• Hack! Hack! Hack! Merlin continued to hack away at the grain. This was a normal thing in the American plains. The sun was blazing down on him. The landscape was filled with gold. more grain awaited him and his sickle. Customers waited.
    "Merlin!!" a female voice boomed across the field.
    "Yes," Merlin answered.
    "Lunch break!"
    Merlin ran, sickle in hand back to the farm house. From where he started the farm house was just a dot on the horizon. Within 5 minutes though, the deep ocean blue house was in full view.

    Merlin opened the antique front door. His wife was waiting for him in the outdated kitchen. As soon as he got into the earthy green front room his brother took his sickle and went to work in the fields.
    Merlin walked into the baby blue, outdated kitchen. His wife Danielle was waiting in the kitchen, patiently as usual.
    "Merlin i made you some lunch," Danielle said lovingly.
    "Thanks Dani," Merlin said kissing her.
    Danielle had made him a ham and cheese sandwich. One thing about this close family, they never buy food at a grocery store. They always make their meals with their harvested food and animals.
    The sandwich was delicious and filling which is critical for Merlin, since he works out in the field all day.
    "Okay darling I'm going back out to work in the grain field," said Merlin.
    "Okay just get another sickle, because your brother has yours."
    "I know mother"
    "Very funny Merlin."
    Merlin walked out the door towards the barn. He had to feed the animals first. No one wants angry cows. Well, no one wants angry bulls either, that could turn out deadly. The pigs and sheep, not so much.
    Merlin approached the large barn doors. As he opened the doors, he could hear a chorus of moos from the cows. He climbed the stairs to where bails of hay were stored. He threw 5 bails down.
    As he started to climb down the stairs he realized he forgot something. He needed to get meds for some of the animals. Merlin ran up the spiraling stairs. He went to the med cabinet in the cramped space.
    Now he could finally go feed the animals in this barn. Merlin separated the flakes and gave them to the cows and horses. He also put the medicine into the stalls of animals that needed it. His brother already fed the pigs and the sheep.
    To the chicken coop now. When he reached the coop something felt wrong. Like INCREDIBLY wrong. When Merlin peeked into the coop he was baffled.
    His brother was laying there bleeding out buckets of blood. When Merlin examined his barely conscious brother, he saw numerous fox bites. Rabid fox had returned. Luckily, Merlin had his walkie on him this afternoon. He radioed the paramedics on the farm.
    Thank god for the walkie. The paramedics said that if Merlin didn't get them as soon as he did that his brother would've died. Rabid animals animals bite family members and employees of Merlin all the time. This includes Merlin.
    Merlin got the grain for the chickens and hens. He spread it all over the ground. The chickens kept crowding him. Thats what he hated about feeding the chickens. They only wanted the food in your hand.
    Now back to the golden field until dusk for Merlin. When he got there the wind made the grain field look like an ocean of gold. Millionaires would like this sight. Luckily, Merlin wasn't a greedy millionaire. He was happy about that.
    Harvesting grain may seem tedious, but not for Merlin. He was so relaxed while hacking away. The sun isn't blazing so much anymore. Georgia sun is like that. Merlin has a nice tan from it.
    Slowly the sun changed color. From light blue to light orange to light pink, and slowly darkening. Finally time for Merlin to have a chance to sit. You should see how much muscles Merlin has from working the fields all his adult and teenage life.
    Merlin calmly walked to his farm house where he and his wife live. He was planning to visit his brother at the hospital later that evening. Merlin felt so bad for his brother. Well, hopefully he'll get better.
    Merlin finally got to the pretty large house. Danielle met him at the door with a cold drink. He thanked her. He sat down on a real comfortable chair and watched t.v. for half an hour.
    "Danielle do you think we can go visit my brother in the hospital tonight," Merlin asked turning off the t.v.
    "Sure, but first lets eat some dinner," Danielle replied.
    So Merlin and Danielle set their places at the small table. They ate Shepard's Pie. This is one of their favorite meals. Danielle cooks it so well that people like to buy it. They just come to the farm house and buy it hot. Merlin is a fast eater. So he was finished with dinner within 10 minutes.
    Merlin was at the door selling the leftovers to eager customers. He thought it was funny how they'd wait at the door for hours. All they wanted was fresh, organic food, like bread or bacon and eggs.
    When Danielle was finished with dinner, Merlin started the car. He was eager to see how his brother was doing. It was a 2 hour drive. Well, that's due to the farms location.
    On the way to the hospital Danielle told Merlin something. she was going to have a baby. not his baby though. She was having an affair with his brother. This was the biggest disappointment to Merlin.
    At the hospital Merlin saw his brother, pretending not to know his brother was having an affair with his wife. It was hard though. The pair didn't stay too long though.
    On the way home Merlin said that he and Danielle should get a divorce. You could tell he was having a hard time with it. He really loved her. Danielle just said that she'll just abort and not see his brother.
    "It's just not that easy Danielle. You don't see how much it really hurts," Merlin told Danielle on the verge of tears.
    "Fine, we'll get a divorce then, Merlin. I just want you to know that I wish I could undo my affair, and I really love you," Danielle said also on the verge of tears.
    The next morning Danielle was found dead. She committed suicide. This hurt Merlin even more. He didn't want to end his life though. There were more people he loved more then Danielle. He decided to keep on going with his life.
    When Merlin's brother came home a few days later he told his brother about Danielle's death. His brother didn't seem phased. Then he told his brother that she was pregnant with his child. Then Merlin found more to the story.
    "Merlin, don't you remember that we have another older brother," asked his twin.
    "Um, no. Not at all.
    "Oh well your wife had an affair with our oldest brother."
    This was so awkward for Merlin. He never remembered an older brother. He just thought that his brother left when he and his twin were young. But whatever. Just more work on the farm to do now.