Chaos

Chapter 4

Zack was just coming out of the newly constructed barn when all of a sudden, he felt a change. His mind cleared. His muscles seemed relaxed and it seemed as if after a long day of suffering and pain, he was finally at peace. Although he knew there was no reason to do so, the day was far from over and he had lots of chores left to do if he wanted to ensure a good night’s sleep, he smiled. And he did not just do it, he felt it. He felt warm all over. And warmth was good. He couldn’t at first place his finger on what could have happened. But after a few seconds, he realized. His headache. It was gone. Gone as if it never was.

Zack couldn’t believe his good fate. Till a few minutes back, he was thinking that he might have to live with the bloody headache for the rest of his life. Or it might even cut his life short by several years. But now, he felt rejuvenated, refreshed and as alive as he could be. He might have stood there for hours thanking his good fate if not for that voice.

Mr. Sanders’ loud voice boomed through his ears as he ran towards the villa. Mr. Sanders was seated in his rickety chair, the kind that keeps swinging back and forth, his eyes fixed on the pastures which fell in the direct line of view of someone standing at the place where Mr. Sanders now rested.

Zack reached panting to the porch steps, which defined his boundary. Ahead of them, Zack wasn’t allowed to go. He had been living with Mr. Sanders for the past thirteen years, and yet, he could count the times on his fingers that he had been given entry inside the villa.

Mr. Sanders now directed his attention towards Zack.

“Did I not tell you to fix that broken fence around the barn, boy?” Mr. Sanders asked, knowing fully well that this was the first time he had ever mentioned the subject.

“Perhaps you did, sir. I may have forgotten.” Zack replied, knowing fully well that he could not forget such a thing.

“Perhaps your brains need a rattling, boy. That fence needs to be fixed at once. Or we might as well open the gates of the barn and let the cows run wild in the fields.”

“Don’t worry sir. That will be done by the end of the day.”

“And while you’re at it, you might as well run to the painter and borrow a can of paint. It’ll be nice to repaint the entire fence and give it a fresh look. The old one seems to have peeled off almost entirely.”

“Will be done, sir.”

“Good. Now off you go.”

While all of this was going on, the television was on just inside the porch in the hall. In fact, Mr. Sanders was watching the television when he stepped out for a moment for a breath of fresh air and his eyes fell on the fence.

While he was talking to the boy, Mr. Sanders apparently missed a seemingly important piece of news that was being telecast at that moment. News reports stated that the winds were behaving erratically in the regions around Canterbury (The small town which was home to Mr. Sanders and Zack). The climate was stormy and heavy powerful winds raging at several miles per hour had already caused a lot of destruction. The locals of Canterbury were advised to prepare for the worst as the storm might soon close in on the little town.