1.4 Now and Then

Back when we used to live at our old house, an orchestra of cheerful birds could always be heard, singing their perfect harmony’s with one another. Giving our ears a warm and comforting sensation, as if we were sitting on a beachfront in the islands. They would flutter among the delicate branches of the apricot tree that stood sturdy as a brick wall in the middle of our backyard. The relaxing sound of bee’s buzzing around could always be heard, they were constantly chasing the charming scent produced by rose bushes planted among mum and dads ravishing garden beds in the middle of the yard. The toasty glaze of the sun was always contrasted flawlessly with the sea of ocean blue sky surrounding it, allowing the excuse for kids to ask their parents for a refreshing lemonade. The backyard was a lively place. Kids could mindlessly loose themselves in exciting games created from deep inside their innocent imaginations, but the constant smell of mouth watering barbecued steak would always lure them back into the real world. The softly cut green grass soothed our hard working soles of feet allowing a relieving feeling of satisfaction. It also created comfort for the kids while they ran around the backyard falling over each obstacle one by one. Though having an exceptional time doing it. If you’d take a minute to pause, you’d watch as devious little toddlers would compete with each other, falling over and starting tantrums causing all the mothers to pack together like a team of navy seals and check out what was wrong. Soon enough as they’d pick up the toddler and start walking away, the toddler couldn’t help but let of a giant, devilish, rather discomforting smile. Knowing he’d just outsmarted the mums so that he could get all the attention to himself. Then you’d turn your attention to the dads, and watch as they carried on drinking beer, barbecuing, and laughing at one another like their’s not a care in the world. Which would always fill you with laughter, knowing how happy they all were. Our garden is where the magic was really produced though. Crowds would form around it to admire the beautiful feel to the velvet leaves surrounding the dense green bush. There always seemed to be another fascinating tree or plant growing that friends and family would want to know more about. The tree’s wouldn’t seem to mind the attention as they would just carry on dancing around in the light northerly breeze. After finishing their big juicy steaks. The kids would run up, down, round and round, sliding on the slippery wet tarpaulin laid flat down the steep and narrow hill until eventually burning themselves out. Parents watched satisfied as this played out, knowing the kids will all sleep well that night. Being in that yard always gave you a snug sensation of knowing your safe, and gave everyone the confidence to show their true selves. People would help each other with deeds, and ask for nothing in return but a smile. Anything was possible. Everyone was their to help you achieve your goals. You were a god, able to do whatever you could imagine, and everyone was their to help you have as much fun as you could in this heavenly place.

However, that was a long time ago. And as much as I wish it was still the same, it’s not. Now as you walk into our old backyard, trimmings of bush and hedge laid out all over the backyard all wail in the howling wind, calling for us as to come free them. The new owners stumble around their piles of junk, like a couple of hippopotamus’s, to lazy to pick any of it up and to fat to see what they were steeping on. Not a bee nor flower can be seen or heard, and the toasty warm sun is almost always blocked by the miserably dark clouds that look as though they were sent from hell. The perfect orchestra of birds has turned into a continuously irritating noise. While the sweet, sweet smell of the apricot tree has been replaced by the vile and disgusting fumes from the rotting wood and fruit produced from mum and dads now slowly dying garden beds. Neighbours all stare at us so densely, it feels as though there staring through us. They give us a dull feeling as if we’d stabbed them in the back, like it was our fault this magnificent place was now a wasteland. Though deep down, we knew if we were in the position they were in, we would feel the same way. It was a place of love and happiness, that now felt like a prison being run by a couple trolls. Standing among of the piles of trash and cut down bushes you couldn’t help but feel as though disheartened, You wanted to help this place so bad but… ‘that’s not how it works’ the adults would always say. Spiky, patchy and dry. The heavenly and soft green grass that brought us comfort, now felt like walking on chunks of coal. The once felt snug feeling of safeness, is now nothing but a feeling of anxiety and grief, it felt like a part of you has been ripped out and left a giant hole. It was a place full of good times, but now it’s looks as though it’s been chewed up, spat back out, then over run by rats. Though it will never be the same again, the memories created there shaped the childhood for many of my friends and family. Everyone will always remember and love our old house, for the way it was once before.