Five years ago...

SLAM! The house rattled with the entrance of pounding boots. If the house was silent before, it was overtaken with the aggressive movements of just one man. He could barely manage to cross the threshold of the living area. Sam slowly started to clench his fist, preparing himself for the upcoming fight. His father stalked towards his mother, face as read as a ripe strawberry.

"God dammit Tallia! Why did yo' father hav' to build such a God awful fence?! Those damned cows got out again, and I swear I hav' half a mind to go out with my gun and just shoot 'em all! What good are cows if ya can't even keep 'em around!" He slammed his hand against the wall, causing further disturbance to the previously peaceful house.

"I'm sure that Papa didn't mean any harm, James. He tried his bes' with what he got. No harm 'bout it at all." Tallia used the voice that she would use to soothe one of Sam's many younger siblings when they were throwing a tantrum.

"Well I don't give a rats ass 'bout yo sorry excuse for a Papa. He ain't no help and neither are any of our useless kids. What is the use of them goin' to school anyhow if they are just gunna work on the farm?" James's face grew a deeper red, to match the anger that dripped with every word. "I swear that one o' these days I'm just gunna pack up my bags and forget this sorry excuse for a farm. No snot nosed brats to feed. No damn useless housewife who can't even keep her own legs shut. I could finally find be happy an' at peace!" Slamming his fist against the wall one last time to make his point to everyone within hearing distance.

The tears that sprang in his mother's eyes flashed away as quickly as they came. "Fine! Ya wanna leave?! Then git! Git out of here! I can run this farm better than you ever could! We'll all be happier when ya are good as gone!" Sam looked at the tiny spitfire of a woman that his mother could be. For a woman who could give birth at any moment she had a temper like a raging fire.

"FINE! I WILL!" His father stomped to the door and slammed the door so hard Sam could swear the house would fall over.

His mother raced upstairs and threw her husbands clothes out the window calling a string of sentences that Sam was sure not even a sailor would even whisper.

His father just gathered up his things and walked down the dirt road. Sam watched as his mother came down the stairs. Once at the bottom, the tears flooded Tallia's face, fully realizing the severity of the situation.

Sam looked out the window, silently vowing that he would be the sole person to help make sure that nothing bad would ever happen to this family again.

"Mamma, what are we going to do now?" His bright, crisp green eyes looked straight ahead.

"I don't know child." His mother looked at her son, her heart filling with sadness, "I just don't know."