The Farmhouse

The silence was broken by the shower of nails, has reg pulled the nails out of the leather belts, and let them scatter over the already messy floor. Mary watched her brother in law , with a smile on her face.
'What's the matter Reg, you're attacking those belts like they have done you some harm'
'yes well we've got to get this order finished or we'll lose the contract, Dave should have been here today to help , but he had some excuse as usual'
'Well scowling and feeling resentful isn't going to help you get the job done any quicker is it'.
'Agh, you're not normal,being so placid I don't think you have got blood in your veins'.
'Calm down Reg you'll have a stroke carrying on like this, and then they won't get finished'.
He scowled even more and turned the wireless up, Mary sighed and carried on working.The single bulb in the workshop shone dimly, it was autumn and already getting dark and it was only four o clock. The place was really dilapidated there were three benches with these leather belts they came full of nails , which they had to pull out and and clean and smooth the belts. They were then sent away to be used in industry
Outside was the farmyard with the hens running around clucking, you could hear the cows in the field mooing, it would soon be time for.them to be milked. Mary enjoyed milking and had her own stool which she sat on for the milking. She knew each cow by name and got quite attached to them. But she wouldn't be milking them today, she had to stay to get this order finished. Finances were tight the old farmhouse took a lot of upkeep and he Nephew Michael was going to University soon. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth he was, didn't know what it was like to  go without. Everything he wanted he got, his mother Enid saw to that. she could see no wrong in him. he would break her heart one of these days she was sure.Mary had caught him with a girl in his bedroom, she was sure he had forced her against her will. she had told Enid but she said she was telling lies and if she told any more she would turn her out. She could be wicked at times, but she knew it was only words, Mary had been born a cripple and Enid had promised to let her live with her and Reg.
'I'm off to the cows, I'll come back when I've done ok'.
'All right Reg see you later'.

Suddenly she could hear shouting coming from the farm yard, Mary hurried as fast has she could on her crutches. What greeted her when she got outside shocked her, Reg was fighting with his son Michael, Reg was no match for his son who was a strong boy in the prime of life.reg hit Michael on the chest, Michael just stood and took it.
'I'm not fighting you dad you'd come off the worst and I can't do that to you'.
'I'll show you not to behave like this on my land', shouted Reg.
'You don't understand Dad Beth is so naive I was just trying to help her understand what young men expected these days'.
'I don't believe what I'm hearing, I'll castrate you myself you're a sex addict.'he got hold of Michael and shook him like a rat.
Enid was standing with her arms round Beth trying to comfort her, she was sobbing uncontrollably.
'Reg I think that's enough, leave Michael alone you're not doing any good, lets go inside and settle this like a decent family'.
Reg dropped his arms and began sobbing,'What have I bred, he's a monster'. he went inside shaking his head.

Next day the house was like a morgue, reg was out in the workshop, Mary would go and join him soon, but first she would speak to her sister last night she had left them to sort things out themselves they didn't want her butting in.
'What about Beth, has she told her mother Enid'
'No she's a good girl she won't say anything. Reg caught them before anything happened. 'Michael's lucky again then'.
'He'll be going to University soon so it will all blow over by the time he comes back'.
'Hi nothing changes he'll be smirking behind your back, he needs discipline, shame national service has stopped, that would have sorted him out'
Mary made her way to the workshop shaking her head .