The Bet

A knock came to the downstairs door, while Angus MacWilliams was upstairs in bed staring into the darkness.  Who could be knocking on his door at this time of night?  Angus thought to himself.  Although Angus was just in his mid twenties, the farm was taking its toll on him.  He had inherited the farm from his great uncle only 2 years before, but he felt like he had been working on it for a lifetime.  At 6 foot, he was a good size and the hard farm labour had added considerable stockiness to him as well.  Farm work had given him a strength that he hadn’t felt before and he was starting to appreciate what his great uncle had gone through, making this farm work.  Angus also appreciated the worry that his late uncle went through each year between planting the crops and harvesting.  This was why, like his great uncle, Angus was single and found that he had little time to look for a wife or even a companion.
Knock, knock, knock!  The knocks grew louder and Angus knew that he had no choice but to get up from his bed and see who was there.  The crisp autumn night was slightly breezy, but it was dry.  The whole summer had been very dry, making the work even harder and the worry even graver.  Irrigation had almost completely dried up, leaving him to have to get water in from other areas.  This had cost him plenty and there was a chance that he was going to loose the farm.  This was why he was laying in bed, staring at the ceiling instead of sleeping. 
“Hold on, hold on,” Angus yelled at the door as he made his way down the stairs, still doing up his house coat.  “What the hell are you doing banging on my door at this hour,” he said as he opened the door.  The bright full moon glared into the door and obscured the man that was standing in the doorway.  A dark silhouette of a hunched over figure spoke out in the darkness, “is that you Angus?  Angus MacWilliams?”
“Yes, it’s me.  What are you doing out at this hour old man?”
“I’m an old traveller and it took me some time to make my way to your door Angus.  I have a proposition for you, the kind that you should really consider Angus.”
“You keep saying my name, but I have no idea who you are stranger.”
“All in due time Angus.”
Angus wasn’t so sure what to do, but this old man really didn’t seem to be enough of a threat to him.  He had handled far larger and younger men down at the pub.  He decided to let the stranger in and offer him a drink.  There was no way that he was going to be able to make it to sleep now anyway.  “Come in and have a seat in the kitchen, would you like an ale?”
The old man made his way into the house and Angus saw that he was dressed in his Sunday best, covered with a long cape.  He carried a long stick that he used to help him make his way to the kitchen.  “An ale would be much appreciated Angus.”
“How do you know my name, old-timer?”
“I know a lot about you Angus and more then enough to know that you are struggling with this farm of yours.”
“Aren’t all the farms in the area having trouble?  It wouldn’t have been hard to guess that I was too.”
“True Angus, very true.  Let’s not worry about the farm at the moment though, what about that ale?”
“Why come to me though, after the summer that we’ve had, the whole community is struggling.” asked Angus, still trying to figure out what was going on.
“I want to help you Angus.”
Angus put the two pints of ale down on the kitchen table.  The table was sold oak that Angus had made when he first moved into the farm house. Thick and solid, without any decoration; it was made to last.  Angus was very proud of the table when he had it finished but lately, it became the resting place for countless bills and over due statements that he was getting.  “How are you going to be able to help me, old man?  My crops weren’t great this year and I don’t know if I’m going to be able to make it through the winter, are you going to give me money or are you going to help me out on the farm?  Do you think you’re going to be able to work this farm?  I’m probably a quarter of your age and I’m having trouble, what makes you think that you can make a go of it?”
The old man untied his cape and let it fall behind him as he sat looking at the pint glass.  He was slightly slumped over with a minor hump on his back.  He took a small pouch from his belt and placed it on the table.  Grabbing his pint, he held it in the air and said, “Cheers!”
Angus said Cheers back and held up his glass as well before taking a large gulp at the ale.  Putting the glass back down on the table, Angus stared at the old man.  He watched as the old man had trouble getting the glass to stay still enough, while he tried to get the contents into his mouth.  After getting enough of a sip, the old man put his glass on the table and wiped his chin.  He then brushed the droplets of ale off his suit jacket and looked up and smiled at Angus. 
“It’s a lot of hard work to run this farm Mister. How are you going to plough the fields, sow the seeds and harvest?  To be honest with you, you don’t look like you have a lot of money either?”
“I don’t need a lot of money Angus, but that is unimportant.  What I need is for you to listen to me.”
Angus looked over at the old man and said, “You want to help me on my farm?”
“ Well,” said the old man, “What I do want is to feel young again and with your help, I might just be able to do that.  Let me give you a proposal.”
“A proposal?”  Angus asked with the suspicion that a comment like that deserved.  “What kind of proposal?” 
“A kind of wager, you know, like a bet.”
“You do realize that working a farm isn’t going to necessarily make you feel young.  Working a farm is hard work old timer.”
“It is hard work, but listen to me.  Are you a gambling man, Mr MacWilliams?”
“I’ve been known to gamble once or twice, sure.  But what are you getting at, you want me to bet my farm?”
The old man took another shaky sip of his ale and then as he put the glass, he leaned across the table.  With a bony hand, he took a hold of Angus’s Night shirt, “This is a sure bet for you Angus, as sure as I’m sitting here, you won’t lose.”
Angus was taken back by the old man’s strength even more then the odd situation that he was now in.  But he still found himself more then compelled to ask, “What is the bet then old timer?”
The old man sat back in his chair, “Don’t worry Angus, it’s an easy one for you, I bet you that the sun will not rise in the east this morning.”
“That’s insane old Man, that’s not a bet at all.  The sun always rises from the east and sets in the west.”  Angus just sat back in his chair, arms folded in front of him.  The old man also sat back with a big smile on his face as he said, “If you are so sure of yourself Mr MacWilliams, then you won’t mind making a little wager?”
“Ok, let’s hear it.”
“Simply put, if the sun doesn’t rise from the east, you have to sign over the farm to me and leave, immediately.”
“What about if the Sun does rise from the east?”
“Well then, I will leave immediately, but the catch is that I will leave with your youth.”
Angus was perplexed, “My youth?  But how will that be possible?”
“It’s about as possible as the sun rising from the West, isn’t it Angus?  No need to really worry about me leaving with all your youth and vitality, now is there? You’ll still have the farm now, won’t you?”
Angus thought about this as he drank his ale.  It was an impossible bet, wasn’t it?  Either way, the sun will rise in the east as it has always done and the old man will be on his way in the morning.  Angus figured he might as well humour the old man.  In a way, he felt sorry for him, out in the country with no one to talk to or nowhere to go.  There was no way to take his youth from him and he was enjoying himself.  Besides, he hadn’t had company in a long time.  “It’s a bet old man,” Angus said and the two men shook on it.
Angus and the old man sat at the table, enjoying their ales, until the sun came up from the east the next morning.  The sunlight filled the kitchen and Angus said, “Well old timer, it looks like I won the bet, this is an east facing window and there is the sun!”  Within seconds of Angus saying this, he suddenly grew very tired and was unable to keep his head up.  He lay his head onto the table that gave him so much pride, falling into a deep sleep.
The old man sat up from his chair, picked up his suitcase and walked up to Angus’ bedroom on the second floor loft.  When he emerged several minutes later, he was dressed in Angus’s clothes and hat.  He was still carrying the suitcase as he made his way out into the sun.  As he walked down the country road, he could hear the screams coming from the house.  As he turned to take one last look at the farm house, it became evident that he now possessed Angus’ youth.  “I’ll be back later for the farm.” He said slowly under his breath.

Total word count: 1,748