Johnny Comes Home

It was late afternoon on a hot July day as the sun scorched the ground at a sleepy little farm just outside of Abilene.  There was a small two bedroom house in need of repairs and a barn that used to house live stock but now the roof had caved in.  As Johnny sat on his horse on the hill overlooking the farm he knew there was nothing here but memories and ghosts. Ghosts of the past that haunted him every night.  Johnny had dreamt of this moment for eight long years. 

Eight years earlier as the rain began to hit it made a pinging sound on the tin roof.  Johnny stood on the porch of the house he and his father had built three years ago.  The white farm house was small but cozy and the porch had two rocking chairs.  One newly finished and sanded and painted white to match the house, the other unfinished and splintery.  Johnny looked through the cracks of the uneven floorboards and could see small rivers of water begin to form on the dry, cracked ground. 

“God damn it.” Johnny heard off in the distance.  As the rain began to fall harder and faster it seemed the drops were as big as a nickel.  Johnny always liked the sound of the rain on the roof.  Johnny could now see a small figure off in the distance walking through the wheat field.  The wind was now gusting as the golden wheat laid over.

The figure was now much larger and making a run for the front door. “Hurry, Pa!” Johnny said, laughing. “It’s raining.”

Johnny could now clearly see his father as he made his way through the wheat. He was wearing his round straw hat to keep the sun out of his eyes.  His skin was tanned and leathery, his eyes were a cold blue and he had a stubble of a beard because of his dark black hair. His overalls were completely soaked as he stepped on the porch.  He was an average size man, about two-hundred pounds and of average height, which is why it never made much sense to Johnny why men who were much larger than his father would step aside when they went to town. 

“Did you put those horses up?” Johnny’s dad asked while trying to catch his breath.

“Sure did, Pa.  And I started supper too.” Johnny replied.

Johnny’s dad smiled with a crooked smile, Johnny felt full of pride because he knew his farther was proud of him.  Since Johnny’s mother had passed away three and a half years earlier when he was only nine, Johnny helped his father to pick up the work load.

Johnny took care of the pigs and horses, washed the cloths and cooked.  He also attended school because his father insisted.  Johnny didn’t have many friends at school, most parents didn’t like their children to associate with Johnny, although he never really understood why.  Even when he and his father had lived in California with his mother he never had many friends. 

“People see what they want to see and not what is really there.” His mother used to say, followed by “Besides, it has nothing to do with you anyway. Johnny missed his mother.

“Let’s go inside and get cleaned up.” Said Johnny’s father as he opened the screen door to the house.  Johnny followed and they both washed their hands in the round tub that Johnny also used to do laundry in.

It was a plain house inside, lacking a woman’s touch.  There were no curtains, only bed sheets on the windows.  There was a kitchen, a dining room and two bedrooms. Since Johnny was an only child this meant he got a room to himself.  The only furniture they had was a dining room table and two chairs his dad built last summer. In the bedrooms were mattresses on the floor.

They did not have much money but Johnny often felt like the richest kid in the world.  Johnny had his dad.

“That looks really good, son.” Johnny’s dad said as he got a bowl full of chicken and noodles.  They sat down to eat and as Johnny went to take a bite his dad said quietly. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

“Sorry, Pa.” Johnny said. How could he have forgotten about saying grace. They never went to church but they always said a prayer at dinner.

His father smiled and said “Why don’t you say it tonight, son.”
-------

The first few pages of a story I am currently trying to write. I welcome feedback, especially helpful feedback on grammar, wording etc would be very much appreciated.  Will always return the favor of all reviews. Thank you for reading.