In the Countryside

The sun set over the steeple of the church, reds and golds and purples spreading out across the sky like food colouring against white royal icing. The warm summer evening was starting to become a slightly cooler summer night, and I shivered slightly as I wrapped my jacket more tightly around me. Gathering up my sketch pad and pencils, I turned and walked briskly towards the door. Something about the beauty of the sunset struck me, though, and at the last moment I turned, rummaging through my bag, and, pulling out my camera, took a picture, just as a full rainbow of colours exploded across the sky.
The grass was cold against my bare feet, but I relished the feel of it against my skin. In the real world, I had to wear sexy heels and make the right impression on the right people all of the time. Here, I could get away. Away from everything, and as a result I spent my time barefoot, in ripped jeans and huge t shirts, and I was happy and free as a bird.
I smelled dinner as I quietly closed the door behind me. Somewhere in the distant depths of the house someone was watching TV, and shouting and spontaneous outbursts of raucous laughter indicated that the hill walkers were playing cards again.
I was the loner of the house. Everyone else came in groups, or pairs at least, but I was solitary. I enjoyed my own company.
There was the group of hill walkers - two youngish boys and their girlfriends. A nice, if rather rowdy bunch. Then there was the young couple, just married, here on their honeymoon. Too poor to afford anywhere further from home. They kept themselves to themselves and everyone else ignored them. Finally, there was a group of six students. Needless to say, they were often loud, drunk, or complaining about being broke and the trials of being forced to learn things. They were nice, but as I say, I enjoyed my own company rather more than that of drunken adolescents, honeymooners, or rampant nature freaks.
I was an artist back then. I loved to sketch and paint and threw every spare minute I had into art. I also like to be seen as 'bohemian' and somehow slightly above everyone else. I don't kid myself that I was a genius, but I earned enough to get by. It was a bit of a hand to mouth existence, but I loved every minute of it.