Whistling was like consoling without the therapy of words; it brought him as much comfort as a lullaby cradling gently. His voice could be often heard from a distance, yet he seldom appeared, like a phantom in a fado house. He was Fernando, a man with many afflictions, physically broken; his aching back hurt, swollen feet stuttered his walk and calloused hands were hardened like an adamant object, but he still tended to his work as when he first inherited the quinta. All that time he whistled and never stopped working.
That was his sanctuary and the farm loved him back like nobody else could. His livestock—a micro ranch of cattle with a modest group of chickens and a goat—looked into his domineering eyes like he was their father, a feeling he lost touch with, and in many ways he was their figurehead until it was time for the slaughter. They followed his whistle like a compass. That dominance was enough to make him feel idolized, similar to how his kids once looked up to him but not exactly the same. He was a fractured man. . .
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. . . Moreover, these men were distant relatives a long time ago; descendants of discoverers. Their ancestors were the ones that inhabited the island for the first time. The rocky shores, where they broke through, was the perimeter that contained the farmers. Some got away to forge a new path, like Filomena, however many stayed behind as if it were their duty. That was the calling to agriculture. The men were preordained in the lifestyle. Long days with no long talk. Just work. With each step, they carried on like they’re supposed to.
“Don’t go, Daddy.”
Right. Left. Right. Every stride was like a wallop from a hoe. Left. Right. Left. Traversing the distance was just part of the job. Two kilometres each way, insulated by the silence between them and looming thoughts. Their movement was backed by a swooshing coast like the soundtrack of a motion picture, until it was broken with a puckered lip. Fernando had an aptitude for carrying hymns, breaking the misery with his whistle. . .
Read the full story here: https://www.thewordsfaire.com/words/whistling-against-the-wind
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