Embracing Change Read Online Free

you, Joel.”
    “You too, Mom. I’m longing for some really good cooking.”
    She swatted him playfully. “Go say hello to Dad. He’s in the shed, servicing the tractor.”
    “I’ll give him a hand after I bring in the groceries.” He pulled out his wallet and handed her a slip from the supermarket. “I got everything on the list.”
    “Marvellous. It’s a real help, doing that for me.” She followed him to the car and they transferred a dozen plastic bags to the scarred kitchen table. “Go find your dad and I’ll unpack these.”
    The shed lay behind the house, a weathered structure of wooden slats, topped with a rusty iron roof. The interior hadn’t changed in Joel’s lifetime. Rough shelves lined the back wall and supported jars brimming with screws, bolts, wire, and various engine spares. A naked globe illuminated the space, highlighting cobwebs that hung in wispy sheets from the roof. Joel stepped inside, inhaling the familiar tang of metal and engine oil, mixed with dust. His dad was wiping his hands on a greasy rag, gazing intently at a vintage red tractor that filled the shed.
    “Hi, Dad.”
    “Joel!” His eyes lit up with pleasure. “Good to see you, son.”
    “Mom said you were servicing Betty.”
    “Yep. That’s why she’s lasted all these years. Treat a machine right and it’ll serve you well.”
    Joel ran a hand across the smooth metal seat. “She’s still looking good.”
    “Surely is.”
    They were silent for a moment before Joel laughed. “Do you remember the first time I drove her? The way I couldn’t plough a straight line because I kept looking back?”
    “Do I ever? And your sisters were even worse. We planted potatoes that year and the rows curved all over the place. Didn’t matter, though. We still got a good crop.” He tossed the rag onto the work bench. “I’m done here. Just need to scrub up and then check on a ewe. Coming?”
    The dogs came running as the two men walked toward the ute. Joel scratched Shelley behind the ears. “Coming for a ride, girl?” She whined expectantly and as soon as Joel’s dad dropped the tailgate, she bounded into the back with the farm dogs. They drove round the house, past the vegetable garden, past a field of grass, to the wool shed.
    “What’s wrong with the sheep?” Joel enquired.
    “Silly critter caught her leg in some wire. I patched her up and kept her in a holding pen overnight. Just want to check her temp and see how she’s doing.”
    After commanding the dogs to stay, he walked through the rusty wool shed to the pens on the other side. Joel lingered for a moment, memories of a dozen shearing seasons coming back to him; the warm air laced with lanolin and sweat, the odours of dust and old timber, shearers stripped to the waist, deftly clipping the wool from sheep while others skirted and graded the fleeces. He’d mastered the art of shearing at fifteen and still came back most years to help.
    Out in the pen his dad crouched on one knee, examining the damaged leg. “Looks good.” He rubbed a little salve into the affected area. Joel watched, admiring his easy manner with the sheep. His hands were calloused and tough from years of hard physical work, yet he could be so tender and gentle. Standing now, he gave the sheep a reassuring pat. “Reckon I’ll leave her here one more night.”
    Back at the ute, he whistled for the dogs to jump off. “Let them have a run, eh?” He put the ute in gear and drove off towards the perimeter fence, dogs chasing behind, barking with excitement.
    At the farmhouse a while later, the aroma of fried steak and onions filled the air. “Smells good,” Joel said, taking a seat at the kitchen table.
    “Here you are, dear.” His mother placed tall glasses of iced water on the table, condensation beading and running down the outside.
    “Thanks, Mom.” He took a deep swallow. “So what’s for lunch?”
    “Steak and onions, roast kumara, peas and carrots, and apple crumble and cream for