Omenapuu

The story opens on a silver‑wedding day when Frank Ashurst and his wife Stella set out for a quiet drive through the rolling hills of Torquay. Seeking a place to celebrate their first meeting, they pull off beside a narrow strip of pine and larch, the air scented with lemon and blooming apple blossoms. Stella, ever the observant romantic, chooses a spot that feels like a watercolor landscape, while Frank remains the steady, slightly aloof companion who lets the surroundings speak for him.

In the shade of an old oak they notice a small, weathered stone topped with an apricot‑blossom and a bluebell, marking an isolated grave. The sight awakens a poet’s curiosity in Frank, prompting him to pull out a translation of Euripides and wander through thoughts of myth, longing, and the fleeting beauty of life. As he watches clouds drift across a bright sky, his inner dialogue drifts between the desire for lasting art and the restless hunger for new experiences. The scene sets a tone of contemplation that carries the listener through the early hours of their journey.