Blue Breeze Valley
She ran through the tall grasses and down the sandy hill. She was a tall spry young lady but still her fast long legs couldn’t keep up with the wind that was taking her hat down the beach. Her elegant blue dress striped dress brushed against every tall grass and her long hazel hair blew in the wind as if she was a stallion, with its long mane wild in the wind. Finally her hat got caught in the tall grass. “It’s almost as if my hat has grown wings and learned to fly. Mother would not approve of me running down the beach in my Sunday best. She would say it’s 1877 and we need to act more proper and well behaved”. Arabella herself was well behaved, it is her longing for adventure and imagination that can get her into trouble. She placed her hat on her head and started her journey home. She walked down the long forest road before taking a left unto rose pedal way. They called this land Blue Breeze Valley, for there was always a breeze coming in from the ocean and finding its way here. This land belonged to the Brierwood family. By the pond there set a lovely White House with a red fence around it. There was a bed of roses out front that had not bloomed yet. This was a well working farm but it took hard work for it to be so. “Arabella where have you been and is that sand in your hair?” Lucille Brierwood asked her daughter. “Well you see, my hat was taken by the wind and I chased it down the beach”. Arabella smiled slightly. “I see. Well go clean up. It’s time to be heading to church”. Arabella’s mother told her daughter as she cleaned the table from their morning meal. The Brierwood family piled into their wagon and road to town, church was about a twenty thirty minute ride from blue breeze valley. Arabella spotted Felicity, her truest friend and jumped out of the wagon, forgetting to help her little sister Rebecca down from the carriage. “Oh Felicity, I feel as if it’s been days!” Arabella shouted loudly. “But I saw you just Friday at school”, Felicity explained giggling. Felicity was the practical and realistic one. Arabella was the one with the wondering imagination. Both the girls attended the only school there was this side of broad creek. Here in the town of Silverthorne there wasn’t much but it had all you needed to live a modest life and it truly was a lovely town. The Minister finished his preaching he announced that next Saturday the church would be hosting everyone to enjoy some tea on the lawn and there would be games and after a time of prayer. “Oh I hope we will go mother!” Arabella explained with much excitement. “Quiet child! You are in the house of God”, her mother replied stern, while Arabella’s father chuckled. “Don’t encourage her John”, Lucille warned her husband. After prayer was over, everyone went their separate ways. Everyone had land and livestock that needed care with spring on its way. “Mother, I am going to walk with Felicity and take the long road home,” Arabella informed her mother as she dashed down the road. Arabella and Felicity walked hand in hand down the beach by the waters edge. “Oh, Isn’t life like a dream. I don’t see how it could get any better. Unless I was off traveling and exploring the world and coloring everything I saw around me of course,” Arabella Explained as her imagination drifted, like it was being pulled out to sea”. “Travel, where?” Felicity asked her dearest friend. “I don’t know. Life here is a dream but I have dreams that go beyond this Island.” Arabella loved her home but still she longed to see the world. “We’ve never even been on the other side of the island. We’ve never been off this island for that matter,” Felicity said knowing it was true. “And what about you, I always thought you had a thousand dreams in that big heart of yours,” Arabella said with a smirk. “I..I do have dreams but that’s fantasy. Women don’t go out and chase their dreams. They settle for marriage. Felicity sighed. “ I must say, I believe there is something more out there for us. Smell the air Felicity, spring is almost here and in spring, new things grow. Like new dreams,” Arabella said with a glimmer in her eye.