Jennifer had always wanted to live out in the countryside, away from the hustle and bustle of city life. She often dreamed of sitting on the veranda of a homestead, looking down into the valleys on late afternoons when the cool breeze would refresh the land.
She had discussed this with her husband on many occasions, only to be told "You're dreaming, girl. We can't make money out there, in the sticks. And what would we do for jobs?"
Jennifer wasn't easily deterred though, and soon enough she found an advert in a national newspaper advertising a job vacancy for a live-on-site mechanic on a sheep farm out in the countryside.
"Look, David, isn't this property near the area where you go on your annual hunting trip? This could be our chance to live our dream!"
"Hmm," her husband replied, not so excited. David was a fitter, not a qualified mechanic. Though he did have a good understanding of engines and cars in general.
Jennifer was determined. "I don't care what you say; I'm sending in your CV."
David's CV was current; he had been through three jobs in the last six months. He wasn't what you would call an energetic employee.
A couple of weeks went by and they heard nothing, not even a rejection letter. After breakfast the next morning, Jennifer decided to take another look at the job advertisement clipping that she had cut from the newspaper, to ensure she had sent all the required documentation for the job application. There was an email address at the bottom, so with nothing to lose, she sent an email asking if there were any problems, and could they at least have an interview to express their passion for the position.
Jennifer, being a housewife, waited at home, anxious, for most of the day, checking each hour for a response to her email. As the morning turned into afternoon, still there was no reply. It was getting late. David would be home soon, so she decided to start cooking dinner.
Jennifer was going to cook David's favourite, hoping to put him in a better mood. With his current job not going so well, it hadn't helped things much in the bedroom department, on top of many other problems that seemed to be draining his enthusiasm between the sheets. Jennifer was finding herself masturbating more and more often since David had lost interest in sex. She knew it wasn't her fault. At the age of thirty, she had an amazing body, and kept herself fit by being active around the house for most of the day.
As she prepared dinner, she cursed the damn company for not responding to her email. She and David needed this more than ever. They needed a change of surroundings, a change of lifestyle. Their marriage would fizzle out and die if they carried on like this, here in the big city.
Sure enough, on the next check, the email was there. Jennifer was too scared to open it at first, not knowing how she would cope with a flat rejection.
When she finally plucked up the courage, it read: Please call the below number tomorrow at 10.am sharp.
They wanted a telephone conference with David. Jennifer was breathless with excitement. Could David really pull this off?
Two weeks later...
The married couple arrived at the farmhouse early on a fine September morning.
"Can you believe it, David?" Jennifer beamed. "We did it! We actually did it! Look how beautiful it is. Smell the fresh air..."
David wasn't quite as enthusiastic as Jennifer. Looking around he noticed a lot of run down machinery. And the smell of animal shit hung heavy in the air. The place was a complete dive. He couldn't believe he'd let his wife talk him into this. He'd be getting the sack from here as soon as possible.
"Hello, there," a voice boomed in a Norfolk accent, startling the couple momentarily. "Glad you made it safe and sound. It's a dangerous climb up here, you know, especially in the wet."
It was the property supervisor Harold, wearing huge brown Wellington boots and thick overalls. The owners lived in Sydney, and only visited once a month to check over the accounts and things, so Harold ran the show.
Harold was your typical "farmer" type with a weather-beaten complexion and a bulbous pockmarked nose. His eyebrows were so bushy that they connected across his brow in a fuzzy strip and his unkempt bushy beard was made up of scraggly grey hair. Jennifer guessed him to be in his mid-fifties. Though he was short, with stooped shoulders, his potbelly made him seem stocker than he was.
Jennifer had spoken to him a few times on the phone, and he was just how she had envisioned him. She found herself warming to him immediately.
"Glad to be here, Harold," Jennifer smiled. "Where's our house so we can get unpacked. It's looking a bit overcast, don't you think?"
"Your place is down that south track, there, about forty yards away," said Harold, pointing. "Come in here and have a cuppa first. I've just put the kettle on so it should be ready now. Come on in here and have a chat with old Harold."
The married couple followed Harold into his quaint farmhouse and sat down for a cuppa.
"Do you live alone?" David asked.
Harold went on to tell them that he lived alone now, since his wife left him some time ago.