A Place of Peace
       munkeymunkey
       
       Devon Kirkford loved to walk through the quaintly picturesque Astern Park.  The 
paths were lined with small ashwoods and elegant silver birches.  Junipers, hazels, and 
flowers littered the scattered garden areas.  Their colors vibrated, and their fragrances 
pungently drifted through the thick air.  Majestic rowans, aspens, and oaks dominated the 
rest of the park, with a few holly and willow trees sitting throughout.  The hardwoods of 
the park were plastered with countless leaves.  Their variants of green were tossed in the 
breeze, creating a gentle ripple of sound.  After unfurling the flags of green upon their 
grandiose pinnacles, the breeze would lightly displace Clair’s hair like a little child teases 
a small animal.  In short, the Astern Park released a sense of peace, stability, and 
harmony.  
	As she walked towards back home from helping Dominic at the office, Devon 
couldn’t help but worry about him.  He didn’t like to take risks; his life was dominated by 
a trend of decisions that were strict, conservative, safe, and quiet.  Nevertheless, his life 
was bookmarked by a few key choices that were seemingly uncharacteristic and of great 
risk.  
       Devon remembered the day he was forced to make a choice between a profession 
as a farmer and an executive businessman.  Surely the latter choice, which had been 
offered to him even though he was a mere twenty-five years old, would have been more 
appetizing; it offered a higher salary, retirement options, and power.  However, Dom 
chose to be a farmer, a dairy farmer using chinchillas, nonetheless.  The concept had been 
used before, but never in this part of globe, and barely so anywhere else in the galaxy.  
Why did he do it?  
       She still wasn’t exactly sure why.  Dom claimed that the quiet, constant, stable, 
yet poor life of a farmer did seem safer to him than the hay-day chaos that was the 
business world.  It was true that any position in that walk of life threatened to be ruined 
by corruption, internal or external.  And Devon knew that that did frighten Dom.  In fact, 
it frightened him a surprisingly great deal.  He strived to obtain this illogical ideal that all 
people are good and will treat others fairly, respectably, and with courtesy.  The reality of 
devious deceit, corruption, and dishonesty went against what he dreamed.  From that 
point of view, Devon reasoned, it is very logical to want opt out of that lifestyle.  Maybe 
Dom was right when he made those claims.
       But why would he exchange such a sure job that would undoubtedly lead to 
success for the remote, new, and exceedingly risky trade of chinchilla dairy production?  
And why did he insist on leading the business aspects of the company when he 
supposedly feared the business?  She thought knew why, but she wished to think that 
there was some other reason.  
       As she pondered this, she approached her favorite spot in the park.  This setting 
consisted of two a small mahogany bench with seating for two that sat atop a small hill.  
Two large aspen trees were planted directly behind the bench, providing a sheet of shade.  
Behind these was a row of shrubbery with distinctly maroon leaves.  Devon knew that 
she could look up the name of the hybrid species in one of her books, but she preferred to 
not know its true name.  The bench overlooked the fields, gardens, and forest below, as 
well as the gentle rolling of the region’s highlands.  This place in the park provided a 
perpetual display of a sunset periodically each afternoon.  The colors were amazing and 
reminded her always of that precious moment that made this place so dear to her.  
       As she sat down on the bench, on the left hand side as always, she silently 
watched as the sun slowly began to sink beneath the hills, emitting a hopeful and 
wholesome orange hue into the sky.  Every Friday night since they first met, she and 
Dominic had convened for this sunset and sat together to cherish the moment.  It was at 
this very place and time that Dom had proposed to her; it was at this very place and time 
that she had first thought about finding a way to save chinchillas from the pelting farms 
they were enslaved in; and it was at this very spot and time that he made his decision to 
stay away from the business world forever and instead take on a seemingly asinine 
profession.  He had done it for her, and, as far as she could tell, only for her.  It was 
because of this that she could only wonder about his latest decision to take on a new 
business endeavor that meant a greater risk.  Was it all for her?  She wasn’t certain; she 
hoped that it wasn’t so; but she continued to have a sickening feeling that maybe he had 
given up a future because of her and was now trying to fulfill it to the greatest extent for 
both their sakes.
       As these last thoughts crossed Devon’s mind yet again, she heard Dom 
approaching, as punctual as ever.  She lifted her tired eyes and met his loving gaze.  She 
was filled with a new sense of hope to match the sky; everything was going to be alright.  
Dom gently took his seat beside her and offered his hand.  She clutched it tightly and 
leaned her head on his shoulder.  The two watched the sun sink beneath the hills, and 
Devon permitted the elements to bring her mind to a temporary but nurturing peace.