Isla's Summer

I defiantly shook my head and kicked my heels again and off we tore, back around the paddock. It was exhilarating as my body shook with each of his footfalls. I could see concern and fear on the two men, rooted to the spot, but for a change, defiance ran through me. I felt safe sat on this huge, soft animal.

They both then turned their heads towards the farm, showing greater concern. I followed suit and saw Sally running towards the paddock fence, arms waving, screaming, "Get off..." repeatedly.

Gary and Barney were imploring Sally to quieten down. I wish she would, as the dray was now reacting, shying and walking to the far side of the paddock away from Sally, ignoring my instructions.

I scratched his ears again and rubbed his mane, wrapping my arms around his neck to reassure him. He nodded as if in accord and continued to walk around, but keeping clear of the fencing that now held Gary, Barney and Sally at bay.

"G. It's okay, he's like you, a big softie, he just wants to be ridden." I signed, but it had no calming effect on Gary or his parents.

After several more laps, the dray pulled over at the fence next to the farmyard, well away from the others. He walked to a stop alongside the fence, allowing me to climb over and step down to terra firma. He leaned over for a few more scratches and strokes of his ears and nose, then pulled away to return to the centre of the paddock.

Gary was the first to reach me, pulling me in his arms to swing me around in jubilation, giving me a long, passionate kiss.

"You rode the old dray... no one has ridden him in years, he is too dangerous... Look."

I turned to see the big horse bouncing around the paddock, bucking like a young bronco. I wouldn't have stood a chance sitting on him now.

"But he's calm and gentle, like you, just a big soft thing. I was safe, it was okay."

Barney and Sally arrived, with Sally checked me over like a medic.

"Did he bite you?" she asked.

"No, he was gentle and lovely... look." Before any of them could stop me, I broke free from Gary and ran back to the fence, climbed up a few slats, and waved.

The bucking bronco stopped and trotted towards me, halting just short of me, when Gary joined me, shaking his head.

"No Gary, stay away..." I signed and to prove the point, I swung my leg over and jumped into the paddock.

The dray and I walked towards each other to meet. He craned his neck down and I stroked him. Whilst he was panting from his jubilant, bucking session, he was calm inside and allowed me to stroke him.

I turned and returned to Gary waiting at the fence, with his jaw on the floor. He helped me climb back over the fence to rejoin Barry and Sally.

"Oh my goodness Isla, you'll be giving me a heart attack. You're not to do that again, please... You must promise." Sally said, "Come on everyone, we all need a cup of tea."

I decided not to answer because I couldn't promise, as I had come to no harm. Gary's visibly changed. He had always been affectionate towards me, that has grown as our friendship has grown, but after riding the dray, he seemed to have raised the bar, not wanting to let me go, wrapping his arms around me...

Gary's jubilant mood felt as if he could carry me on his shoulders to the farmhouse. Once in the garden, he walked me around to the rear patio, as Barney and Sally went into the house.

The garden was in full bloom with creepers covering a large timber gazebo, giving it a Spanish feel with terracotta kerbing. Beneath the blooming creepers were various items of garden furniture in the shade.

Raised plant beds, full of perennials in bloom, were dotted around, adding further colour. Whilst we had similar in our garden, dad focussed on his vegetable patch, but then I think that with fields of crops around them, for them to spend their spare time digging household crops would be like a busman's holiday.

Gary stepped out of his farm overalls and pulled me onto his lap on a bench, hugging and kissing me. As Barney joined us, now also out of his overalls and in shorts and a T-shirt carry mugs and cake. I brushed Gary off, seeing his father a little embarrassed, and sat down alongside him.

I signed, "Gary, I don't understand. Why was your dad so angry at me?"

There then came a flurry of apologies and explanations from both Gary and Barney. Barney hadn't seen Gary bring me down in the truck, so thought I had walked through the farmyard on my own.

Barney had been angry, out of fear for my safety, saying he could never forgive himself if anyone had run me over. Being deaf and unable to hear any of the multitudes of farm vehicles coming and going around the farm.

Now I understood his anger and apologised for wandering aimlessly after seeing the dead piglet.

Gary then apologised for the piglet, causing me to apologise for my being so sensitive and walking out of the pigsty.

"G. If I am to be more in your life then I'll have to get used to these things."

