Write on Wednesdays - Sit under a tree and write...

The photo above was the inspiration for this week's 'write on wednesdays' assignment. I did cheat a little bit and kept writing for about four minutes after my five minute buzzer went! Let me know what you think, hope you enjoy it :)


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Sitting under a gnarled old oak tree in the blazing summer sunlight, Brooke tried her very best to get into the peaceful and spiritual mindset that she was supposed to have already been in for the last twenty five minutes.

She peeked out of one eye and then, seeing that everyone else in the group still had their eyes shut and were making the stereotypical 'omm' sound and looking thoroughly engaged, she seized the opportunity to sneak out the Blackberry she had been hiding under her t-shirt.

'BROOKE URGENT MEETING. WHERE R U???' read the message flashing up at her.

She gulped nervously, feeling the butterflies form in her stomach. She couldn't exactly email her boss and say that she was currently sat on a very uncomfortable pile of twigs attempting to chant her way into calmness and tranquility, could she?! It wasn't exactly 'employee of the month' material was it? Imagine if they could see her now! Sat with a bunch of housewives in fitness clothes who were currently perched, legs crossed, in the middle of a field droning in various pitches and occasionally swaying and raising their arms in the air.

Brooke still hadn't quite figured out what this whole session was supposed to accomplish but due to the fact that her mother had recently called her 'haggared' and 'stressed-looking' she had decided that a 'Relaxing Meditation Session' would be ideal.

Glancing around again, she began surreptitiously typing a fictional reply about her whereabouts.

''Miss ALLEN!'' a curt voice suddenly screamed.

She jumped guiltily, and peeped up through her fringe to see Marjorie, the Meditation Instructor as she liked to be known, standing with her hands on her hips and a very unamused expression on her overly-made-up face.

''Err sorry!'' Brooke giggled innocently, ''Just sending a quick email to the office!''

Marjorie sighed deeply and put her fingers to her temples.

'Miss Allen. You are here to relax and channel your negative energy into meditation in order to achieve a wholehearted spiritual awakening. You cannot do that with your mobile phone strapped to your chest! Now hand it over. I am confiscating your phone until the end of the session.'

'Jesus,' thought Brooke, 'It's like being at school.'

Pulling her attention back to Marjorie's monosyllabic instructions about attempting to reach spiritual enlightenment, she decided to really focus. Marjorie was right. What was the point in taking the afternoon off work to de-stress if she wasn't even going to try to become a spirit, or whatever it was the instructor had said she should be trying to do.

Focus...Breathe...I need to reply to that email....No, focus. Enlightenment...Spirits...But I want that promotion, what if they find out I was here? Come on, concentrate...Meditating...Ommmm...Buzzz.

Buzzz? What's buzzing?

Sudden realisation made Brooke's eyes snap open. Her phone was vibrating right next to where Marjorie was swaying. She couldn't tell if it was ringing or not. If it was ringing, Brooke needed to answer it! What if it was the office?! Surely there must be an exception to this whole mediation thing if your phone was ringing!

She looked around again and, having decided that all the other women were engrossed in their 'omm'-ing, she began crawling as slowly and carefully as she could across the grass towards her phone. Only a few more feet and she'd be able to grab it!

As she edged closer and closer, Marjorie's voice began to get louder and louder as if she was reaching the climax of her spiritual awakening, until suddenly she jumped. And it could not have been worse timing. Her eyes took in Brooke's guilty expression at being caught on all fours with one arm outstretched towards her Blackberry.

''I'm sorry, I just don't think meditation is for me.''

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