Back to Broady by Caroline van de Pol

Author:Caroline van de Pol
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ventura Press

Fourteen

After Aalia’s trip to Mecca, our time together was almost over and I took a break from the home tutoring and my trips to Dallas.

My husband and I were working hard improving our farm on the outskirts of Geelong. My three boys were busier than ever with school and sport activities and we were gradually expanding our cattle herd.

One morning, a few months after we’d settled in, we heard the cattle truck pull up in the driveway, the sound of hungry young calves taking over from the engine. James, William and Daniel positioned themselves around the fences as Jon steered the cattle into their yards. Twelve of them, jigsaws of black and white and big melting brown eyes; two of them with patchwork faces. They could be twins.

I marvelled at the ease the boys had around them as I stood way back out of the way. Over time I would surprise myself and everyone else when I found the courage to help Jon deliver a calf. But for now, I took my cues from my boys, impressed with how quickly they took to their new responsibilities in feeding and caring for the poddy calves, only six weeks old. Daniel, our youngest son, was the first up each morning to check on the new arrivals, mixing up the milk powder with water and gently pushing the calves into their stalls.

‘Hurry up, Sloth,’ he said to the smallest of them, encouraging him to suck on the milk from the teat. I would do the morning shift with him while the older boys, Will and James, took the afternoon one, after school and before sport.

‘Mum, watch Greedy,’ Daniel called to me. ‘Hold him back. He’s trying to get into Dopey’s milk.’ I think it was Jon who started naming them, so we could be sure each of the calves was well-nourished. At least I knew which one Daniel was referring to as I pushed him back towards his empty bucket.

As I gathered up some eggs to take to Aalia for one last visit, I thought, as I often did those days, how lucky I was.

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