Eli had worked as a farmhand for Raymond for nearly two years, and if there was one thing he knew, it was that the old farmer was notoriously hard to please. Raymond ran his Nebraska property with an iron fist, rarely uttering more than a grunt before noon. It was a chilly, gray morning, and Eli was repairing a fence near the back property line while Raymond plowed a swampy, troublesome corner of the field on his vintage tractor.
Suddenly, a deafening metallic screech shattered the quiet morning air. The heavy tractor jarred violently to a halt, nearly throwing Raymond over the steering wheel as the engine sputtered and died against an unseen obstacle.
Eli immediately dropped his pliers and sprinted across the muddy field toward his boss. "Raymond! You alright?" he called out, wiping slush from his boots. Raymond was slumped over the wheel, rubbing his chest in pain, his face pale with frustration as he stared down at the dark, churning mud beneath the plow blade.