I glanced out of the window impatiently, fidgeting my fingers. The only sound in the vehicle was the jazz coming from the speakers. Dad said it helped him cool his nerves, but it simply made time slow down. The long and tedious journey from the city interior to the outskirts was a grueling 4-hour drive. Ronny, who always cherished the chance to nod off, had long since fallen asleep on my mother’s lap. His gentle snores occasionally broke the spell upon me.
My stomach growled, as I stole a glance towards my watch. It couldn’t be long now. As if on cue, the car took a steep left turn, and I recognized the sight almost immediately. It was my maternal grandfather’s farm: a majestic 200-acre ranch, that stretched across the beautiful countryside. My gloomy mood shifted in an instant. The first view of the farm was truly worth the wait.
The car slowed down, as my mother gently stirred Ronny awake. My maternal grandparents were outside to greet us, their faces beaming. We got out of the car, as my family reunited after a long period. Danny the sheep-dog barked excitedly upon seeing us, and raced across the ranch to greet us.
By now, evening had set in. I was eager to take a round of the farm, and explore its many inhabitants, but Grandmother was insistent that we were exhausted, and that there would be plenty of time the next day. I took a breath of the fresh, countryside air. We went inside, and ate dinner: fresh vegetables from the farm. My mother remarked that such crops were the most nutritious products nature could offer us. I nodded my head in agreement.
Me and Ronny were sleeping together in the upper room. I lay awake, my mind whirring with excitement, but Ronny was out cold. I was once more subject to his incessant snores. I do not know exactly when I dozed off at last, but I slept in, and was woken up by my brother.
The first thing we did after a quick breakfast was a tour of the farm. Having grown up visiting it, I expected to know every nook and cranny, but to my surprise, many things had changed. The hens had had chicks, the cows had given birth to adorable calves, and the horses to young foals.
I could have stayed out there forever, but was brought back to reality by Grandmother’s call to have lunch. While we ate, Grandfather told us about a beautiful lake nearby, one which he and my mother routinely visited in her childhood. Ronny and I wanted to see the lake for ourselves, and spent the afternoon on a boating trip. Grandfather had taken out his old row-boat, as me and Ronny had a ball of a time with the paddles.
Time flew, as we spent the rest of our days on the farm, visiting the lake, witnessing the creatures for hours at end, and even paying a visit to a scenic hill nearby. It felt good to get away from the hustle-and-bustle of the busy city, and instead enjoy the tranquil countryside.
On the last day of our visit to the countryside, we bid goodbye to our grandparents and promised to return in our next vacation. As the car pulled away from the farm, I spotted in the rear-view mirror, our grandparents waving goodbye. I smiled. The trip back home, unlike the first one, was spent with me fondly revisiting the memories we had made on this trip. It had most certainly been a brilliant one.
