Free Lettuces and Cream by John Evans Page B

mystery. But I just can’t understand how the pig pen bolt came to be open. He says I must have done it but I distinctly remember locking the door after I fed them.’
    Keith gave his wife a look that said, ‘I know it was you, but I am not saying any more about it.’ Jan knew the signs and guessed they must have had a row, so tried to distract Chris by restarting their previous conversation and leaving the men to theirs.
    ‘Well how are things with you, Mike?’
    ‘Oh, you know, Keith, slow but sure.’
    ‘As the Bishop said to the actress,’ Keith was trying to get in a party mood, and downed his drink in a rush, ‘I see you’ve ploughed that piece of land around your poly-tunnels.’
    ‘Yeah, Idris Evans did it for me, do you know him? Only charged me twenty quid.’
    ‘Twenty quid, what a rip off the standard rate is only seven pounds an acre, the bloody crook. Still, I did warn you Mike, you’ve got to watch these locals. They can be right sods. They do you a favour one minute then rip you off at the first opportunity.’ He took another large gulp of wine.
    ‘Yes, well, it didn’t seem to bad to me,’ Mike was saddened that his kind thoughts about his one-time helper had been shattered and changed the subject before Keith got too worked up with the topic.
    ‘Jan said you go up Newcastle way quite often.’
    ‘Aye man, ‘fraid so, but it has its compensations-you know,’ he gave Mike a knowing wink. ‘When the cats away and all that,’ he continued, lowering his voice to a whisper, ‘of course who knows what the women get up to, eh.’
    Well, well, Mike thought, is he at it when he’s away from home-naughty boy? However to Mikes practised male ear it didn’t sound quite right. He had heard many men pretend that they were Casanova’s and Keith really didn’t seem the type. Despite his big talk he seemed to Mike, to be a quiet sort of fellow. Still, as Mike know from his own adventures, you can’t tell by looks what people are up to, but despite Keith’s aura of openness Mike found him a rather enigmatic chap. And what did he mean by ‘what the women get up to?’ He must mean Chris? What was she doing when he was away?
    ‘And another thing Mike, I know where you can get a sow. ‘Mari Brunt’ has got two for sale.’
    ‘Mari who?’
    ‘Mari Brunt, that’s what the locals call her, it means ‘Dirty Mary,’ apparently, I call her Mucky Mary. Anyway, she lives just outside Llanddewi Brefi - bit of a nut case, but she knows her animals. I’ll scribble out a map of how to get there if you like. If I were you I’d buy the two. That would really get you going.’
    ‘Okay, thanks Keith, but why do you call her, Mucky?’
    ‘You’ll find out soon enough,’ Keith laughed, ‘it will be a nice surprise for you.’
    ‘Anyway, I’ve nearly finished one pen,’ Mike continued, ‘I found some old concrete blocks behind the barn, and some bricks. But I really need a van. I picked up a small amount of sand and cement in the car but I need a lot more to lay the floor. Anyway, how far away is this place-Llanddewi Brefi?’
    ‘Oh not far, about six miles, about the same as Porth. You haven’t got a trailer so she’ll bring the sow over for you-you’re in for a treat when you meet her.’
    ‘Yeah?’
    ‘Oh yeah, man,’ Keith said rather mysteriously, and poured himself another drink…
    ‘I’ve been thinking, Jan, I meant to say the other day but forgot. Seeing you haven’t got a bathroom if you want to bring the kids over for a bath sometime, or if you and Mike fancy a proper bath, why not come on over to our place. I know how difficult it must be, particularly with the kids.’
    ‘That’s very good of you Chris. It would be lovely to have a real bath now and then. We’ve decided to buy a Rayburn stove like yours, but it will only be second-hand one, and some sort of temporary hot water system. It will all have to be moved when we eventually build the kitchen, but we can’t manage