Old Barn

OLD BARN:

Sitting drinking his morning cup of coffee, reading his newspaper was a man named Cash.

He lived in an old barn, on acreage 555km from the nearest shop with his dog Stone, isolated from any sort of social interaction which suited them just fine.

They both loved the peace and quiet.

There was a very old shed that stored all the machinery and a cute veggie patch 5 minutes’ drive from the barn.

Once every 3 months Cash would head to Treeville, 555km West of where he lived, to top up his food, eat a steak meal in the same pub he had been going to for years, served by the lovely owner France.

On this early morning whilst Cash was sitting, drinking his coffee he heard the noise of what sounded like a car travelling down the old gravel road

“Who might that be?” Cash said to Stone who was lying on the grass chewing on his bone

Cash stood up, looked through the Old Barn door to see headlights and dust travelling from the gravel road

“How odd, we have visitors Stone” Cash said loudly to his dog who was now standing up growling

He opened the door to his old barn, reached inside to a little rustic table where he grabbed his Binoculars

“Black Flash Sedan, driving out here” he said

Can’t be right- He thought.

“Come on Stone, inside” he muttered as he put his best friend inside and reached for his Riffle case.

Out on the Farm Cash needed a Gun as protection because poachers would sometimes go out there and cause trouble

It was very odd that a Flash Sedan was out in the middle of nowhere, especially at that hour of the day, or any hour of any day to be quite frank.

As the car drove closer, he could see the outline of what looked like a lady driving and a man in the passenger seat.

“Stay their Stone, be quite ok but remember our trick boy. Love you mate” Cash said to Stone as he gave his dog a pat and locked the door

A couple of minutes later the Car pulled up right next to Cash’s old beat up but perfectly running Cruiser

“Hello Mr Folk, are you home” A man’s voice shouted

As Cash walked around the corner with his riffle in his hand, a man in a suit stood there waving

“How do you know my name?” Cash asked

“The owner of this farm, Pete. He told me to come down and see you because my fiancé has a question, she would like to ask you, Sir” said the startled man in his suit

“Pete? Sent you here to ask me a question? How did you meet Pete?” Cash asked curiously

“That old pub 555km from here with that friendly owner France”

Before the suited guy could even finish talking, Cash asked

“What kind of question do you need to ask a man like me? I can’t look after your farm; I am flat out here every day”

Walking towards Cash, calling out to his wife was the suited-up man

“Jody, come out and meet this man please so you can ask him your question.” The suited man said to the lady in the car.

“And who are you?” Cash replied

“Oh sorry, so rude but I got a little intimidated by the gun in your hand” He answered

“Wait there, I have a friend who will let me know if I can trust you. Don’t move,” Cash said as he took some steps backwards to the Old barn door which made a very loud creaking noise as it opened.

“Come on Stone, it’s your turn” Cash said in a very stern voice

Out ran Stone, straight to the car, first to the lady then to the man.

Stone turned around to Cash and stood still

“What do you reckon boy?” Cash said in his yet very stern voice

Stone sniffed around for a couple of seconds before he started to wag his tail

“Good boy Stone!” Cash replied as he opened the riffle case to put the gun away

“Would you like a coffee, Jody? You mate?” Cash asked as he pointed at the man in the suit.

“That would be good, thank you” Jody replied

“Jay, sorry my name is Jay. How you going Mr Folk?”

Jay said as he reached over to give Cash a handshake.

Cash heard the bubbling over of his pot on the small fire he had burning.

“I live with very minimal out here so this is my kettle, only takes a few minutes to boil but we can all see that. I am curious though, what is a young couple like yourself doing driving such a flash car 555km from any town out here for?”

Cash said as he headed back towards the bubbling over pot to make everyone a coffee

“Well…. “Started Jay, before his Fiancé Jody jumped in excitedly to interrupt

“This is the 3rd time we have driven through Treeville and each time we stop, I can’t help but admire the beautiful picture of the Big old barn in the pub where France works” Jody said

“We are newly engaged and I said to Jay if we ever get married, I want get married in this old barn. So, we made a special trip to Treeville to see where this old barn is located” Jody said as Cash handed her a cup of coffee

“This old barn?” Cash asked confusedly

“Yes! This old barn! This old barn on this farm by some veggie patch” Jody replied before she took a sip of her coffee

Cash sat on his old milk crate in complete silence, as he put the hot cup of coffee to his lips

“You want to get married in this old barn? Cash replied with a little chuckle

“There are plenty of lovely places out there” He continued to say

“Yes, there are Mr Folk, but when I was a kid, my parents owned an Old Barn like this and that is where I met Jay” She responded as she reached over to grab Jay’s hand

As Jay sat their eyes glancing around, he said to Cash “its beautiful out here, Mr Folk”

“Just Cash is fine, Jay” replied Cash

“Not a problem, how much?” Jay responded

“No, just call me Cash. Mr Folk is what people called my father” A giggling Cash replied

“Oh right, your name is Cash! Good one” Jay responded with a smile slowing appearing on his face

After the trio finished their coffee, they hopped in Cash’s Cruiser and headed down to the veggie patch to get some food for breakfast.

