Wyoming. 1878256Please respect copyright.PENANAGJpJrfpASX
Me and my family sit at the dinner table. Gently lit by a lantern. Me. The man of the house. My wife Beth. And my 1 year old son Joseph. We sit there eating our potato soup. No salt. I stopped buying it to save money. I don't mind it. But Beth does. She drinks every spoonful with a look of dismay. Our spoons clinging against the metal dishes. Beth puts her spoon down on the table.
"Howard. Howard how much longer are you going to be doing this?"
"This is all temporary. Its paying off really" I rip off a chunk of bread and dip it in my soup
"Don't give me that Howard. We killed our last chicken just so we wouldn't starve. And Bella's on her last legs as it is"
"Bella has a good few years left in her" I sip a glass of milk. Bella is my cow. Beth says she's dying but she's a real fighter that cow. I have high hopes for her.
"Howard she shivers in that barn every day. Produces half the milk she used to. Lets just... just"
"Kill her? Eat her flesh?"
"Well? Yeah"
"She's part of the family. We're living just fine" THUD! Beth slams the table.256Please respect copyright.PENANAza8ZXl4GTc
"This isn't living Howard! You spend what's left of our money on tools! You give me nothing but potatoes to cook with for the last 2 weeks!"
"Beth calm down!"
"We cant even afford to patch the holes in our walls. We're shivering every night Howard. I have to sleep with Joseph under my shirt every night just to make sure he doesn't freeze"
"This talk is done" I begin to get up
"What if Joseph got sick and we couldn't afford the Doctor? What if you got hurt and couldn't work anymore!?!"256Please respect copyright.PENANAUnSljXzapn
"Beth please!"
"You're bleeding us Howard! You're bleeding us dry!"
Our arguing is cut off by the sounds of Joseph's cries. We both turn to him and see him wiping his face with his hands as he sniffles.
Beth immediately walks up to him and picks him up and I follow.
"Shhhh. Shhhh. Its ok. Its ok" Beth begins rocking Joseph in her arms.
I rub my hand across my bearded face. "Beth. I know this is difficult"
She looks away from me annoyed but I grab her shoulder and pull her back.
"Look I know! Our lives were better but they weren't good Beth. But if we just power through this? The pay off will be huge"
"You don't know that"
"I do. There's money all around. Gold, silver. I just need to get it. And is it a little costly at times? Yes. But think Beth. Walking around with rings on your fingers. Fur wrapped around your neck. A golf course in our yard. And little Joseph. Running around with the best clothes money can buy. In the best school money can buy. He wont have to live a life as a poor rancher like me and my father before. But he could be a lawyer! A famous author! I just need to find it Beth I will. I promise you"256Please respect copyright.PENANAuGJmIzvDVv
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