The Quiet County Life
By Crossmanx
Life in the country can be so much slower and less active than in the city!

By Crossmanx at - crossmanx@hotmail.co.uk - comments & ideas welcome

The Quiet County Life

Jimmy closed the bonnet down and headed inside to wash his hands; his dad
should take better care of the van and check it more often he thought. But his
father was a farmer and had enough to do during the day, the last thing on his
mind would be checking the oil and water on that old van of his. The young man
was home from university and the busy city life, where he was studying
farming, well they called it 'Farming and Environmental Science' probably so
they can charge more for the course.

He looked round the old courtyard and smiled, Jimmy had grown up on his father
farm, worked on it since he was old enough to walk and knew more about real
farming than any of his lecturers. But even so he'd decided long ago to get
the right qualification, learn as much as he could about the industry, and get
this farm into the 21st Century. He'd gone to agricultural college and was now
at university, he was learning new method, new ways of diversifying and when
he took over the farm he had big plans for the future. His father had done a
good job of running the farm, like his father before him, but no one had moved
with the times and that's what Jimmy wanted to do. With a degree behind him
then he would be taken seriously with all the ideas he had.

And Jimmy had lots of ideas, especially now that he had been to college and
university; the busy city life had given him even more of a buzz and more
ideas, which was why he was checking over the old van. On his last visit back
home he'd talked to his dad about starting up a delivery service, fresh farm
produce brought right to your door from the farm. His dad had liked the idea,
especially with all the little villages close by, so he'd started it, Jimmy's
younger brother had been the one who'd given the job of running this, but a
quiet chat from the local policeman about the lack of a driving licence had
stopped this, temporarily!

As Jimmy was home, and it had been his idea, he was now drawn into driving the
van. He didn't mind as it meant that his dad had taken on board one of his
ideas and that was what really counted to Jimmy. One successful idea would
mean that his father would listen more too all the other ideas he had! The
young man washed his hands and went over to see his brother Simon, who had
just finished loading the van, he handed over the list of delivers with a few
notes written down about particle customers. Jimmy scanned over the sheet of
paper; he recognised all the names on the list, in the country you get to know
everyone, even if they are spread over a few miles, that's the way life was
here.

That was all except the last name on the list Ms Templeton-Smyth, The Old
Manor House. He knew the Old Manor, a posh old place, down its own private
lane, but Jimmy didn't recognise the name "who's this?" Simon looked at the
list he went a bit red and suddenly became a little nervous "you remember the
Old Manor was up for sale when you went to college, a family moved in there
soon after." Jimmy remembered the place up for sale, but with college, his
working holiday along the Spanish coast and then university the new family
moving in must have passed him by. "The husbands a bit of a prat, big car and
all that and the women" his brother paused "she's, she's ... well ... If you
don't get moving you'll never get all these done." Something was amiss here,
and it wasn't just that there was a husband and his wife was a Ms, but Simon
was right Jimmy needed to get on with the delivers "OK bro, getting studying
for your driving test its only next week, you need to be taking this back on
when I head back to Uni, and you don't want P.C. Plod coming after you."

As Jimmy drove off Simon watched and wondered what his brother would think
about the delivery service and all its peculiarities and what he would think
of Ms T-S! Things went well for Jimmy; he had the first half dozen deliveries
all done within the hour and managed to get out of long chats and cups of tea
by saying he had to get back to see how his brother was doing. Everyone liked
Simon and spoke about how good he was, Jimmy was beginning to realise that
Simon was taking up too much time socialising with the elderly customers,
chats and cups of tea, Jimmy would need to talk to his brother about this.

At the Hampton residence Jimmy knocked at the door, which was opened very
quickly "Hi gorgeous are you ... !" Mrs Hampton stopped in full flow as she
realised it was Jimmy stood there with a box of veg and not the younger
brother Simon! She was dressed in a long flowing dressing gown that was open
to display the older woman's ample cleavage. On seeing that it was not Simon
she grabbed at her dressing gown, covering herself up and now displaying a
look of disappointment. Jimmy explained about the lack of driving licence and
he was just coving things for a couple of weeks whilst Simon sorted out his
driving test. Which didn't seem to go down too well, considering Mrs Hampton's
husband was in fact to local policeman!

