We each took a cushion, surrounded by boxes we sat on the floor to eat our dinner. One of us, chose to combine the two by putting his cushion inside a box, like a new puppy he snuggled in with his lasagne. The upstairs contents of our house had been moved, the downstairs was yet to come. I know there are people who think we’re mad, I mean who moves from one street to another to exactly the same house with exactly the same layout? We have the same tiles, the same door handles, the same vents, the same wardrobes.
For us, it was all about the backyard. For the past five years we’ve hosted parties (both ours and the kids) wanting just a little bit more space. I’ve watched our dogs walk the same patch of grass. While our garden has flourished with birds and bougainvillea we’ve struggled to make the space work. And when our little travellers appeared to be outgrowing the park I thought of alternatives. In my mind I had plans for an outdoor cinema with fairy lights and lanterns, but each time I negotiated the space I couldn’t make it work.
Yesterday afternoon amongst the boxes while looking for a second shoe our second little traveller made her displeasure known.
“This was stupid! Why did me move. This was just so stupid.”
After a day of packing and unpacking woe I was tempted to agree.
We persisted, kept unpacking. We found a shoe, opened the wine, retrieved the coffee machine and then gave the children permission to go at it with the packing boxes. A tunnel the length of the room was made, a drive through window, a ticket booth. As G and I made the fence beagle proof we listened to the giggling. When the fence was declared secure the back door was opened. The beagle and cocker spaniel initially walked and then they both did something we hadn’t seen in a long time.
They ran.
If there is such as thing as a beagle thank you she gave it. She spoke, happy howls. She ran some more. As G made the final touches to the fence in darkness I asked if the move was already driving him crazy “nup, it’s great, we’ve got jobs to get done, I feel like this is exactly what we needed. A new project.” G has always been happier with a to do list than a blank sheet.
When the second little traveller walked into our room this morning she was wearing a new outfit.
“I forgot I had this skirt!”
“I know, I’ve uncovered a few things myself”
“I like the view here, it feels completely different.”
I agreed “There’s a breeze here too, and at night we get a sunset.”
“I’m glad we moved” she grinned.
“Not stupid?”
“Not stupid”.
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