Free Unravelled by Kirsten Lee

first stable to see how we’ll figure out the lighting, and my heart drops to the floor. I stand there for a few moments unable to breathe and then go from stable to stable with the three men silently following me. The next five stables I enter all look the same. Disgustingly dirty.
    “This is more than a broom and a mop can fix.” I whisper into the bad smell that is especially strong in this room. I turn around from the room to face the men and catch Ray scratching at some unknown substance on the bottom of his shoe with a stick. The poor man actually looks like he’s going to cry.
    “Are all the buildings in this condition?” My question gets Ray to straighten and stretch his eyes to tell me that I’ve been rude, but Jamie comes to my rescue.
    “Yes, they are. I was here on Wednesday and have since given it some thought.” He’s got his uncle’s measured tone, but still lacks the confidence which makes him sound more hesitant than controlled. He’s only confident when he’s baiting me about my clothes. Unsurprisingly, he is dressed all in black again today and this combined with his light complexion make the colour that is now beginning to creep into his cheeks all the more visible. “One of the girls in our department’s aunt has a neighbour whose son has a cleaning company and she said that this man is open to negotiation.”
    Ray immediately picks up on Jamie’s blush and discomfort and goes straight for the heart.
    “Who is this girl?”
    “Tariska Bloom. She’s the graphic designer.” He blushes some more and kicks with his oversized black boot at a rock which turns out to be dried cow manure. Gross.
    “You’ve never talked about her.” Jeremy’s penetrating look makes his nephew blush even more and that’s when I step in.
    “Jamie, why don’t you take us to the big barn and you can tell us about this somebody who knows somebody who has a cleaning company.”
    For the smallest of moments I think that shy Jamie is going to hug me, but then he nods and starts walking to the door with me right next to him, still treading carefully. He waits until we are outside in the sun before he speaks again.
    “I don’t know anything else about the cleaning company. Tariska only said that she spoke to her aunt who spoke to the neighbour who spoke to her son.” I laugh at the Chinese telegraph type communication and even Jamie smiles a little. “They all know about you and the festival and are quite interested in helping.”
    Of course they know. Villsburg is a small town where everybody knows everything about everybody else. Oh, how I miss the anonymity of the city. Well, not really.
    “It was great thinking, Jamie. Thank you.” The other two are behind us and have stopped by the enclosure where they kept the cows and are discussing parking. “You should ask her out.”
    “Oh, she would never go out with me.” He actually sounds convinced.
    “Why not? You’re smart, funny and interesting.”
    “You’re forgetting my most obvious feature.” He points at his attire with an open hand and is about to continue his line of self-depreciating analysis when I stop dead in my tracks in front of the barn. I’m sure his uncle knows nothing of Jamie’s love interest and am equally sure Jamie doesn’t want him to know, and thus make sure that the other two are still out of earshot. They are still pointing in all directions and I assume they are still talking about parking. Any other topic and they would look silly the way they are waving their arms about. I focus my full attention on Jamie while he unlock the barn door.
    “Take this from me: people who do not see who you are behind the outfit, does not deserve to know you. Don’t allow people to look down on you because of who you are, the type of music you listen to or the clothes you wear.” I want to continue imparting the wise life lessons Pam shared with me, but Jeremy and Ray have left the encampment and are walking towards us. I settle for a