ENGLISH - CREATIVE WRITING
An End to Trouble and Strife
This piece is intended to entertain and explore the theme of how people grow apart . It is intended for an audience of older teens to young adults . It is a non-fiction short story .
He stepped out into the world . The relieving noise of the car unlocking was music to his ears . Turning on the radio , he was greeted by the satisfying piano of ‘ Tiny Dancer ’. Deftly manoeuvring the car away from the office building , he hummed along to the song . When he had arrived home and walked up the driveway , he felt for his keys and , unlocking the door , stepped inside . Warmth radiated from inside , and he felt drawn to the fire which was little but embers now . Briefly , he hesitated by the fire , before guiding himself to the kitchen .
Gently swinging the cupboard door open , he carefully took a wine glass out and placed it on the table next to the bottle of deep red liquid . Popping out the cork , he poured the contents of the bottle into his glass ; finishing with a practised quarter-turn of the wrist to prevent drops from spilling onto the table . He raised the glass by its stem , so as not to smudge the bowl , and slowly swirled the solution around . Leaning the glass slightly towards his nose , he cautiously smelled it , before , with a pleasant smile , he brought the glass to his lips and took a sip . The notes of juniper to the aroma were as lovely as the battle of sweet and bitter that was being fought on his tongue . Eyes closed , he was in paradise . His respite from the world .
A shrill cry of indignation broke his bliss , “ What did I say about midweek drinking ?”
With reluctance , he managed an apology and , sighing with discomfort , replaced the bottle to the wine rack above the fridge . With his eyes fixed on the ground , he knew only that the shouting hadn ’ t stopped . Feeling the walls closing in , all he heard were snippets of what was being said , “ You know my dad was an alcoholic !”
In a calmly detached voice , he spoke , “ Well , if we ’ re being fair , you haven ’ t stopped smoking either so you can hardly complain .” She was nonplussed . During this silence , he wearily inquired after his wife ’ s day out of habit . As he removed his jacket , he began to regret this . With her astonishment turning into anger , her cheeks turned a more red tone and she visibly struggled against the energy building up inside her . Taking a step back he set a chair out between him and her . Grateful for this barrier , he consolidated his control by spreading his suit jacket over the back of the chair .
Using the slight command he ’ d gained , he said , assertively , “ I want a divorce .”
Retracting further , and opening the door into the back garden , he stepped out into the cold twilight . Closing both the curtains and the door , he strolled out into the dark .
“ What ?” She trembled . But it was too late . With incisive strides , he made his way away from the house , leaving his perplexed wife standing at the table .
They had a small garden with a path that wrapped around one end of the house . At the other end , separating the garden from the sidewalk and road , was a six-foot fence . Connecting the fence to the hexagonal concrete path that went around the other side of the house , was a patch of neglected green grass with a small round table and two chairs .
Tightly grasping one of the chairs , he dragged it behind him and positioned it against the fence . With the chair ’ s assistance , he hoisted himself up , so that he was sitting on top of the barrier . Carefully dropping down onto the footpath , he began to walk , with purpose , up the street . It seems he had defaulted to nostalgia .
Something about the world was different at night , he thought to himself . The darkness , ironically , revealed things that light couldn ’ t be shed upon . Maybe it was the paranoia associated with being on the streets at night ? You had to strain to perceive every detail for fear of death . Shivering a little , he arrived at the small cluster of deciduous trees that were the gatekeepers of the small park . Taking one last look behind him , he plunged himself into the abyss . Carefully choosing his footing , so as not to trip on a branch , he made his way to a spot that he knew . From the path , he knew the precise spot where he had to delve into the thicket . Pushing through the high flax plants , and ducking under a low branch , he walked about 20 metres off of the track before he found it .
A rustling , emanating from where he had come in , betrayed the presence of another . Moonlight struck her face and , as she emerged into the clearing , he met her stare with a startled gaze . He couldn ’ t believe that she had remembered .
He hastened to look away . From the ground , lying on his back , he gazed into infinity . Sheepishly , she sat next to him .
When he didn ’ t stir , she managed to venture , tentatively , “ You know , in The Inferno Dante says , ‘ there is no sorrow greater than , in times of misery , to hold at heart the memory of happiness .’”
He chuckled at this ; he knew she hadn ’ t read the Divine Comedy . “ He also says that fear is almost as bitter as death despite having not died .”
“ Well , he was a politician ; you can hardly expect everything he said to stand up to scrutiny .” She jested . They both laughed at this . She leant back ; lying next to him . Then her head sank to the floor of its own accord and from her nostrils came the last faint flicker of her laughter . An indescribable silence passed .
“ I love you . You make me angry , and you do drink too much , but I love you .”
Facetiously , he responded , “ You know , being drunk all the time isn ’ t easy ; I try my best but I ’ m lying here sober .” There was a pause again , and then , as his countenance subtly adopted a reminiscing smirk , he carefully articulated , in a bittersweet tone of voice , “ Do you remember coming here as teenagers ?” Knowing she did , he continued , “ There was that teacher you ’ d complain about and I ’ d laugh and say something unhelpful . Or I ’ d just point out constellations and you ’ d say how silly they were ,
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