Benny

I roused to the familiar sound of the rooster calling from the top of the barn. My eyes opened to see the dawn light pouring in through my bedroom window. I stretched out of bed and strolled to the window to see the empty pastures that would soon be covered in happily grazing cattle. It used to be Grandad’s job to put the cattle out, but now it was mine.

Throwing on my usual shirt and overalls I head downstairs. Gran was already in the kitchen beginning to fix breakfast.

“Now Dale, you get those cows out in the fields and then come back in for your breakfast,” Gran said as she heard me come in.

“Of course, Gran.”

“And don’t you forget to say good morning to Benny.”

“You know I will,” I replied scooping my hat off the stand. I stepped into my black boots and started out to the barn. The morning was cool and damp. The dew was still visible on the grass and quickly left its mark as I disturbed the wetness with my steps.

As I approached the door, I unhooked the latch and immediately heard a response from within. A symphony of shuffling hooves, snorting, and grunting began echoing from inside as the residents knew what was to come. Forcing the door open, the light started breaking the darkness within. I began walking to each stall and greeted each resident by name, opening each gate so they could freely walk out to the pasture.

“Good morning Bessie…Francine…Jessie…”. One by one they nuzzled my hand and strolled out of the barn, happy to feel the fresh dew on their hooves. Once I worked down to the end and let Yvette out, I turned back to look down the empty barn. Like clockwork, Benny appeared at the door and looked back at me. I began walking toward him, kicking hay across the dirt as I went. “Good morning Benny, Gran says hello.” He peered back with his ebony eyes and lowered his horned head as if to greet us back. Then he turned toward the rest of the herd and walked off in the direction of the group. I closed up the barn and turned to the group that was now grazing in the field. Benny was making his usual rounds, checking on each girl to make sure they were alright.

Coming back into the house I began taking my boots and hat off. The place smelled like freshly cooked eggs and bacon with a hint of toast and butter. My mouth immediately began salivating.

“Did he come?” Gran called from the kitchen.

“Yes, he’s out there now making his usual rounds.”

Gran smiled as she set a plate of bacon on the already full table. The bacon sat in between a big bowl of scrambled eggs and a platter of warm toast. I stopped at the kitchen sink to wash my hands before sitting in my usual spot at the table, “Gran, how long has Grandad been gone now?”

Gran stalled for a moment as she removed her apron and hung it over the back of her chair. She looked at me with her blue eye, “It will be four years tomorrow.” She lowered her eyes with a sad smile and sat opposite me.

“And how long has Benny been coming around to the farm?”

Gran smiled a little bigger now, “It will be four years tomorrow.”

I returned her expression as I began scooping a big helping of eggs onto my plate.

After breakfast was cleaned up, I went back out to perform the usual farm chores while Gran would visit with Benny. The minute she came out of the house Benny would stroll over to her and let her stroke his neck. He was the most docile bull. He was unlike anyone had ever known a bull to act like. Benny was something completely different, he was gentle and sincere, just like Grandad was. I had always been skeptical about Gran’s theories about Benny, but even I had to admit the coincidence of it all was striking. The day after Grandad had passed on, Benny made his first visit to the farm. Nobody knows where he came from. We had asked around the neighbouring farms, but nobody had ever seen him before. A full-grown black bull is easy to miss if he belongs to you, after all. However, the strangest thing of all, is that nobody knows where he goes at the end of the day. I’ve tried many times to watch when he comes and goes, but it is like he appears and disappears by magic.

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The years passed by one by one. Every morning I would wake up to the sound of the rooster’s call. I head to the barn to let the herd out to pasture and Benny would visit me and Gran. This was a daily routine since Grandad passed on. Gran wasn’t strong enough to look after the farm by herself, which is why I moved in to help her. But then Gran got sick.

One morning I came down to the kitchen and she wasn’t up yet. Thinking she might have just been more tired than usual, I went to let the herd out first. When I came back in, she still wasn’t up. I then went to check on her. She had a terrible fever and nothing I did would warm her up. I called the doctor to come, and he said she had contracted influenza. There was nothing we could do but hope she could get through it on her own.

On the day Gran got sick, Benny came for his usual visit but didn’t leave at the end of the night. I was surprised to see him still in the field when I came to put the herd in for the night. I tried to coax him into the barn with the girls, but he refused to move from the field. I just let him be. He was still there the next morning.

Every day Gran continued to get worse, and every night Benny slept closer to the house. I began to worry Gran’s beliefs held some merit. I prayed she would get better. I prayed that it wasn’t her time to go yet. But on the night Benny slept mere feet from the doorstep of the house, I couldn’t help the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. The cot I had been sleeping on in Gran’s room since she got sick didn’t receive me that night. I stayed awake, afraid to miss a sign that she needed me. But farm work takes its toll, and my body betrayed me at some point in the middle of the night.

I woke up in a standing position leaning against the bedpost. I rushed to check on Gran, but her body was cold. I called her name, desperate to wake her, but she was gone. My heart sank. I ran down the stairs and through the kitchen. The tears were stinging my eyes as I threw the front door open. I looked all around the front yard and then took off toward the pasture in my bare feet. I didn’t even care about the cold wetness on my naked skin. When I got to the middle of the field I collapsed. I realized at that moment that Gran’s theories were all true. Benny came to the farm every day to check on Gran, and finally brought her home with him.