The Beet Widow

Ahhh life on the farm....

 

 

     With one tractor wheel hopelessly stuck in a Nebraska blow out, he unwrapped the foil from his sandwich and put his feet on the dash and ate unfettered. In the glow of the radio light, he accompanied Waylon and Willie in twangy ham and cheese tones, chewing and singing becoming one.  

     Twelve miles from the house, he would be here through the night, but that was alright by him. He always had his sketch pad and his flask, and in this case, something he had little of these days, time. Sitting in a million dollars worth of equipment, it still boiled down to a sandwich, Waylon and Willie and a working man’s hopes and dreams, but mostly the sandwich. With lousy cell phone service, she wouldn't come looking for him till tomorrow sometime, he may have to start walking once sun came up, it would be like walking six miles on the beach in cowboy boots, this damn Nebraska sand and then hitching the rest of the way.

     She hung up her cell phone and heaved a breathy sigh as she looked out the window toward the Lindsay’s northern most pivot.  But she couldn’t see him, he was too far out. He wouldn’t be back for breakfast, maybe lunch, but probably not.  She turned the heat up to seventy eight, not because she was cold, just because she could. She made some tea and sat wrapped in his Denver Broncos blanket on the front porch and wondered how things might have been different if he would have taken that job on the dairy farm in Phoenix, a little closer to civilization. That damned great horned owl was sitting on top of light pole scanning the grounds for another easy meal, two cats had gone missing already. It was definitely survival of the fittest out here when night fell.

     He drifted to off to sleep with thoughts of fly fishing Montana and what his calves would bring at the auction.

     She drifted off to sleep wondering when it would be a good time to tell him he was going to be a father.

     Neither of them could hear the flap of the wings and the almost silent kill as the cat population on the farm suffered yet another set back.

Author's Note

Exciting stuff....

Reviews

[The Analog Kid]

I had to read the ending a couple times. I like it more and more. Short stories are hard to nail. You did it!

[Gypsy Warrior Queen]

This feels like the real stuff to me...Im thinking you are in the wrong profession my friend...you shoulda been a writer...no doubt about it!

[Crowley]

Well then...that is the highest form of praise. Thanks luv, I really appreciate that!!!

[roarke]

Nothing to say but, my fav. Bravo

[Crowley]

little thought while visiting my sisters ranch. Thanks for all the awesome reviews!

[barleygirl]

This is an awesome story & I’m jealous of your superb storytelling! I love the way you use imagery so vividly, this reads like poetic prose. It’s a delicious little snippet of life, full of everyday frustrations told with straightforward honesty & without whimpering. Such is the country person’s attitude about the inevitable, huh? I wish I could summon so many strong original details to flesh out a simple little ditty like this! *smile* Fondly, Margie

[Crowley]

Thanks, I have been told my prose is much better than my poetry. I have a couple other stories on here, The Estuary and Sundays and Sarsaparilla that I am currently editing to put in a Short Fiction book. This one and some of my poetry were put into a Poetry and experimental fiction book about 3 years ago called "On Hunters Wash". Thanks for the visit and I hope you are well today!!! Happy Tuesday!!

[barleygirl]

Thank you for your uplifting wishes & here's returning the ball . . . *whack!*

[Samuel Dickens]

I know I'm weird, but I heard echos of Gene Pitney's "24 hours from Tulsa" as I read this. (To Waylon and Willie, I apologize. They're great, too) About this "stuff", it's exciting enough for me. Better hide this one from the cat lovers.

[Crowley]

Lol...yeah right? Thanks for the visit and the read, I really appreciate it. My parents and sister live in Nebraska and its a bit of different life than I live, that is for sure.