Then Came the Evening by Brian Hart

Author:Brian Hart
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2000-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

Open Ground

It was full daylight when Iona came out to the barn and woke him. The barn door was open and Lyman was outside standing in the sun, black, shit-spattered, and steaming. The smooth fields beyond were white and rusted with dead grass.

“You have a bed inside,” Iona said.

Bandy thought he could use a few more hours’ sleep. His legs ached. He sat up in his sleeping bag and leaned against the wall. His breath steamed out of him and Iona turned her head and blew air like she wanted to see if it was that cold for her as well or as if she were smoking and wanted the smoke clear of her face. She was bundled in her jacket and had on a red ski cap with a ball on top and matching red gloves.

“I can’t sleep in there.”

She ignored him. “The war’s over. It was on the news.”

“What war?”

“Iraq. Desert Storm.”

“Did we win?”

“Of course we won. We have Stormin Norman.” She smiled.

“What a fucking meatpie.”

Her smile faded and she squatted down in front of him and spoke slowly, concisely, as if he were a child. “We can find you a different bed if that’s the problem.”

“It’s not the bed. I don’t know what it is.”

“Tracy thinks you’re out here because you don’t like him.”

“It isn’t him.”

Iona looked outside to the fields. “Is it me?” she said coldly.

“No, it isn’t you either.” He cleared his throat, rubbed his face with his hands. He couldn’t explain it to her.

“You’re staying in there tonight, or at least come out here after he’s asleep and go back in before he gets up. He’s having a hard enough time. Do you understand me?” He nodded that he did. “There’s breakfast inside. I’m going to work.” She studied him and he dreaded what she would say. “You’re just being fucking creepy.”

“Why do you care? What does it matter to you?”

“Because he’s giving you a chance and you’re being an asshole about it. That’s why.”

Bandy didn’t know what to say. She was right. She turned and walked away. Her car started and the fan belt squealed and she revved the engine then let it idle for a long couple of minutes then Bandy listened to her drive away.

He went through the stall gate and out the barn door and walked with his hand shading his eyes against the sun and went to Lyman and rubbed his shoulder and pulled on his ear. “You thought you were the only one that got yelled at?” The steer leaned its neck into Bandy and nearly knocked him down. “Easy, you big fucker.” He stepped around the steer and climbed the corral fence because he knew the gate would be frozen stiff and stood on the other side and leaned against it. The sky was clear. Two weeks of this and the snow would be gone. The muscles in his back were stiff and his head ached a little but otherwise he felt strong. The crisp air raked his nostrils and made his eyes water.

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