A beginning….
 

Driving along the winding highway, Esther allowed her mind to return to her childhood 

and this same road, although at the time, she thought it seemed to take days to get here.  

Probably her own adolescent impatience at the time, she wanted things to happen on her 

time not the worlds! The ocean stretched out over the horizon on her right.   Blue- green

for miles. The coastline its imposing rock formations, and the occasional house she 

spotted through the trees, began to look familiar a few miles back.

 

Esther slowed, “I know it’s close.”  Then she saw the red mailbox!  That was the 

landmark she had been looking for~  she slowly turned off the highway and began to 

venture down the unpaved road.  As soon as she turned down the road, it all came rushing 

back-the laughter, the kids running along side every car that turned down that driveway, 

Aunt Bets screaming, “You’ll get run over!”  Such joy every day seemed to stretch out 

over two, it was all magical- a break in the trees and the azure blue of the ocean sprung 

through the green.  

 

  A peace enveloped her.  She immediately took a deep breath of the clean, salt filled air 

blowing in her half-open window and slowly exhaled just as she had been taught in yoga 

class.  Shaking her raven -colored hair, and in turn her brain to clear out the cobwebs,  

“My happy place” said to no one since, she had decided this was going to be a solo trip.  

The road curved to the left and buildings appeared through the overgrown weeds.  She 

slowed and pulled to a stop in what she thought was a driveway in front of her uncle’s 

house.  It was hard to tell as the plants and grass had taken over.  And why not? she 

thought, this place had been abandoned for 10 years at least.