“I’ll settle for the garden, I think. I need calming down. Sorry Muzzy,” She confided with her horse. “The way things are going I might lose everything I love most; you, my precious garden, my husband and any hopes for a family.”
Now home again she was in her magical healing garden under that powder blue sky, now with its whisps of stratospheric cloud. The garden had settled her thoughts and dried her tears. Justine was communing with her Delphiniums and Aquilegia. A month ago, she had successfully spread some wildflower seeds and now suddenly her previously tired garden was a riot of colour bracketed by a blaze of hydrangeas that formed a multi-coloured wall under the shade of native bush on her southern boundary.
The old garden was one thing, but the bungalow would also need work in time. It looked great in the spring when the wisteria and blackcurrant were in bloom but otherwise it needed painting and new roofing. And the interior needed modernizing especially if it was to be subdivided for the Airbnb.
All this was to be achieved along with the start of the family Justine craved. Sadly, this was on hold with Alex caught overseas with no sign of the pandemic abating. Things were coming to head; she was getting older and everything she hoped for was in jeopardy.
Alex and Justine had met while both were studying for their masters at university. They married on graduation. Justine was really a product of old money. Alex had grown up in a state house with a single mother. He had studied hard and against all odds had achieved. He had set up his mother in her own little house and had much to be proud of.
In the early days the marriage seemed strong, both sharing similar outdoor pursuits along with their interest in economics. But as time went on their lives seem to diverge. Alex joined a large international corporation and set on a path up the corporate ladder. Justine joined an economic intelligence and forecasting institute. Her decision to go back and do a doctorate and the dedication required, put a heavy strain on the marriage but in those days the attachment between them was robust and they seemed to survive it stronger than ever.
Following her doctorate Justine remained with the institute but became more engaged with the University. A conflict arose where Alex, in order to advance, had to engage more internationally. A further rift developed when Justine’s Mother died, and Justine was the sole beneficiary of her country lifestyle property. Alex saw the property as a burden. It seemed that now he was less enthused by a family and seemed less committed to their future.
Alex and Justine also had a small apartment in the city. Justine shared her work between the office and the farm during the pandemic as her job enabled her to do that, but the lockdown had temporarily put a halt to that flexibility. She seldom visited the office these days and the apartment was getting very little use.
Most of her social contact was via Zoom. Justine by personality and her country upbringing was self-sufficient and was happy to be largely alone. She had friends which were important to her, but she was used to the lifestyle of the relative isolation of the farm. Although not gregarious she was none the less popular with her friends and could easily charm strangers with her ready smile and relaxed manner.
That said, it had been a long six months under the restrictions of the COVID Pandemic and Justine could not help but find herself beginning to feel the isolation in her own little patch of paradise.
At least she thought she was isolated.
The property was some distance from the main highway and sat on an expansive river terrace. A bush covered spur ran on her south side eventually rising into a mountain range. The spur was spectacularly covered in virgin native bush. Most of the original bush in the valley had been milled eons ago, especially the expansive river terraces which were now farmland. There were also some ugly pine forests on the lower slopes of the flanking hills closer to the coast.
The house had a long-crushed limestone drive flanked by plane trees which were out of control and enormous. The house was remote from the sealed road which provided access to the farms along the terrace up the valley. Justine did not as a rule receive drop-ins by other people unless they were deliveries or invitation from Justine. So, Justine was puzzled when she thought she heard someone. She stopped, listened but there was silence apart from the breeze in the trees.