Inspired by Johan Barthold Jongkind (1819-1891) – Channel in Holland with houses and mills (1860/01/28) – Black stone / Watercolour – 7,3 x 10,4 inch

Sophie is at home. She feels good. She drinks tea, she reads a book that she particularly likes, the latest Mélissa Da Costa Women from the End of the World, comfortably sitting on her sofa.

And then, a notification arrives on her cell phone. Damn, she had forgotten to put on silent. At first she resists. Eventually, she peeks out to find out who the intruder is who dares to disturb her cosy moment! Ohhhh, it’s her best friend Nathan. He suggests a walk in a place that she particularly likes, near the mills, where old buildings hold together as if by magic.

Sophie is not tempted. She closes her phone immediately and returns to her reading. A few minutes later, probably, her phone rings. Unable to concentrate. She is angry. But when she finds out who’s calling her, she instantly softens. She answers and… of course accepts.

She dresses quickly with jeans, a t-shirt, a sweater, just in case, and here she is in her car to reach the meeting place, in the countryside, in the middle of the fields. Too bad, she forgot her boots. She just has to hope that there won’t be too much mud.

Nathan is already there. She suspects him of contacting her when he was already there! He welcomes her warmly and the walk can begin. The weather is ideal. It is neither too hot nor too cold. The windmills are magnificent. They’ve been standing all this time. They don’t work anymore but it wouldn’t take much for them to be functional. And these houses too, they are all so cute.

Sophie and Nathan take the opportunity to tell each other stories. They change maps. They imagine how their life might have been in the last century. They are a couple for the occasion, they even have a child, a little girl they adore. Sophie doesn’t work, she takes care of her family and her home. As for him, he is a miller, quite naturally. He sees to the smooth running of his favorite mill. They are fully happy.

As the 10 kilometer ride comes to an end, Sophie feels very moved. She truly believed in this story, she felt good about it. When leaving in the parking lot, she falls into his arms.