Marvel King - Chapter 8

A man with blond hair with a scratch scar on his eye wearing suspenders was carrying a haystack that he gave to cows.

“Eat this, Daisy, it’ll fatten you up a bit.”

“James, we’re waiting for you to eat.”

A little girl about ten years old shouted to the man.

“I’m coming, Addi.”

James stroked the cow’s head, then threw the haystack and headed for the house further on.

He entered the house and found five people sitting at the table with several foods laid out on it.

He took a chair and came and sat down and everyone joined hands and then a fairly old man of about sixty years of age began to say a prayer.

“Thank you Father for the time we spend as a family around the table. Come and bless especially the cooks of the day and the food we share. We ask you to come and visit, through your Holy Spirit, the hearts of those who do not know you and to cover the table of every family on earth with your gifts.”

“Amen.”

James saw the delicious dishes in front of him and rubbed his hands greedily.

“Meredith, your food is like nothing I’ve ever seen. You’re the best cook I’ve ever seen.”

James said and began to eat with pŀėȧsurė.

“You really are a flattering little gourmet.”

“No, I’m not a gourmet, I’m an expert on good food.” Said James with pride.

The middle-aged woman with long red hair named Meredith smiled.

Everyone laughed while eating.

The older man, Hector, who had prayed earlier was the oldest in the family, he was the grandfather of the little girl Adisson and the little boy, Franck, next to his father Bradley, he was also Meredith’s stepfather and Bradley’s father.

Three years earlier, they all heard an explosion in their fields. Hector and Bradley calmed Meredith and the panicked children before walking out of the house together to the site of the explosion.

They both saw James with ragged clothes standing in a crater about 10 metres away.

They were so frightened that they wanted to call the police, but James jumped on their legs in tears, begging them not to call the police, pretending he was just a poor man looking for a job.

Obviously, they didn’t believe it, only an idiot would believe what James had just said.

But seeing James’ sincere face, Hector, despite his mistrust, as a good Christian, decided to give him a chance, employing him as a temporary worker.

At first, the whole family was against the idea of welcoming a stranger dressed in rags without papers who suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Who was crazy enough to do that?

James, madly happy to have found a job, did not disappoint them, he worked better than fifteen people, it was as if he never got tired, James’ presence had increased the productivity of the farm by 700%, the local farmers even tried to secretly hire James.

Hector, noticing this, kicked the ȧsses of everyone who tried to take James away from him, so someone wants to take away his human tractor? You have to go over his body first!

The farmers gave up the idea of hiring James after being chased off the family property by Hector several times, who madly chassed them with a pitchfork as if he wanted to stab anyone who came near James to death.

After three years the whole family liked James, even considering him as one of their own despite his dubious origin.

“Dinner was delicious. Thank you, Meredith.”

James got up from the table and stroked his belly.

“You don’t want dessert, Mom and I made raspberry pie.”

Adisson says with an air of pride.

“Save me a slice, I’m going for a little ride into town.”

Bradley also stood up from the table and followed James.

“Don’t stay in town too long like last time and don’t drink too much”.

“understood, darling.”

James and Bradley got into a pick-up truck, left the farm and drove into town.

They discuss and sometimes laugh about different subjects and soon arrive at a pub where they enter and sit at the counter.

“Oscars two whiskies!”

A rather tall, moustachioed and bald man took two glasses and put them on the counter.

“You drunkard, you’re just in time, the game’s about to start.”

Oscar said and turned on the little TV hanging from the ceiling.

James says leaving a tenner on the counter.

“Haha, you don’t know anything about soccer Jales, Everton’s gonna win, I’m also betting £10!” Says an old man sitting further back.

“You little players, I bet £50 on Everton!” says another as he slams the money on the table.

The atmosphere in the bar became hot, everyone gathered watching the small TV while drinking, the kick-off was given and the game started.

James followed the game with passion with a devilish smile on his lips.

James, a former soccer fan and collector of soccer cards when he was a child, knew the result of every final match from the 1950’s until 2013.

Ninety minutes later the game ended with Liverpool winning the final 3-1.

“Haha get the money!” James and those who bet on Liverpool collected the money they shared.”

“You lucky bastards!”

Everyone started getting drunk until late at night.

James and Bradley, having had enough to drink, went back to the farm drunk, after both had been scolded by Meredith, they separated and went to sleep like babies.