Start Again (Completed)

Chapter Two

"What do I do with this?" I asked, confused.

I felt stupid, it was weird being back at the farm.

"You stick that onto the cow's titts."

"Excuse me?"

"You know the-,"

"I know what they are called Andy, they have a scientific name..."

"Hahaha look at you al prim and proper now, we used to call them that as kids."

"Yes but we are shy of thirty now. We can't call some cows udders that!"

Andy scratched the back of his head frowning, "Sorry, I guess." he shrugged.

I shook my head, "Whatever, so where do these go just stick them on?" He nodded bending down to show me. There was a lot of technology in ten years. Last time I came down for Christmas I was eating and drinking, not helping around the farm.

Before that I was milking the cows the old fashioned way, the farm was not this bad 7 years ago. The plugs suction onto the cow's udders and I could see the milk being taken to join the rest of the milk that would be filtered and then sent off to be purified before it was safe for humans to drink.

"Easier than it looks."

"I doubt that." I said, sighing. I was worried that the cows would kick me in the face from this angle, a worry that I never had a few years ago.

"Come on, you'll get the hang of it and then we can go to my dad's farm and do it all again."

I groaned, "Wow, this is so much fun!"

Andy laughed as we picked up the crate and moved along, "Speaking of fun...a few of us are getting together tonight to drink. Did you um...want to come?"

"Where is it?"

"Just the neighbours."

"Andy you do realise in our country the neighbours means a solid twenty minute drive away?"

"Yeah it's fine. I'm driving and if we get totally smashed we can crash. I'm sure George won't mind me bringing along a pretty lady."

"Who's George?"

"He bought out the Hopman's farm three years ago. They have a million chickens over there so we can have some roast for dinner."

I winced, "When you put it like that...I'll think about it. I don't think I should get 'smashed' at 29."

"Stop mentioning your age all the time Bella. We'll be fine." Andy got to work on the next cow and I tried to follow suit.

The Hopmans were the next door neighbours to Andy's farm, and by next door I meant that one of their chicken paddock fences probably touched Andy's cattle fence. I wondered if I should go. I had only been here for a day, did I want to run into people that I knew from years ago.

If Andy was going there was bound to be some of our old friends, would they recognise me? Every time I would come down to visit I would never stay more than a few days, I never had a time to see people. Yet this time I did.

"How long are you staying this time?" Andy asked as we finished linking up the rest of the cows, now we had to walk back and get rid of the suction caps as they would have already collected all the milk, and let the cows back out into the paddocks to graze.

"Just a few weeks." I shrugged.

"Wow...such a long time. Is everything alright?"

"Why do you ask that?"