Daddy Grabbed the Deer
"I might as well get up," Daddy mumbled to himself. He heard the rumble of Randy's old pickup leaving his driveway. Like clockwork, Randy left every morning at exactly 5:30. The sun wasn't even up yet. Randy, the youngest of the kids, lived with his wife and children in their new home on the west side of Daddy's place. He worked at a gear company a few miles from home.
Daddy was use to early hours. For over thirty years he rose before sunrise and milked the Jersey and Guernsey cows that would already be standing at the barn. After he sold the herd and gave up farming for an easier life he thought he might get to sleep late in the mornings. But old habits are hard to break. Habits like starting the morning coffee while Mama was dressing herself for the day ahead.
The water trickled from the kitchen faucet. Daddy wiggled the faucet handle, trying to get it to run faster.
On the way to the kitchen he turned on the television to catch the morning weather report. Mama had gotten up and was busy getting dressed for the day.
"Did you hear that?" He waited for her answer.
"Hear what?" she replied.
"Going to be warm again today. I told those boys they need to wait until it gets cooler to do any deer hunting."
"Now you know they ain't going to do that. Bow season don't last that long." Mama had walked into the kitchen from the bedroom.
"Yeah, well, they still ought to." He knew his sons and their sons would be hunting that evening after they got off of work and probably the entire weekend. Only family could hunt on the farm. He was strict about that.
"What's wrong with the water?" Mama asked.
"It's that durn pump again. I guess I need to go down to the pump house and take a look at it."
"Eat something first. Want some eggs?" Mama had started breakfast just like she had for over fifty years.
It was the middle of the morning. Daddy was working on the pump inside the small pump house when he first heard the dogs. The pump house sat under the hill from their house. He stuck his head out of the small door and listened.
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