The Knowledge Stone (15 page)

‘Good morning, Master.’

‘Good morning, men,’ the farmer responded. Turning to Joachim, he continued: ‘We are building a new fence along the bottom of this field; the old one was rotten and was removed yesterday. If you look here, you will see the line of the fence; it is about 300 pics long.’

Joachim thought this was very interesting but wondered why the farmer was telling him all this. The farmer’s next words revealed why.

‘Joachim, you are to take charge of this work and these men. I expect the work to be finished by the end of the day. I don’t expect you will have any problems but, if there are, I will be at the farmhouse.’

Joachim felt as if the world had collapsed on him! How could he command these men? They were all much bigger and stronger and older than him. Then, memory of his training diminished his fears to some degree.

The farmer turned to the workers: ‘This is Joachim, your overseer for today. He is responsible to me for the work. You will call him “Master”.’

With a pleasant smile to Joachim, the farmer walked away quickly, leaving a very apprehensive Joachim facing three pairs of hard eyes boring into his.

The boy’s brain started working again as he rapidly surveyed the work to be done. The task was simple enough but it was a long fence so work had better start immediately.

‘Let’s get started,’ he called to the men and walked to the place where the first post had to be driven. To his surprise, he found he was alone. The three men had sat down on the ground and were looking at him with rather derisive expressions. Joachim walked up to them slowly.

‘Let’s get started, men,’ he repeated.

The oldest of the three spoke laconically: ‘We thought we’d have a rest first!’ The man flashed a smirk to his fellow workers as he said this.

Joachim locked eyes with this man. A few moments of silence passed. Bodily, the boy’s stomach was churning with fear but his mind was calm, analysing the situation, sifting actions. After a few moments, the man flushed and broke away from the boy’s gaze.

‘What is your name?’ Joachim asked the man quietly.

‘Karval.’ The man spoke loudly, too loudly.

‘Karval … do you wish to work today?’ The boy’s voice was softer still.

‘Yes.’ This in a more uncertain voice.

‘Then, get up, and come with me.’ The words were still quiet but now hard-edged.

The man jumped as if struck physically, then scrambled to his feet.

‘Yes, Master,’ he mumbled.

‘Karval, will you drive the first post,’ Joachim instructed. The work was started and the first post was driven into the ground, Karval holding the heavy wood upright and the other two men wielding long heavy hammers. Flexing their large muscles ostentatiously and sneaking derisive glances at Joachim’s relatively slight frame, the workers stepped back and prepared to start the second post.

‘Stop!’ Joachim’s voice. ‘This is bad work. The post is not vertical. Do you not know how to drive a post properly? Remove it from the ground.’ In silence, the men removed the heavy post with difficulty and looked towards him.

‘I think I need to show you how to drive a post,’ the boy said, stepping forward. They gave way to him and stood aside, confused.

‘How can he drive a post?’ Their thoughts unspoken.

Joachim lifted the post, propped it exactly vertical using other posts to hold it steady; then, with smooth and accurate hammer blows, drove it into the ground to the correct depth. Little did they know that Joachim had driven many posts in the past and had acquired the technique to do it easily and accurately.

‘Now get to work and do it properly. I will inspect each post and rail.’

Joachim had no more trouble with the workers and the work was completed in good time.

With all completed, Joachim addressed the workers: ‘Thank you for your day’s work. When you have cleared the residue and taken the cart back, you may finish your day’s work and be paid.’

‘Thank you, Master,’ they said respectfully.

The boy returned to the farmhouse where Farmer Sistas was working.

‘The fence is completed and all is well,’ he reported.

‘Good,’ the farmer replied, ‘will you now pay the men? Here is the money chest and the book. You will find the contracts in there.’

Joachim took the items and found the three men waiting outside. He placed the book and the chest on a table and found the page for today’s work. Each man was to be paid three Ourtz for the day’s work. Joachim paid the money to two of the men but when Karval came forward, the man said: ‘Master, I am to be paid four Ourtz.’

Joachim checked the book again. ‘It says three Ourtz in the book,’ he said, ‘why do you think you should be paid more than the others?’

‘Because I am the overseer.’

Joachim looked into his eyes. ‘Today, you were not the overseer.’

‘Master, I am always the overseer – if you ask the Farmer, you will see.’

