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Back         Easter Lovat   cont...
 

beautiful creature, a Jersey with chestnut skin, huge brown eyes and the longest eyelashes he had ever seen on an animal. She was his responsibility and she provided milk for his family and, sometimes, there was a surplus for the farm workers to take ' home too. He milked her by hand twice a day, once before he went to school and then again in the late afternoon when he got home. She was milked in a small shed and this also served as her shelter in bad weather, which was pretty well most of the time in the winter months.
    Jimmy tied a lead rope loosely around her neck and led her out of the field towards the milking shed talking to her all the while about the death and burial of Tartan's kitten. Molly plodded along beside him, her udder full to bursting. The boy stroked her soft neck and rubbed her ears.
    "I know Molly, we will give Tartan a treat today because she's lost another baby. "
Jimmy settled Molly into the shed, tied her securely to the wall and gave her a bucket of feed to munch while he milked her He leaned out of the top of the stable door and called his cat. She arrived along with three others whom Jimmy did not have the heart to chase away. He let them into the shed, positioned himself on his stool and began the well-practised rhythmical squeeze/pull action that his mother had taught him. The cats knew the routine and sat in a row about a yard form Molly's udder. Right, you first Tartan " He pointed a teat towards the open-mouthed cat and squeezed. An arc of milk flowed into Tartan's mouth and while she frantically licked off the excess from around her mouth and whiskers. Jimmy went along the line of expectant felines, squirting a fountain of full cream milk into each mouth. Jimmy heard giggling and looked up to see Robbie watching him from the other side of the stable door.
    "Jimmy, you're a wonder of the world. How do you get those moggies to sit so still in exactly the right place? And how come your aim is so accurate?"
    "Practice Robbie, just practice. The cats know when they're onto a good thing you know."
     "Does Ma know how much milk she loses to this tribe?"
 "Och, she doesn't mind. There's plenty to go around Molly's such a good milker.
     She and I have an understanding "
    Robbie wandered away and thought about his birthday tea, which was to take place sometime after all the farm chores were done in the farmhouse kitchen. Everyone was invited, including Joe, Mack and Sandy the herdsman. Joe was a widower but the other two would bring their wives and children. Robbie wondered about Antonio. Would he be invited too? He didn't feel comfortable about him coming but nor did he want him left out when everyone else was together. He decided to ask his mother about this and made his way to the house to find her.
    Catherine, Hannah and the other women were busy in the kitchen. There were a lot of mouths to feed. Robbie went over to his mother as she stirred a huge bowl of mixture, which he hoped might be his birthday cake.
    "Ma. About my birthday party. Is the Italian man - you know Antonio - invited too?''
    Catharine stopped stirring the contents of the bowl and looked at her son "I think it would be a shame if he were left out Robbie. He must feel lonely out in that little room all by himself and it would be a good chance for him to meet everyone." Robbie nodded gravely, impressed by his mother's kindness.
     "How about you run over to Antonio's room and invite him yourself. His place is in the grain barn, over on the far right hand side. You saw it the other day when Hannah and I were cleaning it out ready for him. "

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