The Farmer

John Henderson sat outside his new caravan, looking at a herd of his cows in a lush green paddock. Irrigation system in the next paddock, that moron will destroy all of this like he killed the old family farm. He had traded his old van three months ago after the separation.

He thought about Lisa and her affair with his so-called brother. His kids, were they his? He stood up, one last look around. Packing up the table and chair, locked up and prepared to leave. He ached all over. He thought this was the last act as he unlocked the gate. He spent so much time here with a few girls, and Lisa stayed. They were married and built a house on the other side of the hill; two girls arrived as twins. They were all happy on their little dairy farm.

The trouble started when his parents said his brother would take over his farm. While he objected, they actively pushed Lisa and Colin together, saying he needed a wife. Lisa didn’t object openly. He was driving down the public lane, looking over at the house. The girls and Lisa were decorating a poplar tree in the front garden. The girls ran over to the fence, yelling at him not to go. John waved, saying, “Merry Christmas.”

“Thanks for the presents. We love you, dad.”

He was short of breath, and a tear started to form in his eye. At the end of the lane, he stopped looking at the sign, Henderson Lane. Grandpa would be spinning in his grave if he knew what the family had done to them.

The family court gave him until the twenty-fifth of December to leave the property. Turning north, he headed towards Wodonga. He turned off a kilometre up the road into a Vic Roads gravel dump site. Going over to a late model Mercedes Benz, John’s lawyer got out with a briefcase. John signed some papers and gave a cheque to his lawyer. John made them a coffee, and they sat for a while. His lawyer said, “The appeal has been lodged. We argue that his poor management skills destroyed the family farm, so he can’t be trusted to maintain Annet and Joslin’s future assets. As shareholders in the company, they were never given any say in the company’s future, and JLDairys PTY LTD. owns the land and all its assets. The other businesses haven’t been mentioned in any claims by your family or Lisa. The Trust funds are still the overarching beneficiaries of any sale of the properties.”

John, “I hope your daughter knows what she’s doing. I love Lisa, and I don’t want to see her and the girls get screwed over like Colin’s done to other people. I don’t want the divorce to succeed either; I know it’s not Lisa’s idea.”

Lawyer, “The divorce is a forgone conclusion, but you can work around that. Now, you should be getting to see Gayle and Martin.”

John, “Thanks for the service.” They each drove off in opposite directions. After fuelling up at Euroa Roadhouse, he drove to Wodonga, stopping at a free camp on the Murray’s bank.

22/12

John staggered out at dawn with his camera. “This is bullshit”, he said to himself, “I need to write her off.” He took pictures of the dawn on the river and then had breakfast. After breakfast, he headed to Balidale in New South Wales. A quick phone call confirmed Gayle and Martin were home, and the road was open. Driving up the Balidale-Walbundrie Rd, turning off at 537. Martin, Gayle, and two teenage kids watched him drive to the house, parking at the rear. The welcome was uplifting.

Gayle, “Glad to see you; I thought you might bail on such short notice.”

John: “No, there’s no reason to stay back there.” After inspecting the new caravan and ute, they all went inside.

After a roast, they all talked for hours, downing a few ales. Luckily, he didn’t park the van too far away.

23/12

John woke up looking for Lisa. “I must have slept with my mouth open,” young Stephen came in the van with a black coffee. “What do you mean you slept with your mouth open?”

John, “A bird shit in it.” Stephen laughed and ran out. John dressed and got the BBQ out of its hatch when Gayle yelled from the door, “Put that away; breakfast is ready.” He picked up his cup and went in.

Martin and John moved his van away from the house but close enough to wake him up in the morning.

A formal property tour pointed out the well, hay sheds, and sheep still lambing. The veteran is still concerned it’s too late.

Martin, “The wheat was harvested and is in the silo. We need to cut hay in the next two weeks. We should be back to do this.” Over lunch, he was told about the new boundary fences. The two bulls are out at the moment. The plan was outlined.

At lunch, Gayle asked, “What’s my dickhead sister done this time?”

John, “Colin, again! I’ve had enough of this shit.”

Debbie, “What about Joslin and Annet?”

John, “I’ve been kept from them if they are mine. The divorce paperwork has been signed, so we’re finished.”

Martin looked at John, “You finally cut her loose. Good on you.” John didn’t feel so good about it.

The rest of the day was spent inspecting the machinery and workshop.

