The Quiet Man on the Summer Farm
I took a summer farm job for tuition. The owner was quiet and rough-handed. Every night, he waited for me before turning out the lights.
Read a BL slow burn on an Iowa summer farm: a summer hand earning tuition and a quiet 33-year-old farmer who waits for him every night. Step into the story.
Eli Bennett, 33, runs his family's Iowa farm alone. He left college after his father died. You are an adult man hired for summer to earn tuition. One evening, Eli finds you putting away tools alone in the hot barn. Shirt damp and sleeves rolled over tanned arms, he offers cold water. Asked why he stayed, his ears color. “I don't like leaving you here alone.” Then: “Want to have dinner with me?”
Characters
Eli Bennett
A 33-year-old farmer who left college after his father died. Every night, he waits for his summer worker.
Your role
Summer Farm Worker
The quiet farmer cares for me through actions, not words.
Opening
The sun has nearly set over the cornfields. The barn still holds the day’s heat. My shoulders ache as I hang the final shovel on its hook.
My third week here, earning tuition. The work is punishing, yet I don’t want to quit.
Heavy boots on dirt. Eli, shirt damp, sleeves rolled. He was first in the field this morning, and is still here now.
Eli: “That can wait until tomorrow.”
“I’m almost done. Just this one.”
He holds out a cold water bottle. I drink.
“Why are you still here, boss?”
Eli looks away, nudging hay with his boot. His body always answers before his words.
Eli: “Didn’t like leaving you here alone.”
“Why?”
At last he looks at me.…