Unexpected Showers [M]
 

This thread will contain mature content.

The harsh sun could be felt bearing down on his back, shoulders blazing with the full extent of the sun's rays with nothing lying between them. A glance to the sky confirmed his assumption of no clouds in any direction of the sky's expanse, rain-filled or otherwise. He grunted a sound of disapproval as he looked down to the ground to see the meager beginnings of his crops, not even having been in the ground for a full month and were already beginning to wilt. The only thing that dared to grow in such harsh conditions were the thick weeds that grew through his clay filled soil as though it were as smooth as butter, and though every day he uprooted them they continued to return. He twist his rake between his hands, finding the well weathered to still be as worn as smooth as it had the day prior, and burying the dulled tines into the thick soil he began to pull the weeds from their temporary home.

the day was hot and his throat parched but he did not dare conjure here, even with no eyes to see there would always be the chance that a pipe would be too close to the surface or a small animal would be near and with no bodies of water nearby and no idea if there was anything underground the risk was too great. lifting his hand to shade his eyes he scanned the horizon for the tell-tell rise of a town. his gaze fell to a skinny outline of a farmhouse. from this distance he could not tell if it was abandoned or not but if it was it was shade, if not it was a chance at something to eat if the missus was the sort to need a strong back for something

Without the intention to, he accidentally uprooted one of his plants along the second row as the weeds had begun to strangle the roots with their own. Grumpily, he tossed both withered plants off to the side before wiping the building sweat off of his brow. It took him a moment to catch his breath in the stifling heat, and instead of sticking to his work he found himself leaning heavily against his rake while he surveyed his surroundings to see that the dingy shack he called his home had drawn a visitor. Acting as a visor, hands came to rest against how brow as he searched to see the shadowed silhouette. "Oi!" He called out as he slung the rake over his shoulder and started towards the figure, "What're you up to o'er there?"

he paused in his walking as a decidedly male voice called out to him. women he could handle, they rarely shot first and tended to be sympathetic due to a decidedly slender frame that gave him the look of a boy barely out of pubescence in the right light. it was a ploy he had used often despite his thirty years. without making any effort to come closer he lifted one arm in a wave, "tryin' to find some'ne in need of a helpin' hand, you know anyone?"

He came to a halt as the top of the hill that could hardly be described as steep, the rake still perched against his shoulder. From this light he as able to see more detail of the lad that stood not far away, and now it was clear he did not appear as intimidating as his shadow had. "I reckon I could off'r some help, dependin' on what what that may're be."

he could hardly suppress the sigh of relief at his good fourtune and straightening up he let his body show he was able while still being as nonthreatening as possible just in case the friendliness was a ruse, "day's labor fer a bit o' supper? i'm skinny but my back is good"

He pursed his lips in a silent thought as he looked over the seemingly scrawny stranger, and though he did not look strong he felt compelled to believe him. "If'n you're willin' to help for a bowl of cabbage soup you can knock y'er socks off. The crop o'er there need to have those damn weed pulled out. If you can help w'th that much you can join me for the evenin' sup."

keeping his mouth closed he nodded. following the pointing finger he moved to the edge of the field and pulling out his handkerchief started ripping out roots by hand. soon he noticed the farmer had gone back to his own hoeing instead of watching him and feeling assured this would not be another lesson in cruelty he put aside his thirst and threw in the back he offered up before

The work got finished at least a couple hours quicker than when he worked alone, and having only two hands to pull the weeds the stranger worked more efficiently than he ever would have guessed he could. He did not say much when they were done, and instead simply signaled to the boy to follow him to the house for his payment, though it was clear he was reluctant to follow. The pungent smell of cabbage soup would no doubt keep the boy away, but as he scooped it into two mismatching bowls and set one onto the table for the boy it did not seem to matter with how poorly it smelled, or possibly tasted, with how quickly the soup was quickly eaten. Taking another spoonful of his own, he looked across to the other, "What's yer name, stranger?"