Mrs Hampton looked Jimmy up and down and seemed to be about to say something
but then changed her mind; she took the box of veg said "tell Simon I hope
he's back delivering very soon" then slammed the door shut. Jimmy thought to
himself that maybe he might need to speak to Simon about customer
relationships! A few delivers later and at the Reverend Parsons house he was
greeted by Mrs Parson also still dressed in her dressing gown! Jimmy received
the same disappointment as he had from Mrs Hampton that it was him and not his
younger brother that was there delivering the goods. The disappointed
Reverend's wife told Jimmy "tell your brother he is greatly missed and I do
sincerely hope he is back as soon as possible" with that she shut the door on
Jimmy. 'I must speak to Simon about this!'

It was still early and Jimmy was on his way to his last delivery Ms T-S, even
though it took Simon all day to do the deliveries. But if he cut out all the
chatting to the older customers and the offers of a cuppa, plus cut out
whatever was going on with Mrs Hampton and the Reverend's wife then he would
have more time to help dad out on the farm. As he drove down the narrow
country lane a large 4x4 vehicle came hurtling the other way, Jimmy quickly
throw the van into the entrance to a nearby filed, coming to a sudden halt and
nearly hitting the large gate that barred entry. The 4x4 carried on regardless
of Jimmy prompt action and raced on as if nothing had happened and as if they
were the only vehicle on the road. The lane lead only one place, The Old Manor
House, and Jimmy realised that the car must belong to Mr Templeton-Smyth, the
'prat' as Simon had called him, Jimmy knew why now.

He carried on up to the house, assured that the prat wouldn't be there at
least. When he got up to the house there was another car in the driveway,
someone should be at home he thought, he looked around 'looks like they've
done the old place up' he thought. And 'they' had the house had been renovated
along with the stable block next to the house; Jimmy could hear a horse
neighing, so they must be animal lovers? He unpacked the order and headed up
to the main door, a large sign caught his attention 'Tradesmen around the
back'. 'Now why wasn't that surprising?' The young man made his way between
the house and the stable block and towards the rear of the house.

As he walked alone he saw someone in the large kitchen, a woman. She was
pottering around, oblivious to the young man's arrival at her home, Jimmy made
his way to the half opened rear door, he gave a quick knock and stepped inside
with the tray of vegetables, putting them down immediately on the worktop he
was stood next to. The sound of the knock made the woman turn and as she did
so and in a brief moment Jimmy took in the sight of the woman. She was an
older woman, late 40's and possible older, with dark long hair, where the ends
where just past her shoulders and laying over them. Her hair looked straggly
and in a mess as if she'd been working hard, but in a strange way it still
looked good on her. But most striking feature of an obvious attractive face
were her eyes, deep and dark, inviting and unemotional at the same time. They
held his stare for what seemed like an age but was just a brief second. Then
there were her subtle red lips that completed her attractive face, which apart
from the odd few lines she didn't look her age, whatever that was. She also
had a look about her, a defiant look that said 'yes I am probably older than I
look' and gave her a bit of a cautious and enigmatic feel to her, quite the
woman, quite the lady. She was dressed as if she belonged in a country estate
with her black riding boots and tight beige jodhpurs, which defined her good
legs and went in at her slim waist. Further up she had on a white frilly
blouse, the sleeves slight turned up as if she had been doing some work and
didn't wanted to dirty herself.

The knocking on the door had grabbed her attention and as she turned towards
it and saw this young man stood there, Jimmy. Her expression changed from one
of surprise and intrigue 'who is this person who just walked into my house?'
to one of understanding and recognition 'Arh I know who you must be!' She
casually walked up to Jimmy and as she reached him WHACK! The young man
staggered backwards and out through the kitchen door he'd just walked through
CRACK! Another hard blow crashed into him, but he didn't see it as his hands
had come up to his bloody and painful face that had taken the first blow. Then
he felt the woman grab him and a flying sensation as he was thrown down to the
hard ground THUD!

The dazed and disorientated, Jimmy struggled as he pushed himself back over
onto his front and then started to shove himself back up to his knees and
feet. He shook his head trying to clear it and try to begin to understand what
was going on, it had all been so sudden, so ... ... WHACK! One of the older
woman's boots pounded into the side of his head, she sent the younger man down
and rolling over, his head now bursting with pain and confusion. The woman
grabbed him again and hulled him upwards SMACK! She hits him then THUD!
Another judo throw and the horse woman, dressed for riding has sent him back
to the ground WHACK! That riding boot now wants to play with him and hits out,
it drives hard into his body sending him rolling across the ground with every
hard kick she delivers WHACK! WHACK! WHACK!

