The Iris Epidemic

The Farm

Twenty three and young. Back in the 14th century this was your first few years of the taste of what life will be like forever. Get married, reproduce and have a family. Eventually take on a business on our own or as a family. Working until your body wears down. A simple life indeed they would say for centuries, but little did I know...
And we knew, death was just right around the corner.

I was a little under average height for a man of my age, was always called the short one among the most but there always those last few that I could relate to. Can't always say being called short was a terrible thing, I mean, it was certainly a conversation starter in half of my encounters. I was quite social, loved to go have a drink with pals and have a good time.

Why not every once and awhile, right?

Talking was never really an issue since most people were interested in I guess whatever the hell I was gibering about. It mostly was about the science of things. Terms and experiences of what I have learned through my medical practice.

Yes. Let's just say I was a nerd in that time for the medical field but even though I wasn't in a medical position at that time it was something I was intrigued about and people were always curious of my new knowledge of health. It probably intrigued them more since most knew me as a farmer then a doctor at the time. But I can say that farming was all I did till later though, other then studing books and hands on practice every once in a while.

Farming and tending to the animals and crops can be a ton of work, a full days work but my wife and I were okay with it. We were not the type to sit down and do nothing for a day. I think it would of drove us insane. It certainly gave her and I something to do. I remeber when i use to watch her walk out in a work gown with her worn out boots. Hair neatly up in a gentle bun with everything needed for the horses in the morning. She would look back at me and smile, awake and ready for the day.

It's memories like these where I realize that deep down I still miss them a lot every so often...

Our daily routine was divided up into practical tasks that suited to our differences of course. She would feed and care for the animals mostly and when the season came, she would do some harvesting. I'd join with the harvesting since it was nice to take a break of doing more of the dirty and heavy work, but it was fun and worth it. We would take breaks during the day and ride on the horses for abit. A relaxing stroll before getting back to the hard days work.

We were a great team. So young, lived our days to the fullest even if we had our ups and down. She was Elizabeth. My little light brown haired, brown eyed love. Always had dinner ready even though we had worked all day in the fields. she also made time to write some how. Anything from poetry to simple short stories, words were always as smooth as silk. In those times I tend to casually draw, sometimes sitting down as she wrote and drew what she would write up that moment or just sketched when I have some time on my own. They were simple times back then.

Eventually as you may have guessed. The quiet, simple life didn't last very long as things started to change.

One evening Elisabeth, myself and our 4 year old son Jeffery finally sat down for our later than usual dinner. Everything was placed down and plates were filled but I knew my little fussy eater would pipe up some time. Jeffery sat there quietly looking at the carrots. He knew damn well he had to eat them but also knew that we knew he disliked them. Which in my mind I thought was ridiculous but I must of been biased because we were farmers. Besides, he was in fact just a child, and what ive learned from having my childern now is that no matter what, they are still going to fight you on those damn vegetables weither you like it or not. They just never like them at that stage. 

Anyways, it took him a few moments of looking at the chopped cooked carrots on his plate to look back up at his mother in a pleading expression.

"Why we do always eat carrots for dinner momma?" He said in an exasperated voice.

Elizabeth calmly chuckled and answered in her motherly tone, "Didn't you pick these carrots specially for papa for dinner?"

"Ya?" He sounded a little more content about the topic.

"Well, remember we all have the same things on our plates for dinner. Which means you eat your carrots my dear. Eating your vegetables will make you big and strong like your father."
 

"Awwwee... okaayy." Jeffery whined in defeat. By now he knew that if he tried to argue more he would still have to eat them. He was a fairly well mannered and good child. The odd time where he would go off and not listen but both my wife and I couldn't expect him to be the perfect child.

Jeffery had Elizabeth's eyes, a deep beautiful ember brown iris, highlighted with what looked to be almost gold. it was always ironic to me that my wife and child's eyes were stunning, since well, we were the Iris household after all. He took after me with the dark black hair. Which to me at the time seemed to have to be cut more frequently then ussuall since his hair liked to grow fast.

Maybe, i use to hear all the time, it was because he could run so fast! As fast as running horse! As he would run through the crops and fields as we worked. He loved to run around, to explore. Always going on about that he would travel the world when he was older. See more cities that we never knew existed, be a founder. Or more in his terms, an expert explorer of this time! I would just chuckle and smile. He never gave up on that dream. And even though he is gone I'm sure he never has....

While still sitting at the table eating he looked up at me for a moment and I gave him a smile.

"Yes, we all must share my son. Why waste such a good bunch of carrots?" I reassured him.

He nodded lastly and started to pick apart his carrots and was eating them.

As normal and as dinner continued, Elizabeth and myself spoke about what was supposed to be done the next day. And believe me when I think of it, I remember it well. We were going to start moving some of the wood we gathered from a week ago for me to start a new extension to our fence. Also to repair some of the old fencing we had since we didn't want to buy or make a whole new one all the way around.

"We will take a morning ride with the horses and care for them before we start with the wood. " I explained to her gently.

She smiled and nodded. "That would be splendid. It should be rather cooler tomorrow morning then later in the af.... "

Mid way through her sentence we were interrupted by a heavy knock on our door.

Around this time we did not expect encounters by anyone because it was 4 hours till midnight. But I excused myself from the table and headed to the door.

I remember the man's voice that was at the door. With my wife just peeking over my shoulder and my son still sitting at the table looking over, his voice was fairly stern but with fear. He stood there looking down at us for a moment of judgment then eventually relaxing but with abit of a fearful expression.

"Good evening sir." I said feeling a little sick to my stomach already from the look on his face.

"Is there anything I can help you with at this time?"

"Good evening Mr. And Mrs. Iris. Why yes i do. Does this household have a doctor present?" The man said as he looked over past my wife and I.

"My apologies sir. No doctor here, we are but simple farmers." I managed to say, before Elisabeth invited him come in and sit down to enjoy a hot beverage at the dinner table.

I wandered over to my son and excused him from the table to let him go play for a little while. I was sure he wouldn't understand what we were going to be told next, so there was no way I was gonna have him sit there confused. Any ways, I returned to my seat beside my wife and looked at the man again.

"What seems to be troubling you sir?" I asked in a steady tone.