It was the month of March and our spring vacation was about to begin. I was very excited as I was going back home from my hostel. On the first day of the vacation, I was in my room packing my bag when one of my friends, Laura, came in. She seemed in a hurry.

I asked her what the matter was and she requested me to visit her grandmother’s cottage near the lake with her. I had a lot to do, but I could not refuse to my dear friend so I went with her. The cottage was ten minutes’ walk from the hostel.

We set off on the main road. I was thinking what the old lady’s house would be like when Laura suddenly turned and we came to a tranquil pathway. I had not known about that track before. It was quite long but peaceful. The scenery was very catchy. It was full of trees.

Little birds were twittering, the refreshing fragrance of newly bloomed flowers was in the air, and colourful butterflies were fluttering. Suddenly, I saw the cottage at a distance and couldn’t help exclaiming about the serenity that clung to it.

Laura had told me that her grandmother liked to live alone. She was not interested in an urban lifestyle. She liked to do her own work, which I must say, was done in the old fashion. Laura said she visited her grandmother during vacation. I had never met the old lady before and was eager to see her.

We reached the cottage. Laura knocked at the door and grandma asked us to enter. What a sweet voice she had! Laura ran and hugged her grandmother and introduced me to her. Oh! What a cute old lady she was.

Grandma was wearing a brown skirt. She had spectacles on her eyes. Her hair was grey in colour, but it shone more than ours and was tied in a bun. She was wearing an apron as she was busy in the kitchen. Grandma was going to bake some biscuits. She asked us to accompany her to the kitchen. We went and sat down on little chairs which were so small that looking around, I felt, I was sitting on the floor.

We told grandma about our studies. Well, Laura talked more as I was just looking at the old-fashioned kitchen. There was no electric plug. The light came in from the windows. There was no bulb, not even a single torch.

I asked grandma how she managed in the evening and she told me that she had candles and lanterns. I was surprised! However, I could not help but wonder how beautiful the kitchen must look in the yellow candlelight.

There was no oven gas or electric oven, grandma baked things with the help of wood. There was no electric beater, she used a simple hand whisk. There was no sign of a toaster, I wondered how she toasted the bread … but I didn’t ask her about that.

The best part was that we also got some beauty tips from her. I’m sure they will all work as I noticed that grandma had healthy skin.

Another thing that surprised me was that there was no watch or clock. I think she could tell what part of the day it was by the movement of the sun.

I wanted to see the other rooms in the cottage but I didn’t. The reason for that was that I was too busy enjoying the stories told by grandma, I felt too cosy to leave my comfortable seat and go anywhere else.

The biscuits and tea were soon ready. What an aroma they had and what a taste! I had never eaten such tasty biscuits before. I ate so many of them, and the more I ate, the happier grandma became.

In no time, it was almost six o’ clock and I had to go to the bus stop. With a heavy heart, I bade my friend and her sweet grandmother goodbye and left the cottage.

When I reached home, I told my mother about the visit to Laura’s grandmother. Mum asked me to show gratitude to the old lady, so I sent a letter, thanking grandma for her hospitality. It really was a pleasure to meet such a sweet lady and to visit such a beautiful place that seemed as if it were in a painting. Thanks to Laura who took me there. It was a memorable day!

Published in Dawn, Young World, July 11th, 2020