The Farm

My family is and has always been involved in farming and at the age of 21, I was given a farm to run by the extended family. It was a new purchase and a bit run down, the equipment was all broken down and useless for what the family wanted to do with the farm. That was no problem as the family had everything I needed and it wouldn't be a problem for me to borrow the machines. After a family meeting, it was decided not to plant anything this year and just turn over the soil and improve the fencing. So all the family had a working bee on a weekend and most of the work was finished including repairing the barn's roof. The house was cleaned top to bottom by my mother and aunts after some small repairs were made inside it was repainted inside and out the following weekend. Nothing is too much for us to do, my cousin Graham is mechanic and want some of the old machinery for parts and restoring. My uncle Henry said that the top field was too exposed for planting and said the family should use it for livestock. My grandfather Richard went up with him and agreed and so we got some cattle (10) for the new paddock. During the week I laid a waterpipe to the paddock and installed a water trough and put up a couple of shade shelters for the cattle. Then I was told to hire help for running the farm and I advertised and only got one reply. Her name was Jane 18, I knew her from the town she was a tomboy as long as I could remember and I had never seen her in a dress. She was of a stocky build and had short hair, but still looked good. Even those she didn't dress to impress, she knew her way around machinery and only request before accepting the job was to be allowed to bring her horse to the farm with her. I agreed and she moved into the old bunkhouse, it was basic. One room with a shower room in one corner including a toilet. It was insulated and had an old potbelly stove in the center of the room for heating and cooking. But most meals were had in the house, as my mother made sure I would eat right and there was more than enough for Jane and me. She dropped off meals every couple of days. After working closely with Jane over a month I started to get attracted to her and asked her out to a concert. She wasn't a concert going, person but she said she would go to a movie with me if I wanted to. After several dates, we started to sleep together and I slept in on a Sunday morning and my Grandmother Kate and Mother Betty came by to see why I had missed the early church service and caught me in bed with Jane. They made us both breakfast and asked all the usual questions. By Tuesday I think they were planning our wedding, Jane was unsure about what to do and I jokingly said we'll have to marry. She asked is that a proposal, if it is the answer, is yes. I nodded and we kissed just as Grandad Richard walked in and said no time for that you have a chicken house to repair and I have chickens and 2 turkeys for you two. We told him that we intended to marry and he said tell something I don't know I knew you two would marry before Jane started working here. You two are made for each other.