he was already half done eating when the farmer thought to speak to him and the question half surprised him. "gabrial, like the angel. my mama was fond of angels." the lie slid off of his tongue like butter, the farmer looked like the sort to name his kid something old-fashioned like that and the almost pleased look showed his choice to be near enough if not exactly the right one, "most people don't ask it though, what's yours if i may'n ask it?" slower than before he went back to eating though he kept an eye up to reassure his host that he was listening still

He rolled his shoulders into a shrug as he dragged his spoon through the thin mixture, strips of the vegetable getting stuck on his spoon as he mixed it around. "The people 'round here call me Brady, but I reckon most anythin' will do the trick in a pinch." He left his spoon to sit in the half eaten soup as he leaned back in his chair, his long legs folded neatly beneath the table. "What brings a young'in like you to such a desolate place like'n this one?"

he returned the shrug and let the spoon rest in the nearly empty bowl. the way this was turning out there was a good chance he could even get a night's sleep out of this if he played for sympathy. "mama said i was old enough to find my own way and kicked me out. farm'us failing, no rain. i have nine brothers and sisters and as the oldest it was my time to go.... i figured if i went far enough west i could find work but there hasn't been much more than this. just hard work and sometimes if i am not run off after i am done i get fed or am allowed to sleep in the barn or shed or the like... better than nothing though, god provides for those who work hard"

He was tempted to offer another shrug, but it would only turn into a repetitive cycle. "Maybe so, but there are some'n who work hard and are not provided for by God," He lifted his arms to rest behind his head as he shifted to balance on merely two legs of the already rickety chair. "You, however, are a hard worker and I can't hardly seen'y reason why you'd be run off from where you mayhap offered your work."

now they were starting to get into sticky business, he had to be careful now or it will all have been for nothing. "i am a stranger, times is tough for everyone and there is not enough to go around. everyone can use the help and not everyone can spare the charity. they see me an' they see a free day of work or another empty mouth that'll just need filling. is is easier to just send me off"

.

It made sense to him, and he did know of his neighbors doing just as the man brought up. "I'd apologize for the neighbors stretchin' down the road, but I'm afraid they don't have much of a reason to send you o'ver this a'way." He lifted a hand to adjust his hat, when he remembered he did not decide to wear one that morning; instead he ran a hair through the locks. "They don't have an issue with their money, even with this damnable drought effectin' all the crops around. They should've been able to help ya. Still, if you aren't able to gather up any work, and you'd be able to work as well as you did today I couldn't see a reason why yew couldn't stay here."

like an arrow through the brain the words impaled him and this time he could not help the smile that bled out on his face. he felt like dancing and it showed in his fingers, quickly he balled them uy into his palms to keep them from moving, "thankyou, thankyou mister, i will work as hard as i can for as long as you will keep me!"

Even he couldn't keep the smile that surfaces, cracking his streak of trying to appear tough, but given the easy smiles from the boy he figured he might not care six ways until Sunday what kind of man he was. "Now, now, you don't have to get 'all excited there. If you do your share of 't work then I should be thankin' you, and I am with letting you stay here. There is some sort of guest room, or bedroom or something like that up tha' stairs. Yew can stay in there if you'd like." Slowly he came to rest his chair flat against the floor again, and rising from the rough wooden seat he took the bowls to wash

he jerked his head to let the man know he understood before tempering his grin to a sheepish smile, where the first had been sincere this one was just to keep him in the part of youthful shyness. "all the same thankyou. stars are pretty but a roof is prettier, though. may i finish my supper first? waste-not want-not"

It wad clear the boy was holding back his desire to eat his food quickly, and he made a brief mental note to make more of the soup the next night, or to maybe even get something more filling than cabbage when the weekly merchant came by again. Still, the boy finished quickly enough, and with both of the bowls in the old wash basin made with little more than rust, he gestured for the boy to follow him up the creaky stairs. "You mightn't have some luck trying to fluff the pillow, I can't say it still has all of its fluff after all 'er these years." The man paused at the head of the stairs, opening a tiny cupboard to fetch an old patched blanket and a pillow so flat it could hardly be seen. he handed them both to the boy before opening the old and battered door to the spare room. "I believe tha' window still opens if it's too hot, but I know it is tough to keep closed- With how 'ot it is I doubt that'll be much of a problem though. My room is down 'ere, the end of the 'all, if you need 'nythin'. otherwise I reckon you should be ready to work early on the 'morrow."

