Swine Fever 500 words (true story)

John was bored. For a man continually on the go, vacations, especially when they involved staying with family were painful.
He’d been looking forward to visiting our son but sitting around drinking tea and reminiscing just wasn’t for him. His cup of tea, I mean!
The climate in Far North Queensland is hot and humid and the son’s house, where they run a Rainforest Retreat, is far from civilisation.

“I’m going to take the dog for a walk.” John declared, calling the dog, before walking down the road which runs alongside the Bloomfield River; a river which is home to many large crocodiles. Signs depicting a crocodile and the word, ‘Achtung’ are posted along the riverbanks at various intervals.
“Don’t let Charlie off his lead, dad,” our son had warned. “He’ll get taken by a croc!”
“Duly noted.” John had replied, before he and the dog set for a lovely walk in the sweltering heat and humidity.

The rest of us were sensibly on the veranda playing a quiet game of scrabble, while the baby slept.
The son’s house is perched right on the top of a hill and surrounded by rainforest. It overlooks the river and as I waited for my daughter-in-law to place her next scrabble tile, I looked across at the vista.
“What an amazing place you live in, Courtenay,” I said, as I saw a crocodile swim leisurely past. It was then I asked, “Can you hear someone shouting?”
We listened. Yes, there it was again. It sounded like a call for help. I stood and leaned over the railing. I could see the road below and John running, very fast. Charlie, the dog, was panting, attempting to keep up. Behind them both was a very large, wild pig! Following close behind were her litter of pigs, maybe six weeks old.
John seemed to be have increased speed, the pigs in hot pursuit. Eventually he reached the driveway of the house, where we were waiting for him and his entourage
“It’s a wild pig! he screamed. “It’s trying to kill us, or he’s after Charlie.” He was drenched with sweat. His face bright red and eyes wide with fear.
Our son laughed! “I’ve seen that pig before.”
John breathlessly stood mute as the pigs raced past him and straight to our son’s vegetable patch, destroying it in a matter of minutes.
“I thought I was a goner.” John sat on a rock with his head in his hands.
We were all laughing. I laughed so hard tears ran down my face.
Eventually my son rounded the pigs up, coaxed them into his truck and returned them to the neighbour who had captured the sow in the forest and was in the process fattening her and her family up to eat. The only problem was they escaped almost every day and went for a walk!

Needless to say, after that experience, a cup of tea and a game of scrabble sounded just the thing, John decided.