24/12

After checking the sheep and heifers, John saw Martin, Gayle and the kids off. They were going to his farm for a family get-together. He put a dead lamb into the chiller for pet food. John busied himself preparing the Deutz tractor and a new Faar mower. The old Massey Ferguson was hooked to an old square baler, which needed greasing and two rolls of new hayband. Lunch was a sandwich and black tea. Why did she have to get screwed by that piece of shit? He kept busy and kept his head straight.

The new tractor was a breeze to drive. John managed to cut all the forty-acre paddock and start the hundred-acre paddock by four o’clock. John went to town to talk about disposing of the animals mauled by dogs, and a deal was struck. He then went to the supermarket and pub. Sleep was hard to get without Lisa.

25/12

John woke with a start. He felt empty; it was unnaturally quiet. Without Lisa and the girls, it was surreal. A tear ran down his face; his chest was tight as he dressed and prepared for breakfast. The news said the fire had gotten bigger, jumping containment lines. As he was going to start baling, the phone rang, and Joslin and Annet yelled Merry Christmas! Don’t hang up, Dad, we want to talk. His chest tightened, and his stomach tied itself into knots. “Merry Christmas, it’s good to hear you. Are you having a good time? Did your cousins get there, ok? How are the cows going and the new automatic milking machine? The girls giggled, “Yes and yes, all the cows are good, and the tanker emptied the vat yesterday. We keep Uncle Colin away in case he breaks it like he broke the tractor. Please come home, Dad; we can’t do it all on our own.”

John, “Does the thirty-five still work?”

Annet, “Yes.”John looked up as a Police car stopped before him, “What can I do for you, Miss Policeman.”

Debbie, “Is Martin and Gale close by?” he could hear Joslin yelling for him.

John, “There in Euroa, Joslin is calling them.” Martin called, asking what had happened.

Debbie, “The fire has jumped containment lines and is heading this way. Your fire brakes may not hold it. Prepare to evacuate, John, I mean it.”

Annet, “Dad, what’s going on?”

John, “There’s a fire heading this way. It could be a bit touch and go. Stay safe. I’ve got a lot of work to do. Love you.” he hung up. Debbie, how long?”

Debbie, “It’s forty k’s away; at this rate, it’ll take about a day and a half to two.” He grabbed his water bottle and returned to the old sixty-five to start bailing. He spent the rest of the day baling, then finishing the cutting at about ten o’clock. He lay there exhausted. It was the first Christmas alone in twenty years. This bed is huge on your own.

26/12

John woke up sore with a feeling of foreboding. It was an early start, with a quick breakfast and then back into it. After four hours of driving in slow circles, John headed back for lunch.

Martin and family drove into the shed as he got to the van. Lisa followed with the girls. John was confused and elated to see his family. Lisa and the girls ran to him, kisses and hugs for everyone. John was dragged into the house. Gayle and Lisa made sandwiches and tea. They discussed what he had done and how to do the rest.

Lisa and the girls get to drive the old truck. John swaps the baler for a rotary hoe and then follows the girls. While they pick up the hay bales, Martin uses the new round baler to finish the hundred-acre paddock.

They all worked until seven o’clock. All the square bales were stacked in a hay shed.

John looked at Lisa, scared of saying the wrong thing or touching her. He slept on the floor.

27/12

John woke up on the floor. He felt tight in the chest, and his right arm ached, still confused about how to approach Lisa. He prepared breakfast. Turning to get a face full of naked teenage girls. He gasped as his heart skipped a beat. Lisa sat up as he closed the door. His chest felt worse. After cooking his bacon and eggs on the BBQ, he sat at the table with the girls. They apologised for the show and ate with him. While he made a thermos of tea, Joslin asked Lisa about the shaking and pale-drawn look.

As John stepped out of the van, he felt a crushing pain in his chest and arm; he couldn’t breathe, and his legs gave out under him. He heard screaming as he face-planted right at the step.

Lisa jumped out of the van, crying. Stephen turned him on his back, checking his pulse. Gayle called Constable Debbie to tell her what had happened and where they were. Martin and Annet dragged the oxy set over to John; Martin removed the cutting torch off the handpiece, opened the oxygen valve to let a slow feed on, and placed the handpiece on a clean hanky below his mouth. They took turns giving cardiac massages until the ambulance arrived thirty minutes later. The ambulance took him to town and then to the airport.

30/12

John woke up in Canberra hospital. He opened his eyes to see Lisa holding his hand.