Flash! Friday: Vol 3 – 13

When I saw the man, the first thing I noticed was his grand clothes.  He looked out of place standing there under the fierce glare of the sun.

He introduced himself as MIkhail Rennard, part of the family who owns the land I work in.  The family does not make a habit of visiting the fields. Not like their grand patriarch, Jacob, who used to roam the fields daily.

 When he stated the reason behind his visit, I was left stunned. He proposed that we swap our lives for one month.  I will live in the big old house at the top of the hill while he till the land that I take care of daily.  It was part of the will left by his grandfather Jacob before he can inherit the whole lot. 

It seemed too good to be true.  How can anyone just hand over a life that I have always dreamed of in exchange for the dreary world I live in?

Character.  That’s what MIkhail’s grandfather wants him to build.  And Jacob thought a month of hard work would make MIkhail appreciate more the simple things in life.

I’d live like a King even for a month.  Whether Mikhail gets what he needs is irrelevant.

Whetting Interrupted, 1894. Public domain painting by Jose Ferraz de Almeida Junior.