to the village. Ill finish school, move to the city, find a rich bloke, marry him, and stay there. I cant stand the thought of living out here!
Alright, love, if thats how you feel. Who knows where life will take you? The village isnt any worse than the citypeople live there, too. If youd help with the cows, dear, itd make things easier for me, and I could sort dinner while youre at it.
Oh, give it a rest! If I went out to the cows, the whole village would have a laugh. You know, Mum, your cows are just Im not going, and please dont ask me that again.
Other kids help with the livestock and their parents. What makes you think youre any different, love?
Mum, why should I compare myself to anyone else? Ive got my own head on my shoulders.
Mum, Margaret, just sighed and went about feeding the herd while Emily piled on layers of makeup for the village disco.
Emilys friends stared enviously at the local queen who never lifted a finger for housework, never washed a dish, let alone went into the barn. She didnt even know which side of the cows to approachshe was a late bloomer, a surprise. Her older sister was already married with grandkids, and now Margaret found out she was pregnant too, the babies arriving just two months apart. How could they not spoil the little one?
Time went on, the kids grew, the parents got older. Emily finished school with a string of Cs, but plenty of ambition. She decided to train as a nursery teacherclean work, a bit of respect.
Margaret and her husband sold a couple of bulls and covered Emilys first year of tuition. No one realised at first that Emily was juggling the last year of college and frequent trips back home. Shed sit in front of the mirror, primp herself, stare out the window as if waiting for someone, while the rest of the night passed alone.
She started to blossom, got a bit rounder, and then one weekend the inlaws turned up with a proposition: Weve got goods, weve got a buyer.
The parents were baffled by the jokes the inlaws were pulling, but Emily, without asking for anyones blessing, threw herself at a lad from the same village. Hed stayed in town after college, and after a fouryear courtship they tied the knot.
She gave birth while still in college, heavily pregnant, and rumors swirled that shed passed her exams thanks to her situation rather than her smarts. They moved into a small flat in the city, and the parents only sent food parcels now and then. Emily was on maternity leave, Jamesher husbandwas pulling double shifts. Their daughter arrived, a little mirror of her mother. Two of them barely covered the rent; three would have made it comfortable. James snapped:
Fine, Ive had enough of this halfpaying thing. Lets move back to the village until Lily grows up, then thats it.
So they packed up, headed back to the countryside. Jamess parents bought a different house, leaving the old one empty for the newlyweds. James got a job on a farmhes a proper mechanic, diploma in hand. The pays a bit lower than the city, but theyve got a roof over their heads, no mortgage. Emily was reluctant at first, Why bring me back out here? but she calmed down. With Mum and Margaret around, plus the baby, the groceries kept coming, and life felt like a storybook.
That story didnt last long. Margaret and Mum started griping about Emily spending hours in front of the mirror while they were stuck in the garden. Lets take turns with the granddaughter, theyd say, Emilys still young, she can work the plots. Emily tried to protest, but James gave her a look that said, I get it, and she went off to pull carrots. The whole summer the garden was spotless, no weed in sight. The next year she decided to plant a proper vegetable patchshe wasnt happy just to be pulling carrots forever.
James decided to raise a few more calves. Its profitable, he said, the farm needs the milk and the beef. The family eventually moved to the nearest market town, and a young cow was gifted to the couple. At first, getting up at dawn was a struggle for Emily, but she soon got the hang of it.
Four years later, a spot opened up at the local nursery when a longserving teacher retired. Emily took it, and the little operation finally felt settled.
She never really missed the city glitter. From sunrise to sunset she was busy with feeds, chores, and the kids. Her motherinlaw had moved to the market town, her daughter was at school, and Emily was the head of the nursery. James nudged, Maybe its time we think about moving closer to civilization?
Are you serious, James? Whats wrong with our house, the garden, the little farm? Weve got enough money, we still pop into the city now and then. Im happy here. Lilys finishing school soon, then well see. Im not going anywhere.
Twenty years slipped by like a single day. The old class reunited after schoolEmily ran into a few familiar faces, but she hadnt seen her childhood pals Katie and Beth since they were fifteen. The reunion was a mix of surprise and nostalgia.
She learned that Katie, whod grown up on the farm, had tried to become a chef, ended up in the city, got married, and now runs a decent kitchen. And Beth? Shed married her schoolmate Michael, moved to the city, bought a flat, drives a car, and her husband runs a businessshe never wanted city life, but life took her there.
They all chatted, swapped numbers, marveled at how life twists, and headed home, Emily and James thoughtful, each lost in their own headspace.
Im sorry I took you to the city, love. I knew youd hate the village. Youd be driving a car now, wouldnt you?
Oh, James, I still drive, and were not any worse off than anyone else. City life isnt all sunshine. Both have their perks. I actually love the village. Im tired of city hustle. When I was a kid I never helped at homemy parents spoiled me. I thought it was shameful, but Ive learned nothing comes easy. If wed stayed in a rented flat or paid a mortgage, wed still be struggling. Remember how Id never even clear my plate? Out here, with you and the kids, Ive realised you have to work wherever you are. Were not that far from the city, and we can always move if we need to. Work, a roof, a bit of happinesswhat more do we need?
Exactly, Emily. When did you fall in love with the village?
I always did, I just didnt get it then. Never say never. Remember how I swore Id never live in the country? Turns out