"You want to be more in my life?" He grinned, catching me out.

"Yes..."

"And you want to get used to farm things?"

"Well, it's hard... there are so many smelly things, including you!"

I pinched my nose, pointing at his sweaty shirt.

Sally arrived with a huge old pot of tea and poured it. Barney and Gary explained about the dray. As he had gotten older, he'd gained a temper. Recently, only Barney and Gary could get anywhere near it, which ruled it out for fun rides with children at fates or fairs.

Now he wouldn't even let Gary or Barney near him, unless it was with food or to groom him, and even then he would bite. Barney was keen to have him humanely put down, to avoid anyone getting hurt, and he was no longer of any use.

"No..." I screamed, shaking my head, at this admission...

"G, don't let them put him down, please?" I pleaded as Gary translated.

"But she can't ride him around the farm, if she can't hear traffic and the paddock isn't large enough for him to remain indefinitely. It isn't fair on him to remain cooped up."

"Please G. Give me time to think of a solution?"

Barney nodded when Gary translated, his face showing he had no appetite to put any animal down.

"Thanks."

Sally broke up the seriousness of the conversation by passing the tea around and her lemon drizzle cake, which was delicious. It was lovely to relax with Gary and his parents, sitting in the creeper's shade with a light breeze.

After some small talk, which Gary helped support my lip-reading and translate my signing, the three of them looked across to the corner of the patio. Gary's sisters had appeared, still in overalls and not happy, walking over to us.

"What's this, a day off you slackers?"

Helen, the younger and larger of the two, declared. She had been in my year at school and definitely took after her father. Whilst at school, being in different classes, we barely met, with me being academic, and she sporty.

"Hi, who's this?"

Cat, the older and slimmer, taking after her mother, requested of Gary but pointing at me with her thumb, whilst not even looking at me. Being several years older, we had never really met except when I was a very young girl.

I shot a look at Gary, curious at what he has told his sisters about me...

"Isla rode the old dray." He declared, ignoring their questions.

"Isla? Pond girl... How could she ride the dray?" Cat demanded.

"She can lip read too, you ignorant cow."

Gary stormed at her, whilst pointing to me, so she could realise that it was me sat there.

She shot a look at me... Then a realisation dawned across her face and her hand shot up to cover her mouth. To then remove it...

"I'm so sorry... Isla, you've changed so much, I've not seen you in years, my god, Gary never said how pretty you are."

She came over, so I stood and we shook hands... Behind her, Helen was stepping out of her overalls to reveal her wearing shorts and a man's shirt, both a size too small for her. Leaving her wellingtons behind and stepping across the patio in her socks.

"Oh, my God Isla, you are lovely... You have changed... as you can see, so have I."

Helen cupped her ample bosom, squeezing them together. Although she hasn't changed, she's always been on the large side, but she's always been jolly and kind to me.

I had to smile, as Helen brushed Cat to one side and gave me a big hug. Unfortunately, bringing her own farmyard smells with her, too.

"Isla, Gary never told us you were his date. I'm so sorry... It was Cat's idea to send you to the piano bistro, or 'The Bra' that it's called now. We'd never have sent you there had we known." Helen said, purposely renaming 'Le Brassiere.', whilst shooting Gary an icy glare.

My hands flew, in my reply signing, "No, Helen, that is okay, I forgive you... It made for a lovely first date."

Cat and Helen looked blank... Gary laughed and translated, although he edited it slightly, to:

"Isla thinks you are a pair of spiteful cows to play such a dirty trick on your wonderful brother."

Cat slapped him playfully, "No, she never, Isla is too nice."

I shot Gary a look that confirmed his lie to Cat and Helen. Sally dashed off to fill the pot with more tea, as Cat stuffed a piece of cake unceremoniously into her mouth.

"Ignore Cat, Isla, she's not refined like you and I..." Helen said, as she pulled a chair over into the shade and plumped herself down.

Cat, now sitting opposite, looked at me, mouth full of cake, trying to tell me something unrecognisable. I glance at a laughing Gary, who's shaking his head in dismay.

"What?" I signed, asking Gary for an explanation.

Cat swallowed and, in turn, asked Gary what I said.

"She said that you're talking like you're giving a blow job, so she can't understand," Gary replied with a grin.

