The Old Barn

A rooster crows in the distance as the first rays of morning light up the sky in deep shades of red illuminating the old barn resting peacefully in the field behind the farm house. Thomas had lived all his twelve years in that old farm house and in his mind, the old barn had always been there and always will be. Thomas didn't know why, and nobody talked about it, but there was something very special about that old barn. Especially in the mystical haze of the morning fog.

Many years ago a bigger barn was built that took over the duties of the old barn leaving it sitting in the field all alone with it's secrets. Sometimes, Thomas would see a tear in his mother's eye as she stared out the window into the distance at the old barn. She would gaze out deep in thought for an unusually long amount of time. He wondered what she was thinking about and why she held on to the key on her necklace. But, he knew better than to ask. He got the overwhelming feeling that if he did, she would start crying again. So he kept his mouth shut and his questions to himself.

Thomas loved doing his household chores and he would get them done as quickly as possible so that he could get outside to spend time with the animals. He loved the animals. Ever since he could remember the animals talked to him. They didn't use words like people do, but they communicated very clearly and were quite funny too.

The goats were always worried about the other animals and what they were doing. One time, Darla, the dog, came over to sniff them and they just started screaming, falling over, and playing dead. Darla started laughing and chasing them around until she could barely breathe.

The pigs really didn't care about much at all. As long as they got their slop and had plenty of wet mud, they were ok. They didn't know any better. They were taught their whole lives to eat slop and roll around in mud. That was the world they lived in and loved. The other animals didn't hangout with the pigs and viewed their opinions and perspectives like slop and mud.

The cows were very wise and Thomas would talk with them when he was confused and had questions about life. The cows were always fully present. They never worried about the past or what hasn't happened yet. They told Thomas that people make up problems with their thoughts, believe them, and then they suffered. It was like humans played a secret game that kept them from enjoying life.

Thomas finished up his chores and headed out the door. He had many questions for the cows today and the older he got, the less and less he could hear the animals talk to him. His mind was getting filled up with his own thoughts and beliefs and he was losing the connection he had with the animals. If this was a part of growing up, he didn't want to grow up anymore and be sad like most of the adults.

Thomas felt the chill of the wind blow across the tiny hairs of his arm that held the notebook he carried as he walked out into the pasture. There were many dark clouds on the horizon and Thomas had to hurry. A storm was coming.

Two of the wisest cows and the old raging bull came out to greet Thomas. Thomas acknowledged the cows with a nod and avoided the old bull. The bull was very protective of the herd and Thomas didn't want him to get riled up. He sat down, opened his notebook without delay, and quietly read the first question aloud. "Why is my mother sad?". "Moooo!", said the brown cow with a sparkle in her eye. "Oh, no!", thought Thomas, "I've lost it! I can no longer communicate with the animals." "Calm down.", said the calm white cow. "She's just joking with you. You're taking it too seriously. Life only has the meaning you create. Your mother used to be very happy. When she was young, she also used to play with us and talk with us. But, she doesn't remember anymore." Thomas took a long look at the grass before asking the next question. Abandoning the questions he was planning to ask, he closed the notebook and looked in to the cows eyes. "How can I not forget? How can I keep from being sad?, the boy asked.

The bull answered first smiling at the boy. "We have to forget before we can remember.", he said, trying to be funny. Thomas looked over at the white cow with eyes begging for a different answer, not amused by the bull. The white cow slowly finished chewing the grass in her mouth before replying. "The key to being truly happy is a very difficult thing for humans to do." she said with lots of compassion. "Humans get sad when life doesn't go the way they want or expect for it to go. You're mom is sad because she loved a man many years ago. She has kept the memory of that romance alive inside her and hasn't let go of it. She hid a box of memories in the old barn and thinks about them everyday. That is why she is sad."

The boy stared into the eyes of the cow as it chewed more grass. In the distance the clouds grew much darker and the wind was picking up. The young boy's eyes lit up as he came up with an idea. "I know what I'll do!" Thomas cried out. "I'll hide this notebook in the old barn so that I will never forget!"

Thomas turned and ran as fast as he could to the old barn as the rain began to fall heavily. He burst through the doors and dropped to his knees struggling to catch his breath. The water dripped from his face as he looked around the old barn for a place to hide his notebook. Climbing to his feet he walked to the far corner of the barn as thunder struck and lightning flashed. Startled, Thomas nearly fell over and crashed into the wall. As he fell into the wall a board fell revealing a crevice. Curiously, he reached into the crevice and discovered an old beautifully carved wooden box. He tried to open it but it was locked.

Lightning struck again and fear crept over his face. He put the box back in the wall. He tried to put the board back in the wall but it wouldn't stay in place. Lightning struck again and thunder roared. Thomas took off running for the house. His mother was standing on the back porch yelling for him but he could not hear her over the sound of the storm.

As Thomas raced to the safety of the farm house he saw the barn in the corner of his eye and the door slammed. He stopped and turned toward the barn. "No!" his mother cried out from the porch of the house. "Thomas! Look behind you!" She shouted out as loud as she could as she pointed her finger out into the distance behind Thomas. As he looked over his shoulder, he saw the funnel of a tornado in the distance right behind the old barn. Thomas's eyes widened as the old barn was being shredded to pieces, sucked up into the storm.

Thomas looked back to the farm house and saw his mother pleading for him to hurry. He sprinted towards her as the tears rolled down his face. As he approached the house he collapsed in his mother's arms. "Mom, the old barn." he cried. "Forget the old barn.", his mother whispered in his ear. "The barn gave me you and that is all that matters."