The Butcher

Life was good for the Walker family. They had a hundred-acre farm with plenty of livestock to keep their family's lifestyle above everyone else in town. Johnny Walker stood six feet six inches tall but was as gentle as a kitten. Johnny's wife Elizabeth was by far the prettiest woman around. The Walker's had two beautiful children Sarah and Jimmy. The children grew up fast because their father was an ex-marine in the Vietnam War and believed in hard work and didn't want to raise lazy children on his farm.

Johnny was the town’s butcher, always happy to supply their town with the best meat around. Local farmers would drive for miles just to get in on Johnny's secret, but Johnny wasn't about to give up his secret to anyone.

Johnny's wife, Elizabeth, was Eadendale’s Elementary school teacher. She taught math to first graders. Elizabeth loved her job teaching children to be all they could be. Elizabeth hoped the children she taught would grow up to be teachers someday and instill the values she taught them.

Sarah and Jimmy would work after school on their father's farm whatever little they could do to help their father out. Johnny would teach his children how to plant, kill chickens, and tend to the cattle on the farm. Johnny would tell his children, "If I sat around all day long hoping the corn would grow and that we would always have food on the table, we would all starve to death. Johnny Walker's children had a good foundation to grow up and be all they could be in whatever obstacles came their way.

Johnny Walker's farm had been hit with a serious drought. The Walker family’s farm was facing hard times and their recovery wouldn't be swift. The Walker family lost most of their cattle and corn, so times were getting even harder. Johnny thought next season would be a better one but it was the roughest year than the year before. Tension was building between Johnny and his wife, Elizabeth. They argued constantly over money. Elizabeth wanted Johnny to give up the farm so they could survive but Johnny was too hard-headed for that.

One night Elizabeth had all she could take from Johnny yelling at her. When she got home from a hard day at work all Elizabeth would see was Johnny sitting at the kitchen table with a bottle of whiskey in his hand and slurring his speech.

Elizabeth said, "That's it, I'm going out, and don't wait up for me."

"Don't worry, I won't," said a drunken Johnny Walker.

As Elizabeth slammed the door behind her, Johnny threw the bottle of whiskey at the door shattering the bottle into a million pieces.

Johnny said, "Don't come back."

Johnny passed out on the kitchen table. Sarah and Jimmy came out of their rooms crying and came up to the kitchen table where their father was passed out trying to console him.

Johnny said, "Why don't you kids go to your rooms? I'll be alright. I'll come get you both in a few minutes and take you out to the stable and we’ll ride horses to take our mind off of things." The children returned to their rooms while their daddy cleaned up to take them horseback riding. Johnny knocked on Sarah and Jimmy's door telling them it was time to go horseback riding. Jimmy and Sarah had a great time riding horses with their dad.

"Kids, it's getting late I think we need to bring the horses back to the stable and turn in for the night. I'll read you both a bedtime story," said Johnny. Johnny read Sarah and Jimmy a bedtime story and kissed them goodnight. Then Johnny got in his truck and headed to the liquor store to get a new bottle of whiskey to drown out his sorrows. Johnny drank well into the night waiting to see when his beautiful wife Elizabeth would be returning home. Elizabeth finally arrived at around 3:00 a.m.

Johnny said, "Where have you been?"

"None of your business," said Elizabeth.

Johnny grabbed Elizabeth by the arm and said, "What do you mean none of my business? You're my wife."

Johnny and Elizabeth got into a struggle and Johnny slapped Elizabeth's face. Elizabeth broke free and ran to her room crying. Saying, "Why did I come back he doesn't love me anyway."

Johnny knocked on her door trying to get in but the door was locked. Johnny pleaded with her to open the door but she said, "Get away!! Leave me alone!"

Johnny turned away and headed to the living room with his bottle of whiskey to drown away his problems. Somehow the whiskey wasn't doing the trick but Johnny was too far gone and too addicted to stop now.

Morning came. Johnny was sprawled out on the couch snoring like a freight train with an empty bottle of whiskey lying next to his chest. Elizabeth got the children ready for school and left for work. Sarah and Jimmy were scared their father might hurt them because of his sickness.

Their father reassured them he would never lay a hand on them and he was very sorry he hit their mother. Johnny got himself cleaned up and got himself a job at the local diner to show his wife he was serious about their relationship. Elizabeth seemed to be happy once more and things were looking brighter for their marriage but all it took was Johnny's lips to touch the tip of the whiskey bottle and things were back like they were once before. This time Johnny was drinking all day long and Elizabeth was hitting the bars looking for any man that would give her the attention she wasn't getting at home from her husband Johnny.