Madferit: The Novel

Chapter 133

           

            "Addie, Rupert's outta feed." Noel informed me as he came back in from the garage. "The bin's empty."

            "Well we're gonna have to go get him some more then." I told him.

            Our shoes kicked the dust up from the floor as we walked into the feedmill. The woodgrain beneath our feet was faded and worn from years of traffic from boots and shoes of all shapes and sizes and agricultural backgrounds.

            "Hiya!" The woman behind the counter greeted us as we approached.

            "Alright!" We replied in unison.

            I stepped up closer and leaned against the front of the counter. "We need a bag of your sheep feed."

            "Our Rupe doesn't like their sheep feed." Noel pointed out. "It's got too many pellets in. He don't like them pellets. He leaves 'em all out and eats the rest. Have you got summat else? He'd prefer summat with less pellets."

            "I'm afraid that's all we have unless you want show quality. But that's got nothin' but pellets I'm afraid." The woman revealed.

            "Well he won't want that." Noel shook his head. "Give us the usual stuff I s'pose."

            The woman rang it up on the computer while Noel sauntered off away from the counter to look around. I stayed put though waiting to pay the bill once the cashier figured it out.

            "Just the one sheep still for you lot?" She inquired as she waited for the paper to print.

            "Yep. Just our Rupe the Rough Fell." I returned.

            "Did you ever consider-"

            "We're from the North so we have northern sheep." Noel piped up as he came back over beside me.

            "Right." I agreed glancing at him for a second before turning back to the cashier.

            Just then, I felt something tapping me on the arm. I looked down and saw it was a newspaper with which Noel was doing the tapping.

"D'you wanna get that or something?" I nodded at it.

            "Yes, please." He replied handing it to me.

            I took it and showed it to the woman. "We'll have this as well, please."

            It was an agricultural newspaper. A British version of the Farm and Dairy. It looked about less than half a foot thick and filled with farming news and advertisements.

            "Has it got the crossword in?" I asked Noel wondering why he'd want it in the first place.

            He shrugged. "It might."

            We paid the bill then went outside to wait for someone to load the bag of feed into the car. After that was done, we went home, unloaded the feed into the metal garbage can we kept in, and gave Rupert a bit since he wouldn't leave us alone until we did.

            We chilled out for the rest of the day and ended up on the couch watching a movie.

            It was The Rescuers Down Under – at Noel's insistence.

            "No!" He cried grabbing my arm to stop me when I went to change the channel.

            "Okay." I replied lowering my arm. I couldn't believe he wanted to watch it but I was too happy to question him.