The frost rattled the windows as the fierce gusts of wind howled outside when Adam noticed something was wrong with Bella. The seven-year-old dairy cow, the last of his once-large herd, was breathing heavily and collapsed onto the straw in the corner of the old barn. Her large eyes, usually calm and alert, were now filled with pain. There was still a month left until calving, but the experienced farmer immediately understood – a premature birth had begun, and veterinary help was essential.
Adam grabbed his phone, but there was no signal. The February snowstorm, raging for two days, had cut off his small farm from the rest of the world. The nearest veterinary clinic in town was ten kilometers away on a snow-covered road. At sixty-five years old, Adam hadn’t attempted such a journey in a long time, but he had no choice.
“Hold on, girl,” he whispered, pulling on a thick coat and wrapping a scarf around himself. He made makeshift harnesses from old straps, covered Bella with a woolen blanket, and led her outside, straight into the raging blizzard.
The first few kilometers were relatively easy – the road sloped downhill, and the wind was at his back. But as they turned east, nature revealed its merciless face. Snow clung to his eyes, the wind knocked him down, and the temperature seemed to drop with every step. Adam stopped frequently to catch his breath and let Bella rest, as she was now stumbling more often, losing strength.
“We can’t stop,” he said, both to the cow and to himself, helping her stand up. In thirty-five years of farming, Adam had lost much: his wife, Anne, who, tired of rural life, left for the city with their only daughter, Natalie; most of his land, which he had to sell to pay off debts; and nearly his entire herd, except for Bella. This cow, named after his mother’s favorite actress, was now his only companion, the last thread connecting him to the past.
Halfway through the journey, Adam felt his strength waning. His fingers were frozen inside his gloves, and each breath burned his lungs. Then, in the distance, he saw headlights – a truck was slowly making its way down the road. Gathering the last of his energy, the farmer began waving his arms, trying to get the driver’s attention.
A young man stopped. “God, what are you doing out in this weather?!” he shouted over the howling wind, helping Adam and his cow into the trailer, where sacks of feed lay scattered.
“Michael, I’ve been a veterinarian in this region for ten years, but I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Dr. William a few hours later, handing the exhausted farmer a cup of hot tea. On the straw beside Bella, who was now breathing evenly and calmly, a newborn calf wobbled around – healthy despite the premature birth.
“Ten kilometers through a blizzard to save a cow… Do you realize you risked your life?”
Adam silently watched the calf, awkwardly trying to stand on its shaky legs. “Sometimes, the only thing we have is the responsibility for those who depend on us,” he finally said. “She’s not just a cow. She’s my family.”
That evening, a short note appeared in the local newspaper about a farmer who braved the blizzard to save his cow. Natalie, who hadn’t seen her father in nearly ten years, read it. A week later, for the first time in many years, the old farmhouse was filled with children’s laughter – his daughter had come with her husband and two kids.
Sometimes, a single act of devotion can melt years of distance and remind us of what truly matters in life.