Cat guffawed, coughing crumbs out, Helen silently rolled with laughter in a chair, whilst Barney didn't find it funny and scolded Gary angrily.

Cat cleared her mouth with one last swallow. "What was that about you riding the old dray?"

I started signing a full explanation, but as I looked at Gary, I noticed he was ignoring me and telling his side of the story. In an instant, my blood boiled. I thought better of him after all the effort he has put in to our relationship and his signing.

I slapped him hard on his arm and signed, "Gary, she asked me, not you."

He immediately blushed, bright red, apologising, "Sorry Isla, You're right, I'm sorry, please forgive me... I'm just excited... It's such a big deal, you riding the dray."

"What is his name? Surely you don't just call it the dray."

"No, his real name is George, but since his temperament changed, he's no longer our old George, so we just call him... the dray."

Cat, Helen, Barney and the newly returned Sally watched us with their mouths open in shock, signing furiously at each other. The storm cloud over me must have been obvious, as was Gary's capitulation.

I restarted signing my part of the story and this time Gary translated it word for word. Helen and Cat listening intently as Sally poured us all more tea. Then Barney interjected, with Gary and Sally joining in, creating a true four-way explanation from each of our points of view.

Whilst everything went via Gary, it was lovely to sit with people other than my parents and communicate. The conversation clarified that there is quite a competitive streak running through the family, but I seemed to have trumped them all with my riding the one horse they can't.

Whilst neither of the two sisters wanted to believe that anyone else could ride the dray and not them, they preferred it was me and not Gary.

The conversation got confusing sometimes, but we all soldiered on. Helen was her usual jolly self, waving whenever she wanted my attention, whilst Cat relied on Gary's translations.

Gary kept reminding them politely of etiquette and even showed them some basic signing. Helen was pleased to remember my name from school, and demonstrated it, which spurred Cat on to copy and also learn.

I caught Sally and Barney quietly looking smugly at each other, looking pleased that their three siblings were engaging rather than competing.

Helen waved and as soon as my eyes caught her, she used her palm to hide her lips from Gary, but remaining visible to me.

"So, if I place my hand like this. You can read my lips but Gary can't."

Suddenly she shot Gary an evil look with the rest of the family burst with laughter.

Gary scolded her, "I can still hear you... Stupid."

Helen laughed along at her own mistake but then obscured her mouth again."

"Has Gary been treating you right? Not like his other skanks he used to date?"

I nodded, wondering how I could talk back without going through Gary.

"If he does, tell me and I'll kill him, big brother, or not."

Whilst she wasn't signing per se, she was gesticulating with her free hand, which helped. Although her mimicking strangling herself gave the game away to Gary, who demanded to know what was being said.

"I told her that if you treat her like the way you used to treat all your other girlfriends, I'll kill you."

"Ha, you and who's army," Gary responded, but this just engaged Cat.

"Don't worry, I'd be behind her backing her up," Cat told him, then looked at me, "If he does Isla, you call me." She pulled her hand up to her ear in that mock phone sign.

I knew Helen was lovely from school, but ever since my first date with Gary, I felt I could be friends with both of his sisters and I was already feeling a connection.

So tongue in cheek, I copy her, bringing my phone hand to my ear and speak with a silent voice... mocking the concept, but smiling to let them all know that I'm only joking.

Thankfully, everyone realised the sarcasm and laughed. I pulled out my phone and opened up WhatsApp to show her, hoping they felt the same. Before I knew it, Helen had my phone and was typing furiously away for her to reach into her pocket and retrieve her phone.

Helen passed Cat my phone, who eagerly copied her. Passing it back to me, she dug her phone out of her pocket. On my phone, I could see Helen had already texted, then I received one from Cat. I joined the three of us into a group and text them back to confirm the connection.

Gary patted me on the knee. "That is ruder than whispering!" he nodded at my phone, smiling.

My wrist vibrated, and I looked down at my phone to see from Cat:

< You're one of us now... haha >

I looked up to see her and Helen grinning, both chanting, "One of us... one of us..." repeatedly... Mimicking a horror film... Even I felt goosebumps running up me.

Gary slapped his forehead in a mock 'D'oh' expression. Shaking his head.

