Barn | Katherine Nielson

Paul was lost, lost into the world of work that he always ran to. This time he had gone there on purpose. He swung the axe and felt the stinging impact on his palms. He embraced the feeling. It gave him purpose, something he had lost. There was more than enough wood for the month, perhaps enough for the winter, but he continued to chop. He stacked all around the house.

He heard Miriam calling and paused, leaning heavily on the axe. His arms suddenly felt tired. His soul felt tired. The barn loomed before him. It needed new varnish. The hay could be refreshed, and the cow needed to be milked. Kyle would do that. Kyle. Kyle wouldn’t do that.

Paul turned the tide of his thoughts back to the work that needed to be done near the barn. He studied the floor. There were a few loose boards. He would fix that later, also the leak in the roof. That could be done later. The sun streamed through the boards of the barn illuminating the floorboards. Paul shook his head. There was work to do. He lifted the axe and began his rhythmic ritual, trying to forget. To forget.