The suddenness and ferocity of her attack on him has left Jimmy in a state of
confusion, his head spinning and he can't focus, his body is reeling from the
sharp, hard blows that are being driven into it by her. She pulls him up and
knocks him back to the ground again, laughing as he tries desperately to
scramble away, but in his confused state and flapping around he looks more
like a fish out of water than anything else. She leans down, grabs him and
drags him back up, as he gets to his feet she dishes out a firm backhand that
makes him stagger away from her, and just far away from her to WOOOSSSHHH!
THUD! A spinning kick from the horse woman and Jimmy's taken off his feet and
sent flying backwards.

The younger man lands on a cold hard concrete floor, he realises that he's
been driven into the stable block that was near to the house, he looks around,
the rooms spinning, but he can tell it's a stable. His eyes come to the large
set of open double sliding doors that he must have fallen through and the
stream of light that is coming through them. This is suddenly interrupted by
the outline of a figure walking up to the doors and standing there. A hazy
outline of a figure, a woman, her, now blocks out most of the sunlight and as
Jimmy's eye begin to focus more, he see her lean over to a set of hooks by the
door. And to the young man's dismay and horror she takes down what looks like
a riding crop!

Again Jimmy reverts to his 'fish out water' impression and tries to drag
himself away but strong firm hands garb him and he's pull back and up to his
feet WHACK! The woman pounds him with another, harsher, clenched backhand
across his face, that hand that holding the riding crop, then THUD! ARRRRHHHH!
Her knee drives hard into his groin, as the man drops to his knees in agony
SMACK! The firm thigh of the horse woman collides with his face. He falls to
the cold floor and tried to curl up in a ball to protect himself, THWACK!
THWACK! THWACK! The riding crop comes down across this already battered body,
Jimmy winces in hurt and pain as she lashes out and then stops! He lays there
still curled up, he blows and spits out the blood and snot from his nose and
mouth, then the smell of the stable and horses garbs hold of him.

But the woman won't leave him alone, she' determined to enjoy her fun with him
and drag him up CRUNCK! WHACK! THUD! She pummels him again; fists, riding
boots and crop all strike his body SMACK! He's knocked back against the door
of the stable where a large black stallion is housed. The woman likes her
horses to be big stallions, there's something satisfying about have her legs
around and controlling a big stallion. The horse is frightened but the sudden
loud bang so close to him SMACK! The woman comes at the man delivering a
devastating backhand to knock him out the way so she can go and comfort her
horse. Jimmy crashes down to the ground, but the woman is distracted by the
horse, this is his opportunity.

He clumsily gets to his feet and like a drunken man staggers and stumbles
towards the door and outside, he falls and gets himself partly back up again
as he heads away from the stable block. 'Got to get away, got to ... '
OOOOWWHHH! THUD! Something has gotten hold of him and brought him down! He
looks around to see a rope around his chest and now the woman is walking up to
him, one end of the rope in her hand and reeling the rest in, eventually Jimmy
realises 'a lasso!' He'd been lassoed by the woman, she's caught they stray
stallion that doesn't want to be tamed, but the horsewoman is too strong and
she will have her way. She pulls him in, over powers him and now drags him
back towards the stable on all fours by the rope still around him 'was there
no way out of this?' For him 'No', he just hoped she didn't want to brand him
as well!

As they get back to the stable block he's back onto his feet WHACK! A plain
hard fist to his gut, her full force behind it "you do not go around upsetting
the horses!" Jimmy is bent over double, she grabs him by his hair, and sharply
pulls his head back, so he's looking up into her eyes "do you understand?"
THUD! Once more her knee strikes his groin, and as he drops down CRACK! Her
fist delivers a heavy blow to his jaw.

Back on the floor for the man and the woman turns back to her horse to make
sure he's alright. Jimmy can see no other way out of this. He raised himself
up onto all fours, takes in a deep breath and drawing on all his last reserves
of energy as he flings himself at the woman. In one last desperate attempt he
pounces on her, aiming to take her down. The woman heard his groans and turned
to see the young man's attempt at catapulting himself off the ground at her,
she simply put out her riding boot and let Jimmy crash into the sole of the
mucky, muddy and filthy boot THUD!