The veggie patch was no further than 5 minutes’ drive down the road but Cash enjoyed driving his Cruiser there.

“This place is perfect Hun. This is where I want to get married” An excited Jody said with a very glowing smile and warm eyes shining.

As Cash hopped out of the car, he told the couple that there is so much work to be done if they want a fancy wedding to be held here.

Assuming, by the way they were dressed and the car they drove they were city people.

“No, no, no! This is PERFECT. EXACTLY like this” Jody replied

“For a wedding? I think you want something fancier then an old barn” Cash said in a stern voice, the same stern voice he used when the couple first arrived, a very ‘I serious business’ voice.

A few hours went by as Jody and Jay walked around the old barn taking pictures on their new mobile phones whilst Cash shook the basket of veggies he picked out of his garden.

“Carrots, spinach and Potato soup for dinner is it Cash?” said Jody as she took photos of the basket of fresh veg Cash just picked

“We better head back so you can have a rest before you travel home” Cash said as he lifted the veggie basket into the back of the Cruiser

“Do you think we could stay the night out here?” Jody questioned as they hopped into the old beat-up Ute.

“Stay out here? With me and Stone? In the barn? Cash asked as he raised his eyebrows in curiosity.

“Yes, please Cash, I love the country side so much. Our jobs caused us to move to the city but I am a farm girl at heart” said Jody as she smiled looking through her photos on her phone

“We will sleep in our car; so, we don’t disrupt your nightly routine” Said a happy Jody

“You can indeed, if you don’t mind sleeping in your car. The barn only sleeps me and my dog” Cash replied as they travelled the gravel road back to the Old barn.

Cash agreed that Jody and Jay could have their wedding at the barn on one condition, they let Cash supply the salads for the big day.

A few weeks passed and the couple made another trip out to the old barn to see Cash and Stone, again with some big news

“Back again” Cash said as he made them all a fresh cup of coffee

“It all seems so real Cash, we have our wedding location and our RSVP has been sent out. We decided our special day will be New Year’s Eve this year” An overly glowing bride-to-be said as she started unloading decorations from their car.

“New Year’s Eve!” Cash shouted

“That is only 4 months away” He mumbled

“Yes, we know that” Spoke Jay

With no one to talk to out on the farm besides the odd truckdriver, Pete the owner when he visited and France who owned the pub

“Well, yad better get a move on and scurry with all these preparations,” Laughed a very nervous Cash

The couple had so much to share and Cash was so excited to hear the stories they had.

They sat and planned how they would like to have the old barn set for the wedding.

Cash loved the idea of people coming out and especially that they loved the old barn so much so they wanted to celebrate there big wedding day there

They sat for hours sitting, laughing and singing around a little bomb fire Cash made and with the moon shining so bright.

Four months went by so quickly and the couple had arrived back, on boxing day in a Ute.

“What on earth is that” The very simple farm manager, asked curiously

“A generator and Fridge” Jay said with a big smirk

“No, not that … that huge thing on the back of your Ute” Cash steered with eyes so big it showed he obviously hadn’t been to the city for a long time, seen civilisation or the new modern Caravans

“It’s a Caravan, Cash. It has a toilet and all the bells and whistles” Jay said as he reached to the back of the Ute to grab the large tin of coffee sitting on the seat.

They sat in the sun and the soon to be married couple shared some photos and stories of all the guest they had arriving.

For the next few days before the wedding the trio spent a lot of time preparing the old barn for the wedding.

They put hay bails around as seats, old milk crates stringed with old rope for tables and sprinkled grass on these fancy table cloths as the table decorations.

“BEAUTIFUL!” Jody said out loud on the night before her wedding!

The wedding day was so magical.

Jay had the coolest green suit and Jody the most beautiful pink dress. Cash drove the old tractor down as Jody’s wedding vehicle.

Who knew, such an old barn with a creaking door and no power would bring so much joy to a newly married couple and a man who lived miles from civilization.

Happy Wedding Day Mr. and Mrs. Travel!