‘The Farmer is busy and will not be disturbed. Anyway, you were not the overseer. I was the overseer.’

The man was silent, looking resentful.

‘Listen,’ Joachim said firmly, ‘answer this question. Were you the overseer today?’

The man looked shifty. ‘I am always …’

Joachim interrupted. ‘Answer the question. Were you the overseer today?’

Silence. Then: ‘No, Master.’ The words mumbled.

‘Who was?’

‘You were, Master.’

‘Thank you. Here are your wages. Three Ourtz.’ Joachim entered the wage amounts in the book and rose to his feet. ‘You may go now. Thank you.’

The men left and Joachim went back into the farmhouse.

‘Well, Joachim, did you have any problems with the work or the workers?’ the farmer greeted him.

Joachim smiled. ‘No Master, nothing I could not put right.’

The farmer laughed knowledgeably and patted the boy on the shoulder. ‘Now I have taught you all I know and you have learned it well. You are a very good farmer now. You know how to run a farm properly, you know what to do about the crops and the livestock and, most importantly, you know how to deal with workers, how to be fair and how to be firm. You are a great success and you are finished here. I will tell your Master that he can trust your knowledge and you actions fully.’

Joachim was very pleased but was sorry to hear that he would not be coming to Farmer Sistas’ farm any more. ‘I will miss coming here and speaking with you, Master. I have enjoyed it very much.’

‘Don’t worry, Joachim,’ the farmer replied, ‘we will meet often in the village and we will drink a flagon of beer together as good friends.’

Joachim flushed with pleasure. Farmer Sistas was treating him as a friend – and a man!

Back at Old Malik’s farm, the old farmer was delighted to hear that Joachim had completed his training with Farmer Sistas and passed all his testing with flying colours. Likewise, the boy had become very competent at reading and writing; for some time now, Old Malik had put him in change of the farm’s accounts and did not hesitate to seek his advice on farming matters. ‘You are now a better farmer than I am,’ he told the boy.

Although this was undoubtedly true, the boy always said: ‘No Master, I am not. But together we will make the best farm in the region.’

Under Joachim’s influence, the farm improved dramatically and both crops and livestock were more productive.

Soon, the farmer said: ‘Joachim, we have need of more workers here. Let us review the work to come and then you will tell me how many workers we need. When we have done this, I will leave it to you to find the workers and agree with them their wages.’

Joachim was delighted to do this and a week later, after a number of discussions with Old Malik, he proposed that they should employ four men for the farm work. Then he asked a question: ‘Master, have you asked the Mistress whether she is in need of more help with the work that she and Giana do? With more workers on the farm, there will be more work for them.’

Old Malik was pleased that Joachim should have extended his thoughts to the women. ‘This is a good thought. I will ask the Mistress.’

His enquiry was received with pleasure at the farmhouse. Maretta replied: ‘Yes, I would like to have one extra worker for the farmyard.’

Joachim added this requirement to his list.

The following week, Old Malik said: ‘Joachim, it is time to employ the new workers we have decided upon and I leave you to do this. You will be much better than I would be at this task. You will go to the village on the next Market Day when workers present themselves for work contracts.’ The old man continued: ‘Now there is something else I want you to do for me. From this day you will not call me Master, because now you are a farmer here, my assistant. You will call me Malik and the mistress wishes that you will call her Maretta. This is important now that we are to have new workers on the farm.’

Joachim was deeply honoured and said so. However he recognised that this was a necessity if he was to be a leader of the new workers on the farm.

On the next Market Day, Joachim went alone to the village to look for workers. As in any small community, the elevation of Joachim to the status of Farmer was common knowledge and the fact that he had come to employ workers was well known. At the place in the centre of the village where workers were hired, Joachim was approached by many men. He spoke to each one in a friendly tone and established their skills and experience, noting all this in a book which he had brought with him. He was calm and unhurried in all he did and made no quick or hasty decisions.

During the afternoon, he called four men to him and one by one negotiated their wages for work on the farm. He gave each one a note of their agreement; most of the workers could not read but they took the paper and stored it safely in their clothing. The men he employed were all strong, fit and of good character and each one had different farming skills. In addition, he spoke to a number of women and eventually chose a teenage girl as a worker for Maretta. This girl had experience of farmyard work and was strong and willing.

