Dust blew into Brian Hudson’s face.
Holding Rachel on his hip with one arm, he used his other hand to paw at his eyes for a moment, seeking to dislodge the grit that was blinding him. He felt the familiar kicks from his daughter, impatient with the desire to walk on her own. He blinked until he could see clearly.
The gorge below was changing colour in the afternoon, and the sun low in the sky told him that they were at least an hour from sunset. They had time. He wanted them to see the view that waited at the top of the ridge. To see what he knew could be found when they trusted his instincts; that his own childhood memories held rewards like this.
“I want to get down, Dad!”
“Let’s just get to the top of the path. I don’t want you to get tired.” Brian stepped with patience along the rocky trail, careful not to lose his footing on the loose stones. He turned to check on the other two. His wife, walking behind his son, was bringing up the rear. She was puffing with the effort of the walk.
This family holiday was Brian’s idea. In a few weeks Rachel would start primary school.
The exhaustion of family life had been mounting, and Brian had resolved to try something new to refresh their spirits. Rachel’s medical needs were taking their toll. Matt needed to be taught how to light a fire, pitch a tent and all those things that men were meant to teach their sons.
He now realised a camping trip was too much. His wife had been tense since they packed the car. She was a cannon waiting for the fuse to burn. Brian constantly needed to tread carefully between her glances and pointed comments.
At the top of the ridge, he found the view he remembered. Letting Rachel down, he patted the red arching rock with his hand. The same open cavern waited for them, like a giant natural window in the clifftop, looking down into the gorges of the national park below…
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