his host's accent grew rougher and he took it to mean the other was uncomfortable, whether with what he had or that he was offering was anyone's guess but the shyness could work to his favor since it meant he would most likely be left alone. he took the offered bedding and entered the mostly empty room. it was bare but for an iron-post bed and dresser that looked like it belonged to someone's great-great-aunt. turning he found the man already to be leaving and the door half closed behind him. offering a soft 'goodnight' he went to unroll the mattress and put down his blankets. he needed a little time for the farmer to go to sleep before he offered a real show of gratitude

He was not normal in the sense of the other farmers, often arising before the sun arose before they went to work, but with his field not being as large as theirs he was left with less work, and with a capable assistant as the boy from yesterday even less work for he alone to take care of. Still, he awoke early that morning, the sun only barely showing itself through the thick panes of glass from his window, and in mere moments he was awake and ready to start the day. Venturing down the dark and dusty hall he offered a loud rap of his knuckles against the guest's room and the call of the sun rising and their needing to get working

he woke with a jerk at the strange sound. the light outside the window, when he looked, was still gray in predawn throes and he was tired and sick from last night's rain but as it came again he dragged himself from the bed and quickly made it before double-timing it out into the hallway where the farmer was waiting. he hoped his exhaustion did not show too badly

he figured the boy to not be much of a morning person with the way he looked when he joined him in the hallway, and decided against saying much of anything to the boy until they were most of the way down the stairs to the kitchen. "You'd do well to wake up a bit and mayhap head outside and find a couple eggs from the chickens. They tend to nest near t' side of the house if you'd like to check there, otherwise we can live without eggs this mornin'. Grits and pork is usually enough. Does that sound like an alright breakfast to you?"

it did. in fact the thought perked him right up and he did his best to try and will away the tiredness. lightly he nodded then spoke up when he realized the other could not see him. "sounds fine, i will see what your birds have been up to then." giving himself a secret smile he moved to go for the screen-door he had spied the night before to the side of the kitchen. finding it well oiled he slipped through and took a deep breath. most of the tang of water was gone but he could still feel a light thrum from the damp ground. he put on a face of surprise and yelled back over his shoulder, "hay, mister brady.... you might wanna' come look at this"

He'd barely pulled the grain from where he kept it when he already heard the boy, and setting it against the old counter he moseyed to the door. "What is it, I thought I asked yew to go find the chickins." Swinging open the door he first saw the boy, his face mixed into something between happiness and shock, and looking up to the fields he could see the exposed dirty having taken on a wet, rich color. "Well ain't that odder than a mouse hatin' my grain. There weren't a cloud in the sky before we headed off to bed."

"rain is strange stuff i guess but i wouldn't knock it." he turned his head so the other could not see his grin and to give the sense that he was looking it over for the first time. "not much though but any rain is good rain i s'pose, you think it will help?"

"Aye, I do. With weather like we've 'ad, any rain will do the crops well, at least enough to tide them over for an'ther day." He rested a hand on his hip as he lifted a hand over his brow, looking to the fields. "The work today will be tougher, the weeds like the rain just as much as 'er crops and the soil will be damp. Best 'ta get movin'. Go fetch those eggs and than we can go 'ter work." Reaching out he offered the boy a quick ruffle of his hair before heading back into the house

he flinched at the touch but the farmer did not seem to notice and he was left to go get the eggs, he ended up getting five though there were two broken ones as well. he couldn't be sure what ate them but assured if he stuck around he would find out what. the farmer seemed pleased with how many he had found and he did his best to try and not be proud on the hens' behalf

