A Long Hot Summer's Day

The man

The wind breezes over the grass. Birds twitter and sing, delighting in the day as they soar with the wind. Up above, treetops bend and sway, dancing together to a rhythm only seen in the movement of the leaves. Each green blade moves to the music unheard. They clap together in appreciation, the rustling an applause to the beautiful, long hot summer’s day.

Drivers pass in their cars, each one meditative on their own thoughts. The windows of every car are rolled down and various music plays from each radio. Every person listens to their own music, but all enjoying the same day, the same sun, the same wind rushing in to each car. It swirls around their bodies, across their bare shoulders, over every surface exploring each car interior. The wind blows through their fingers in their hair, touches the roots of each strand, pulling it away and dancing with it. Like dance partners, they swirl together making excited movements together, faster and faster, whipping back and forth. The wind escapes, eager and happy, finding another dance partner in the tress, with the leaves, the birds, in another car. It plays and skips with every delight possible under the sun’s rays.

The sun shines down blissfully on an old man as he watches the wind make its way here and there. He hears the leaves rustle and the birds’ tweets. He hears the cars rushing past, all thrying to dance with the warm summer wind. The man takes a sip of his cream soda from a straw and places the ice-chilled glass back on the table beside him. The small glass looks delicate in his large hands, his great muscled arms incongruent with the fizzy green drink and little yellow straw in the glass. He sits back and places his hands on his worn white sleeveless tee-shirt. He rocks back and forth, his old trousers soaking up the heat. Sweat trickles from his shining head and into his shrewd eyes, even though he sits on the shade. The old man smiles; this is how a summer’s day should be.

He stretches up and gingerly stands from his rocking chair. His broad lean muscled body unfolds and expands as he takes a slow deep breath, appreciating everything around him. Yes, this is how a summer’s day should be.

The young people

Two children run past the old man’s porch. Laughing, they dodge a car and skip across the road together. They run into a small shop together. They run into a small shop together, only letting go of hands to point to a sweet or coloured candyfloss. The wind follows them in to the shop and dances in their hair. Their laughter rides on the wind back outside to the old man on the porch. They follow their laughter out, eyes darting and dancing, looking for somewhere else to run together. Their hands still clasped, the others holding bags of sugar coasted and coloured sweets, they peel down the path and sweep around a corner. The old man smiles; their laughter follows after them.

Running down the street and the length of the small main street, they clamber over a fence. They laugh at each other, trying to climb while holding on to their newly acquired possessions. They race each other over a field and flop down on the grass, breathless with laughter. The light from the sun glitters and sparkles over the water in a stream and reflects in their eyes. They pour out their sweets in to the girl’s dress on her lap and hold their breaths together to see who gets to choose the first sweet. They boy pulls funny faces at the girl to get her to lose her breath first. The girl crosses her eyes and sticks her tongue up her nose at the boy. They both peel with laughter.

Lying on the grass together, they hold hands. Water trickles past, whispering a happy tune as it passes over rocks and stones. The wind carries a warm breeze over them, brushing their flushed cheeks gently. Together, feeling the grass tickling their bare legs and arms, they are happy. Without opening a eye, each know that the other is smiling. Slowly they move closer together, until their foreheads touch. Both are curled up on their sides, making a heart shape with their touching heads and crossed over feet. They smile; this is how life is. Life is forever a summer’s day. They cannot imagine a life or a day that is until today; a beautiful, long hot summer’s day.

The woman

Smoke curls in the air and escapes through the wind. Red lips curve around the cigarette. They are warm from the sun and smile for the first time. It is a forgotten smile, an old smile that has not been seen for too long. It starts out small, with subtle quirks at the sides and slowly spreads until both lips are apart in upward arcs of happiness. The young woman turns back from the sunny doorway and looks in to the dark hairdresser’s store. The pale tiles gleam and the clean basins hand on the wall sit quietly. All she can hear are the whispers of the wind chimes outside the door. Closing her eyes, she listens to the quiet musical sounds, tinkling in from the threshold behind her. Her smile widens as she turns around and closes the door to the empty dark room. She locks the door and turns to face the sunny street.

Outside, she hears laughter and singing. She decides she wants to laugh again; she wants to see another reason to smile again. Her dyed red hair whips in the air, agreeing, waiting for adventure. Leaving the locked hairdresser’s behind her, she climbs into her old truck and pulls out. She’s leaving, leaving the hairdresser’s, leaving the town and leaving her life. For one day, she will be happy. For one day at least, she will feel the warm sun on her skin, she will smell fresh air and she will smile. She passes a field where two children run around and shriek with laughter. The laughter surrounds her and lifts her, the wind it rides on billows around her, tickling her skin and pulls strands of her hair free. As she is laughing, she passes a man standing in the shade of his porch. His lips quirk in response; a small tendril of connection sneaks between them.

For the first time in too long, she smiles at someone, feeling warmth bubble up in her. This is her day, a long hot summer’s day.

The couple

Looking down, he catches her pulling a strand of her hair away from her face. She looks away across the garden. She smiles so gently, without any self-consciousness. Her rosy cheeks flush suddenly and he catches her eye, wondering what she’s thinking about. He slowly catches her chin between his fingers and draws near. The wind blows between them rustling leaves in the silence.

He lets out a kept in breath. He breathes in and out a number of times, slowing feeling like he’ll never catch his breath again. Losing his nerve, he trails his fingers down to her shoulders and leans back. He watches the sunlight reflect in her eyes and shine off of her hair. The shared silence is blissful, as they sit together on a long hot summer’s day.

He relaxes against a wall and she takes in a breath. His dark curls move back and forth with the wind, his shirt collar flaps with every warm breeze. She looks at him from under her lashes, too shy to look directly at him. He seems so composed and self-assured to her and yet she can hardly breathe. Her light brown hair blows across her eyes and she reaches up to pull it behind her ear. She looks across the green grass, down the long lawn. It’s bordered by many blooming trees. They look as if they are a song green guard for honour. They are silent, saying nothing. They seem almost content in their silent guard roles. She too can’t say a word.

She thinks about lying down on the grass next to him, hearing his breathing and measuring their heartbeats against one another. She thinks about how to close they would be, how she could watch his face as he closes his eyes. She thinks about his lower lip, being so close to hers and suddenly she blushes. She looks up, flushing even more. First she sees his lips smiling and moves up his long Roman nose and finally his eyes. He looks curious. They sun’s heat finally seems too much. Her dark jeans and jacket radiate heat and seem too tight, too hot. She tries to breathe slower as she feels his fingers gently hold her chin in place. Imperceptibly, he moves closer. Birds twitter around them in chorus and the branches of trees sway in applause. She closes her eyes as she feels his hand move down her back and she opens them to see him lean back again.

Alone, they are totally along together. No one watches, assumes or judges. Shielded by silent guards, with the wind singing to them, she places her head on his chest. She feels his chest rise and expand, the sun warmed fabric of his shirt slides under her cheek. Suddenly she feels just the right amount of heat around her. No longer is too hot, it’s just right. It’s just right for a long hot summer’s day.

Dancing. Cartwheeling. Laughing. Sleeping. Playing. Singing. Swimming. Rolling. Tumbling. Holding. Gazing. Watching. Listening. Smiling. Driving.

All under the sun.