The following day, the five new workers came to the farm and Joachim received them. Leading them to the farmyard, he introduced them to the other residents of the farm: ‘This is Farmer Malik, the Master of this farm. This is his wife, the Mistress. And this is Giana, who, like me, has worked at this farm for many years. As you know, I am Joachim, Farmer Malik’s assistant. We all hope you will work hard and honestly for us. We also hope that you will be happy; if there are any questions or problems (he looked at the men), you may come to me. You (he addressed the girl) will of course be working for the Mistress. Now, let us all start the day’s work. There is much to do.’

That evening while they were eating their evening meal, Old Malik said to Joachim: ‘For the next few days, I will be away from the farm. I have important business with the landowner and others. You will need to take full charge of all the work here.’

Joachim knew this would be no problem for him. ‘I will look after all the farm work until you return, Malik. I will merely follow the schedule of work that you and I have drawn up.’

In fact, the schedule of work had been drawn up by Joachim alone but he always insisted that Old Malik should approve it. At the same time he couldn’t help being curious about what Old Malik had said. He wondered what this “important business” was. It must be something very serious to send Malik to see the landowner. Joachim knew that Old Malik avoided the landowner whenever he could. He exchanged glances with Giana and raised his eyebrows in a gesture of questioning but she responded only with a slight shake of the head.

The next day, Old Malik departed soon after the morning meal and was seen to be carrying several large books under his arm. During the morning, Giana tried to raise the subject several times with Maretta, to see what she could find out. Each time, Maretta just smiled gently and made a noncommittal reply.

At the midday meal break, Joachim and Giana met to discuss the matter in front of Joachim’s house. ‘What did she say?’ Joachim asked.

‘Nothing, really,’ Giana answered, ‘I tried three times to raise the subject – and I was very subtle about it – but she just smiled. She obviously understood I was trying to get her to reveal what it was all about. So I’m afraid I did not succeed. I didn’t get any information at all.’

‘Well, maybe we’ll never get to know,’ Joachim said. ‘Maybe it’s a very private matter between Malik and Maretta. If it is, it is none of our business. But I must admit I’m very curious.’

‘Me too.’ And the two young people, kindred spirits, looked into each other’s eyes and giggled conspiratorially.

By evening, Joachim met Giana excitedly. ‘I think I’ve worked it out, Giana. It’s about the future of the farm. Malik is setting up for someone to buy the farm from him sometime in the future. After all, he’s an old man and he may not want to work much longer. I hope the buyer might be Farmer Sistas; he could merge the two farms very easily. I’m sure he would employ both of us, too. But I’m a bit worried because the new owner might be someone we don’t know and he may not want us. We’ll have to try our best to persuade him to take us on when the time comes.’ So the two young people were reassured in one way and rather worried in another.

The situation continued unchanged for the next two days. Each morning, Old Malik left immediately after the morning meal and did not return until early evening. Each time he carried a bundle of books with him. Meanwhile, Joachim managed all aspects of the farm work along with his four workers. Since the new workers had started, it had been possible to make further good progress with the farm. Crops were now well tended and managed carefully to provide very good yields and all the farm animals were providing top class produce. In addition, all the farm buildings, fences and paths were now immaculate.

As he walked on a tour of inspection, Joachim looked around with pride and thought: ‘Malik’s farm is now as good as Farmer Sistas’. In fact, maybe it’s better.’ He grinned happily as he thought that. Still smiling, he added: ‘And if it isn’t better, I will work hard to make it so.’

Joachim was very proud of the work he had done at the farm. He knew he had put all his energy into it and had applied every bit of teaching he had received from Malik and Farmer Sistas. He also looked around him with a sense of sadness. ‘Whoever buys this farm after Malik is gone will be a very lucky man indeed!’

After three days of absences, Old Malik returned to his work. On the first day back, Maretta and he spent a long time in deep conversation, sitting close together at the table in the farmhouse. Both Joachim and Giana strained their ears to hear what was being said but, apart from a few random words, they heard nothing but murmurs. Every so often, they met and compared notes but nothing they had heard made any sense.

‘We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.’ Joachim was resigned. ‘Maybe Malik will not speak to us about this at present. Perhaps he will leave it until he has decided to sell.’ The young people looked at each other with dismay and longed to know what was to happen.