Jimmy lays there coughing and spluttering as the woman heads towards him, he
knows he doesn't have the strength left to defend himself any more, not that
he had done a good job of that up to this point! But suddenly in the distance
he can hear a car pulling up to the side of the house, through the large
stable doors he can just make out a large 4x4, like the vehicle that had drove
him off the road earlier. A large man gets out and started bellowing,
gesturing, and heading towards the open doors of the stable where the woman
and the fallen Jimmy where. 'Help at last' he thought, as the man gets closer
Jimmy can also see another man with him, taller, broader and younger than the
fat man. "What are you doing?" he demanded of the woman "that's not the one I
arranged, this is him!" The fat man indicates to the taller man following
behind.

The woman looks from her husband down to Jimmy on the ground, then to the tall
man at the rear and back to her husband "so who's this then?" His face is one
of frustration "didn't you see the van at the front, you delivery boy,
remember he said about the driving and his brother." The woman looked down at
Jimmy "what he's the cute boy's brother!" There was a look of complete
disappointment on her face now.

"Hi" just then more new voices broke the air; Jimmy could see two young girls
strolling up from the direction of the far fields, "everything OK" one of them
asked. The woman gave a half smile, "bit of confusing I mistook my cute
delivery boy's brother for the man your fathers arranged." The girl giggled at
their mothers mistake, it was obvious the girls where the woman's daughters
and from where Jimmy lay he could see them clearly, at this point he was
trying to be as quiet and unnoticeable as possible hoping he would be
forgotten about. The two girls where twin, not identical, which was clear as
one had dark haired like her mother the other fair haired like her father, but
Jimmy had a strange feeling about them.

They were both dressed in riding gear, the dark haired girl in black boots,
white jodhpurs and a red blouse, her sister; the fair haired girl was wearing
brown boots, pink jodhpurs and a blue top. Both girls had their mother's good
looks and Jimmy suspected by their cheeky grins that both these girls took
after their mother in all other ways! "Mother?" The dark haired girl's tone of
voice was worrying, the old woman looked at her daughters and their grinning
faces "alright, yes you can but don't play for too long, and don't bother me
whilst I'm playing." The fat man interrupted "well if everything's sorted out
now, at last I have a million things to do." He turned and headed up back to
his car, talking to himself about mistakes and delivery boys.

The man who had been stood in the background now stepped forward towards the
woman and began to remove his shirt, revelling the strong gym upper body he
had. Jimmy wondered what was going on now, and was being to get worried when
two set of hands suddenly grabbed hold of him and him and yanked him upwards.
At the same time he heard a WOOOSSSHHH! THUD! ARRRHHHHH! He instinctively
closed his eyes tight shut and braced himself but nothing! As he was hauled
upwards by the two sisters he opened his eyes, there was the tall, muscle man
now on his knees in front of the older woman holding his gut and with a
screwed up look of agony on his face, Jimmy knew that feeling. But he was more
interested in what was happening to him right now!

WOOOSSSHHH! THUD! The two girls having grabbed Jimmy now swung him and throw
him further down into the stable block towards the end where there was a large
open barn area. He crashed back down onto the hard cold concrete floor only to
look up and see the giggling girls now advance towards him with devious glints
in their eyes, Jimmy was about to be double teamed but the young girls
ARRRRRRHHHHH!

Inside the stable the girls set about poor Jimmy, honing their skills taught
to them by their mother, outside the mother was enjoying a practice session to
keep her trim and in shape. Both men could hear the other screams, but it was
of little comfort as they had their own 'troubles' beating down on them.
Eventually Jimmy's mind, body and will all gave up and he collapsed into
unconsciousness. Much later when he awoke, his body ached like it had never
before, he was in his car and it was parked some way from The Old Manor House,
down a little used track. Eventually Jimmy managed to get back home to his
dad's farm; he made some excuse about not feeling well and went to bed to
recover.

The next day and still feeling the effects from the day before Jimmy made his
way downstairs and out into the yard "Hi Bro, how was yesterday then?" A
chirpy face Simon appeared with an almost 'knowing' look on his face, Jimmy
tried to ignore this and him. "Oh he's today list of deliveries" Jimmy face
dropped as he scanned the list "Oh yes the woman at The Old Manor House put in
an extra order for today, that's unusual, you must had made a good impression
there!"