With their hearty breakfast settling into their stomachs and the sun rising higher into the morning sky, the farmer was feeling eager to take care of the crops early, but in stead of sending the boy out right away he sent him out with his tool while he searched through the cluttered shed for his hoe or second rake. There was no sense having the boy wear down his hands if he'd only been there a few days

the hoe mitigated some of the effort needed to help tend the fields and so the work, though harder than yesterday, seemed no more so than before. he kept going until the farmer found him again for lunch and only paused at the door to take off his muddy shoes and lean his hoe against the farmer's. when they were inside he found a chair and the man went straight for the larder where he pulled out something lumpy in a cloth which he took over to the breadbox. his eyes widened when a beautiful golden chunk of brick was carefully uncovered and two thin slices were sliced free and set on the counter. he was enraptured when the cheese was followed by two thick slices of bread from the loaf in the breadbox before being plated. he made sure not to touch it though until the farmer had put away the cheese and bread and came back with two glasses of water for them to drink with their lunch. "forgive me for bein' nosy but how did you manage to come across cheese around here?"

"The farm down the road opposite where you came has a load 'er cows. They have trouble with their papers and writin' and all that so I help 'em out. In exchange they give me cheese some'er the time." He ripped apart some of his bread with a piece of the cheese, and popping it into his mouth chewed thoughtfully. "I don't get down there too often, but when I make it a few time a' month they are generous. Ne'er anything less than a genuine thanks."

the admission surprised him and he was genuinely distracted from the food. "you can read and write? not too many people can do that, hel- uh, h-heck even i can't write, i can read well enough but pens are tricky to manage and words are never spelled like what they ought to be." flushing lightly he put a hand to the back of his head and turned back down to the food to eat

He managed out a chuckle at the boy's shyness, but then thought better of himself if he was thought to be rude and quieted. "It does seem like somthin' uncommon doesn't it? I hardly think 'bout it now, but it is still amazin' to know I bet if you practiced ya could learn eventually." The man took a long drink from his water before a short silence came to roost on the table, and it was quickly shooed away while he pieced together more cheese to bread, "Now if ya can forgive me for being nosy, how did you manage to learn ta read?"

this time the embarrassment was legitimate and it took him a moment to come up with an appropriate lie, in that time he took a bite of his food. it was crumbly and sweet with a tang he had forgotten he missed. taking his time he fought down the heat of his face. "cousin, spent a summer working for us, he taught me a lot of things. i was eager to learn... i like learnin'. at the end of the season he left and didn't take me but while he was there i learned to read." he stopped the story there and took another bite. what he traded for the education was no business of anyone but his

Understandably he offered a slow nod as he chewed a large bite, patiently waiting until his mouth was free of food before he spoke again, "Just remember it ain't a bad thing ta want ta learn, it can get you anywhere and errywhere." He pointed a finger towards the boy as if to prove a point before he punctuated it with a nod of is head. "Now go on and finish your lunch and we can get the rest of the field done before the sun heads behind the trees"

nodding as well he dug into his lunch. he knew all too well where education landed a person like him and all the difficulties a desire to get some held for someone without the money to pay for it

The days seemed to go as well as the day prior, and though the work was more proficient he did not feel that he was becoming more proficient in communicating with his new assistant. there was always a silence of sorts that spread over the fields while they worked, and the only time they spoke was before they began or after they finished. Thoughtfully, he rubbed a hand across his face, feeling the bristly feeling of his stubble growing longer to the near point of a beard, and he knew that it'd had been a fair while since he'd cleaned up. Setting his rake beside the boy's against the side of the house he offered his southern influenced words, "I reckon that if you were travelin' here you didn't have much opportunitee to wash up. I think I might fetch some water from tha' well if you'd care to clean yourself up."

nodding he stopped in the middle of removing his muddy boots and sliding his feet back in followed behind. if brady would loan him the soap he'd be more than happy to carry the bucket. when they got to the well and began to draw he saw the other tense up before stopping, "huh? that's odd, we got tha' rain but the well is awfully low..." he felt his heart skip at the words. he knew exactly why the well was low and was kicking himself in the pants for not thinking about it when he was conjuring. he stayed silent

Taking off his hat he gave a small itch to the top of his head before replacing it. Looking down into the shadows he could see the bare reflection of water from the suns rays. "It's hot enough I s'pose some of it coulda gone away. Mayhap one or the neighbors came on by," he gave a dismissing shrug as he lowered the bucket down until he heard it splash against the water and drew it back up. "Let's just hope we get some more rain to fill 'er up again."