The Lunch Date (part 4)

As Sam headed towards her house, she decided to change direction, and stop off at her "secret place." She turned left and walked down Maple Avenue. Walking down the street, she noticed the trees were older and taller. She removed the cap from her head and let the breeze cool her down.
As she approached her special place, she began to notice the red brick wall covered in thick vines. So thick in fact, that if you weren't looking for this place, you could pass it by as just some overgrown, unkempt yard. She came upon the old rusty gate and gently pushed it open. Not many people knew about this place, not unless you lived on this street, but Sam had found this sacred spot many years ago when she would seek out solace from the constant fighting in her home. She sought an escape, and she found it here. The property itself was an old church, now mainly used for wedding receptions and such, but it wasn't the church that she loved, it was the gardens in the back of the church that had called to her so many times. Behind the building flowed a stream filled with the water from hills. Ducks had set up residences along the waterway, and a small bridge connected one side of the stream to the other. Towering trees bordered the garden to make it feel private and peaceful. On one side of the garden, the water flowed in over large stones, pooling into a small pond before it continued on its journey West. To the right of the stones was a small enclosure that one could sit in and feel completely alone. If you were lucky and got there early in the morning, you would most likely be the only person there. It was a great place to come and think, to listen to the water flow and splash, and to hear the ducks going on about whether you were welcome or not.

Sam found her way to the enclosure and sat down. She breathed in deeply and closed her eyes. This was her place of peace. How fortunate it was then, that she moved into a house just one street away.

TBC.........