Harvest Evening

I had gone over to see Mamie and the kids........................I haven't seen Shea since last week.  Dallas and Laine were each here this week, but not Shea.  She is headlong into her studies and she doesn't have time for her old Gamma.  No, she's just busy. I heard she was reading a book about George Washington. 

Anyway................I was going home and saw this in the road.  I sat there while Gary and Matt unloaded a wagon of corn into the truck.  What a pretty sight.  It was well past 7:30 and I could see the lights of combines in distant fields.  You won't see any farmer quitting at 5:00. 

Last year I had been hauling grain since about 9 am and we shelled corn all day.  I am a clock watcher and when it began to be 7ish I began to look forward to quitting.  Most of the time Jason will quit soon after dark, but the chatter on the radio between Jason and Andrew went like this: 

Jason:  They're calling for rain.  You want to work all night?

Andrew:  Aaaaaaa   Sounds ok to me.

Jason:  silence because they never ask me what I want to do.  I am the least of workers.  My opinion does not count.  I don't get a paycheck.  They never ask me to go eat Buffalo Wildwings on shop days in the wintertime.

I didn't say anything.  They would get tired and quit.  8pm and we're still working.  We're in the pivot field and the rows of corn are a mile long.  It is easy to get lost out there at night, but I find my way around, orienting myself by way of the  the lights at the  distant grainbin and shop.  9pm and we're still at it.  I am really getting tired.  I don't do so well at night.  The lights on my truck aren't great, but I manage to keep out of the muddy terraces and make my way to the path back to the bins.

Jason:  You want to work all night?

Andrew:  It's up to you.  I can do it.  (Andrew is always so positive about things.  Good trait to have.)

By now it is 9:48.  I am tired and hungry and dirty and I want to go home because tomorrow is another day to work.  I get on the radio.  "I'm ready to go home."

Jason: silence

Andrew:  Silence

Me:  Silence because as the lowest of the lowly workers, I have commited a sin..............I had an opinion.

After about 5 minutes...Jason:  Well, it's your corn.  (He loves to put me on a guilt trip.)

Me:  Let's quit after you fill up my truck.

Jason:  ok.   Andrew, don't come back.  I'll fill up mom's truck and quit.

I know he was secretly hoping I would say that......................................

It rained the next day.