Liv Unravelled by Donna Bishop

Author:Donna Bishop [Bishop, Donna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-06-20T05:00:00+00:00

15

~ Grounding ~

The October sun shines brightly on the fading green hayfield. Clumps of dried yellow sunflowers stand rakishly against the fence. Liv throws the chickens their wheat scratch and takes a moment to breathe in the cool fresh air. She spies four jiggly pink pig bottoms, curly tails up and waddling past the barn. Snorting in their piggy way, they stop to chomp on the fallen crab apples under the ancient tree. Liv runs to shut the driveway gate so they can’t get out to the highway. Later she will have to find a way to entice them back into their rickety pen. For now, she lets them enjoy their freedom. She gathers a few apples and rolls them through the fence to Majic, who whinnies in appreciation. His coat is getting furry like a teddy bear, ready for winter. God, I wish I was ready for winter, she thinks. He sidles over to the timber frame barn and saws himself back and forth, scratching an itch.

Distant laughter alerts Liv to her children’s approach. She can see Ruby’s black tail wagging as she herds her pack of kids. The quintessential family dog, Ruby is her children’s guardian and enthusiastic playmate — they have as endless an ability to throw sticks as she does to retrieve them.

They’ve been for a picnic to Leah Mountain (a hill on their farm, named by Leah when she was three years old), and now here they come home again, happily chattering with their lunch pails in hand — getting along, thankfully. Her children’s solo hikes usually involve a short, meandering walk before they scarf down their snacks of cheese and crackers, ants on a log (celery sticks spread with peanut butter with raisins on top), dill pickles and chocolate chip cookies. Then they come home.

Watching them, Liv realizes she hasn’t been there for them of late. She’s been so into the drama of her marriage and her past life explorations, she hasn’t been in the present moment with her kids. She’s been there physically, but she’s just been going through the motions making food, cleaning, reading stories and putting Band-Aids on knees.

At least I’m here, which is more than Ross can say.

This weekend Ross’ excuse for not being home was that he was going to help their friend campaign for the provincial election, but she doesn’t believe him.

He just wants to keep on with the crazy life he’s living, and not even try to make changes or keep our family together. It feels like we’re already leading separate lives.

She hopes her children can be resilient and have the ability to forgive. That moment when children realize their parents aren’t perfect is bound to come soon, if it hasn’t already.

She plunks herself down on the front porch step and watches them drop their lunch pails and begin chasing each other, playing tag. Poor Micah is always “It” — he hasn’t a chance of keeping up with his sisters. But one day, she suspects, he’ll surpass them in strength, stamina and maybe even stubbornness.

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