“Dad, it was no problem. It’s just part of the ranch. We all pitch in, sometimes a little extra, when we need to.”
“It means a lot.” He placed a hand on my shoulder as we were standing just inside the barn. “I know I’ve not told you, but I’m proud of you. Your mother would be proud of you, too.”
“Let’s get to work, then. I’ve got some showing you up to do.” He laughed, and we both started stacking the hay, quickly glancing at one another to see who was going faster.
The sun was now high in the sky, showcasing the beautiful colors of summer over the fields. The sweet smell of fresh hay filled the air as we continued stacking the bales, and the sound of rustling straw accompanied us.
“Better keep going.” My dad winked. The challenge was still going strong. My dad was as tough as they came. I loved him, even if he could be a bit of a hardball sometimes.
“Better remember to lift with your legs, not your back.” I winked back at him. I watched as he lifted the next bale with ease, not showing any sign of weakness.
I mimicked his movements. The bales were heavy, and this was not a fun job that anyone wanted to do, but it came with working on and running a ranch. It was one of the toughest jobs.
After each stack, I felt a sense of accomplishment knowing that my dad is proud of me. That meant a lot to hear from him. My mom had said it plenty of times when she was alive, but my dad had never uttered those words. We continued working with rhythm-lifting, tossing, and stacking the bales on the wooden shelves that lined the barn.
“How many bales do we have left?”
“Getting tired, son?”
“Not a chance. I am just curious, is all.” He nodded, teasingme.
“We’ve got to keep going to make sure we have enough for the fall and winter. It’s a big job, but we seem to be managing pretty well.” I wiped the sweat from my forehead and kept on stacking.
The sun was beating down as we maintained a steady pace, stacking the hay. My dad stopped to take a drink of water, and I followed suit. I think the challenge of it had finally died down, and we were both ready to have this job behind us. To pass the time, my dad started telling me stories about his childhood.
“Back in my day, we didn’t have all these fancy machines. We only had our hands. It was all about teamwork and getting your hands dirty. It was a lot of what we are doing right now.”
I clung to every word, soaking in all the knowledge and life lessons he was trying to teach me. I had missed getting to talk to my dad like this. He had been so sad for so long, nearly depressed at some points along the way. I wasn’t sure what had changed with him, but I was happy to see him like this and to be able to talk to him in ways I was unsure I would be able to ever again. My dad had such a strong work ethic, one that he instilled in me at an early age, and it was something I wished to instill in my children one day.
We stacked the last few bales, and I felt pride in knowing that I had accomplished a difficult task with my dad. We had accomplished a lot by doing this and the barn looked so much better organized this way. It was good to see us prepared for the fall and winter seasons.
“Good job, son.” He patted me on the back. “I don’t know about you, but I think I deserve a break.” I nodded in agreement.
We stepped outside the barn, taking a moment to look back inside at the bales we had stacked before staring out at the open fields. This was the best view. There was so much peace in it, and yet, so much freedom. There was nothing but the soundsof nature to soothe the soul.
Just then, we heard clopping against the ground. Daisy was coming in from the distance, riding Domino. Since the first time I had her ride Domino, she has really taken up with the horse. I liked seeing him being ridden. It was good for him.
Daisy’s hair was blowing in the breeze, her curls bouncing with each stride. She approached the barn with a sense of grace and confidence.
She was beautiful.
She was stunning.
She was breathtaking.
“Look at her go. She really knows how to handle that horse. I’m glad she’s taken up riding again. You two used to always ride together, with your mom’s, too.”
I watched in awe as Daisy dismounted and led Domino into the barn. I wanted to rush to her and feel my hands against her, but my dad was right here, and that would not be a smart thing to do. She brushed Domino’s mane, taking so much care with each stroke.
“Maybe should help her out.”
“Why don’t you go help her? I’ll go inside and make us all a sandwich.”
I watched my dad turn away and waited until he was out of sight before heading into the barn to greet Daisy. I must have startled her by the way she jumped as I put my hands on either side of her hips and spun her around to face me.
“Colt!”
“Shhh…”
