11-21-2017, 09:01 PM
The next two weeks passed in a blur. He drove tractors. He checked cows. He fixed lights. He checked the fences by horseback. He worked on the truck engine. He changed the oil in all the machinery. He cleaned. He painted. He chopped. He stacked. He even helped his Aunt Sarah bake an apple pie, which he devoured shortly thereafter. He did find it a little unusual that all these random odd tasks weren’t handled by the farm staff, but a few questions into the matter told him that most of the farm’s employees were let go. They had to cut costs, his father told him, and left it at that.
Other than that uncomfortable conversation, it was a blur. He walked in a daze, trying to cure the boredom with mundane tasks and numb the hours with tequila. Actually, he didn’t mind that last part so much. Nobody bothered him with more questions, not after he had his little heart to heart with Cayli. Sure, she was eleven. He didn’t tell her the whole story, he wasn’t cruel, but he did tell her enough for her to understand. She kinda had his back after that. They were close again. But soon, winter break was over and she was immersed in school again. He rarely saw her after that.
Two months after coming home he had his first date. Or, rather, he actually encountered a girl he actually found attractive enough to date. They went out a few times, but after the untold number of dinners at the hot-dog joint, movies and beers, Jay didn’t call her any more. It had nothing to do with her. She was cute and funny. And he actually did like her. But he found himself thinking about dating her the rest of the year. Dating her until they’d become a couple. He’d blink and next thing he knew, he’d be wearing a wedding ring, carrying around an extra forty pounds and looking forward to pool and beers at the hot-dog joint. Not that there was anything wrong with that. But he felt himself slipping. He was slipping into the life that made him want to vomit. That made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. That made him want to run away as fast as humanly possible.
The night he broke it off, he started googling for security companies abroad looking to hire. He had to get the hell out of Iowa. If he didn’t go soon, he’d be stuck there forever.
Other than that uncomfortable conversation, it was a blur. He walked in a daze, trying to cure the boredom with mundane tasks and numb the hours with tequila. Actually, he didn’t mind that last part so much. Nobody bothered him with more questions, not after he had his little heart to heart with Cayli. Sure, she was eleven. He didn’t tell her the whole story, he wasn’t cruel, but he did tell her enough for her to understand. She kinda had his back after that. They were close again. But soon, winter break was over and she was immersed in school again. He rarely saw her after that.
Two months after coming home he had his first date. Or, rather, he actually encountered a girl he actually found attractive enough to date. They went out a few times, but after the untold number of dinners at the hot-dog joint, movies and beers, Jay didn’t call her any more. It had nothing to do with her. She was cute and funny. And he actually did like her. But he found himself thinking about dating her the rest of the year. Dating her until they’d become a couple. He’d blink and next thing he knew, he’d be wearing a wedding ring, carrying around an extra forty pounds and looking forward to pool and beers at the hot-dog joint. Not that there was anything wrong with that. But he felt himself slipping. He was slipping into the life that made him want to vomit. That made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. That made him want to run away as fast as humanly possible.
The night he broke it off, he started googling for security companies abroad looking to hire. He had to get the hell out of Iowa. If he didn’t go soon, he’d be stuck there forever.
Only darkness shows you the light.