Walkers

They raced ahead of everyone else, as though they were rushing to meet some unseen goal

- Maggie Primavesi

Brian and Sally met on a walking holiday in Italy. Sally had gone on her own, as a friend, who was meant to accompany her, had let her down. Brian was on his own, too. It was something he did every year. A dose of fresh air away from the office.

On the first evening, they found themselves sitting next to each other at dinner and immediately clicked. When Sally heard that Brian’s surname was Walker and then Brian found out that hers was Field, they just knew they were meant to be together.

They walked side by side for the entire holiday. Brian learnt to tune his long, loping gait to Sally’s shorter pace, until they were in perfect rhythm with each other. Each morning, they were like two frisky young ponies raring to go, racing ahead of everyone else.

“Oi, you two!” the leader had to call after them. “Slow down. Not everyone can go as fast as you.” It was as if there was some unseen goal ahead of them they were rushing to meet.

Occasionally, they’d stop and look at the view, admiring an olive grove, the red earth and a cornflower-blue sky, but normally they just forged ahead, in step all the time. One foot in front of the other, eyes only for each other; not the hills or the villages or the others they were walking with.

Then one day, as they were walking along, Sally felt Brian’s hand reach down and take a hold of her own.