pleasant Interruptions...

There were a few of them all over the land their bright fair skin a misfit against the rising dull brown hills. Every time we whizzed past they would look at us in a nonchalant manner. A manner which explained that theyve seen a lot of these four wheeled machines but dont know what or how or why they work. There were the fat mothers, the single daughters albeit pretty ones, the young innocent ones and the heads of the families. Most of them had a darkish face ,glassy unexpressive eyes and roundish bodies which portrayed their prosperity. They wore clean clothes probably made from the wool in the mountains and obviously were comfortably warm in them. Like perfect tourists (even other than Japanese) we stopped at one point , one which we felt was a good one for a photograph. Like tourists who yearn to take good shots not only to show friends and family but who are convinced they are born wildlife photographers and can compose complete photographs.

I walked a distance off the road to relieve myself after which was when i caught her. Her gaze was more intense than the rest and her eyes deeper darker than her tribe. All the others obsitnately refused to give any attention to me. She however looked up with such purity reflecting that intensity in her eyes that it drew me nearer - a benign force which pulled me like the mountains do. Her overcoat was white as a fairy's chin and she stood almost as if she would fall except the weight of her body was so exact it balanced her thin feet. She must have been quite young but i wasnt thinking about that as i couldnt break the eye contact we had. Her face was fairer than the rest, with much smooth corners unlike the kind her rugged family members had. A small head popped out from behind the lone bush a furlong away. Must have been her baby. Immediately the baby saw me it ran off into the fading distance which i couldnt make because of the fog. All this i noticed out of the corner of my eye as in this time i still hadnt let go of her encapsulating gaze. Then she moved. I felt a strange feeling creep over my body, the kind I get when im put into situations when i dont know what exactly to do. Which as my friends and family would agree is almost always. She moved slightly her body giving a slight twitch as i later realised but for me it seemed a whole canvas painting had just suddenly been washed off and a new one reappeared . It was then that i realised the silence between us had lasted a while and with the whistling of the mountain wind would have given an onlooker a really eerie feeling.

I wanted to start the conversation but somehow felt the silence would be guarded and treasured much more than words. It was one of the very few times in my life that i was at a loss of words and just couldnt think of any witty pick up line . Maybe the whole beauty of it all made it so or then again painitngs are hard to talk to.

It was then she did something i shall never ever forget. With one final look and i swear i saw her smile through the corner of her broad dark lips she moved both body and face in a single sweeping movement so graceful a ballet dancer would have gaped. She closed her eyes , turned her face and moved slow enough to let me catch the other end of her cheeks light up. She turned her back to me and walked off , her white coat shining till the last strand. As she disappeared into the fog making it look like a dream; a deja vu i thought of all the things i could have said to her to keep her there longer. That secret i think will however remain with us for ever ;the silence a testament to the unspoken words exchanged between us.

I have a freind in the Scottish mountains - my sheep in shining wool.