While they ate silently as if they were mourning the passing of a good soul, there was a faint noise on the door. “Who is that?” Erasmus asked. He raised his head, chewing noisily.
“It is I, Edward,” a baritone voice replied from the other side. Edward is their next door neighbor. He owns the two acres of land on the other side of the farm. He signaled his son to go and open the door. Jason left the table and moved quickly to the door. He threw it open and Edward walked in. He moved to the middle of the sitting room and stood akimbo. He looked in every direction as Erasmus who tried to mask his frustration with a smile watching him from the dining table. “Erasmus,” he flashed an exaggerated smile at the father and son. “I was going to see our friend whose wife has just delivered of a boy. Then I decided to stop by. How was your night?” He shifted his weight to one leg and crossed his arms over his body.
Erasmus hissed. “Great, but I am barely scraping through.”
“Yes, I sensed it the day Mr. Fred broke the news to us. It was like you fell from a tree!”
Erasmus chuckled and shook his head. He went for the glass of water on the table. After he had emptied the water into his stomach, he slammed the empty glass on the table. He let go a belch that could kill a dove and said, “That was just a coincidence, Edward. It’s not the problem.”
“No, I think it is,” Edward disagreed. He rode a few steps nearer. “I have warned that you put your dark past behind. We are both in the same boat. My wife is also dead. Get her thought out of your head and move on, Erasmus.”
“Theresa is dead but she gave me Jason and a gift!”
“What gift?”
“A horse!” he spoke softly.
“And so what?” he shrugged. “You have a horse. Will you stop swallowing?”
“You don’t understand. The horse has disappeared!”
“What? Your horse got out? What bad luck!”
“Back luck? How do you know it’s a bad luck?” Erasmus asked, scratching his head.
“As you know, a horse is expensive,” Edward sighed and shook his head.
“Well, that is true. But it doesn’t stop me from doing my job.”
“Let us hope so. I must leave now.” Edward turned and walked to the door.
“Thank you for coming,” Erasmus sounded from his corner.
Edward merely waved his hand in the air and never bothered to look back. Jason followed him to the door. Once the man got out, he slammed the door behind him and returned to the table to continue his breakfast.