"Now there are three of you against me... What have I done to deserve this?"

"Do you really want us to tell Isla?" Helen joked back to a head-shaking Gary.

Barney attracted all their attention as he rose, then addressed his siblings, "Come on, we've wasted enough time, this isn't getting that fence done." The three rose and pulled overalls back on.

Sally waved to attract my attention, "Isla, help me with the cups inside then I'll run you home, in a clean car."

I helped collect empty plates and mugs, piling them onto a tray. Whilst the others trudged off, Gary caught me from behind, wrapping his enormous arms around me, kissing my neck that sent shivers of excitement through me.

I turned around and had a good old-fashioned snog, ignoring the working man's musk on him, whilst enjoying one of his bear hugs.

"If all else fails with mum, write it down or put it on your phone so she can read it. I'll text and see you later..."

We enjoy one last kiss, then he ran after his sisters. I picked up the heavy tray and followed Sally into the kitchen. The afternoon had turned out to be a fabulous bonus. Ignoring the poor squashed piglet, I'd saved a horse, won even greater admiration from my boyfriend and hopefully the friendship of his sisters.

Inside the farmhouse, the kitchen was exactly what you expected to find in any farmhouse. A huge butcher's block dominated the kitchen, with a large dining table. A six-ring cooker next to a double-stacked oven dominated one wall.

The outside wall had three long windows to flood the room with light, beneath which are two large Belfast sinks and long counters. Two long, Welsh dressers line the other wall, filled with a mish-mash of china, cups, dishes and plates.

I headed to the sink to rinse the teapot and stack the mugs in the sink, not sure if they have a dishwasher, but it is barely worth it just for a few mugs. Once finished, Sally tapped me on the shoulder.

"Do you fancy another cup?"

I nodded, liking the idea of getting to know Gary's mother better. She put the kettle on and reached into the cupboard to bring out more ladylike china.

She placed the cups on a large table that was covered in documents and paperwork, pushing them to one side and places the cups down. She pulled out a chair to show I'm to sit at the end of the table.

Once I'm sat, she returned to the sink, to find a smaller china teapot and busied herself finding tea bags, milk whilst waiting for the kettle to boil.

My eyes drifted to the documents spread around the table and I caught the 'DFRA' logo and a few other government trademarks. I could read the top sheet upside down that announced the 'Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs,' application for the grants Gary wanted to apply for.

Sally returned with a small tray, carrying the smaller pot and a smaller jug of milk with some sugar. As she poured milk and tea, I glanced through the first pages, picking up each loose scattered page, gathering them into order.

Sally pushed the sheets aside, saying, "don't mind them, dear, they're forms we have to fill in."

She pushed them away and tidied them up, placing them further out of my reach.

I found this a little condescending, but continue to scan through the sheets I had in my hand. They were preliminary sheets, giving guidance on the form further in the document. The more I read, the more I realised that the advice was scant and misleading based on the expert advice I'd received from Stuart.

I placed the sheets down and went into my handbag to check my phone and an email Stuart had sent, confirming the correct document issue number, just in case they had been given an earlier issue, which Stuart had warned was common. However, Sally leaned over and picked the papers up, placing them with the others on the other side of the table, out of my reach.

I tried to mouth silently, "I can help."

Sally abruptly raised her one palm to me.

"Isla, don't worry your pretty little head about these forms. They are legal documents and very complicated, even I'm struggling to read through them."

My blood boiled. After my birthday, I thought Sally was an understanding person, but this was the opposite. I searched for some form of communication I could use to argue my point. I know I can help. Seeing a pen and notepad, I stood up and reached across the table to claim them.

Sally was talking on, not realising that if I'm not looking at her, I can't read her lips, but my focus was elsewhere, my mind screaming furiously. I wrote;

Sally with all due respect.

I have a degree in law.

I also have a degree in Journalism.

So I think I am qualified to read through some forms.

I can help you with these.

I looked up at Sally and slid the pad and pen across for her to read. She continued to sip her tea and ignored the notepad. I tapped the notebook to show her I wanted her to read it.

At first, she ignored me, so I rapped my knuckles on the table and pointed at the pad.

"Okay dear, if you wish I will read it."

She tore off the sheet and read it...

"You have a law degree? But I thought you went to college to learn to draw."