((So I found the manuscript which was originally only two pages long and I skipped over breakfast entirely and went straight to the chores but I added so much detail. And I have NINE pages now and counting. I feel HIGHLY confident in this story and I will post FREQUENTLY))
"Emily, wash up for breakfast, an' make sure your older brothers are up an' ready for the chores. Pa's already started. "
That's my mama who so happens to be the most terrific person in the world. She does everything imaginable, to cooking all the way to cleaning and has enough time to help with the day's chores and manage to relax with the family at the end of the day. I wonder how she does it at times. I suppose it is the best if she keeps her trick hidden from the rest of the family. Maybe someday I will be able to learn it.
Before leaving the bedroom, I grab my white cowgirl hat, placing it on top of my head. I never go anywhere without it. Over the years I managed to start a collection of the hats, it is sort of like my trademark. On me, right now, I am wearing my favorite hat that means the most to me. I got it from Ma and Pa last summer when I first rode a horse on my own. The only person I can be compared to really is Terri Clark, and that is because she has worn the same type of hat I wear all the time on each of her albums, at least three that I am sure of.
The other thing I share in common with the five, plus Terri, is my love for country. I live and breathe it like the rest of my family. You see, we live on a large ranch in Minnesota. From what Pa says, his family's been living here for many generations and I hope that my brothers and me will continue to uphold the tradition. I could not think of living anywhere else but here. The ranch is a part of me, no one could possibly imagine what it would do to me if something ever happened to it. It's my life, it is the only thing I know, just like my Pa. My mama used to be a city girl before she met him and since then she has never stepped foot into one of those places. To say the truth, I'm frighten by the thought of going to a city. I prefer the nice quiet outdoors free from pollution and also because of the horses.
In between my room and Tim's happens to be the bathroom. From time to time, I am rushed, which I don't mind at all. It happens to be part of our daily routine, something I would never dream of changing. Tim's the first-born child in the family. Luckily, he's the easiest to wake. I stood in front of the door, it stood slightly ajar. I peek in to see if I could see Tim. I see him sitting at his desk, writing something. Probably to his gal, who he loves dearly, anyone can see that. I knock; he didn't answer. I open the door slowly, walking into the room.
"Ma wants us to get ready for breakfast. After we are to start shores," I say, waiting still for him to answer. I roll my eyes and mutter whatever going back toward the door.
When I start to step out of his room, I felt someone grab my waist and lift me up into the air, swinging me around. I scream in surprise when Tim snuck up on me like that. "Mornin' sunshine."
"Finishin' that letter to Samantha?" I ask when he let me down. He didn't answer as he follows me out of the room. We walks across the hall where Chad, the middle child's room was.
As we open the door, I mutter something to myself as we see him still sleeping. I haven't figured out how he could be still sleeping at this hour. Everyday I am up at five in the morning preparing for school and helping out with the chores before heading out. Chad did that too, only when school was around. Me, I'm never able to sleep in like that. I'm so used to being up early.
"Chad," says Tim trying to wake him up. He gestures to me, I understood what he meant.
I left the room, making sure to tread lightly on the floor. I remember to take my boots off as I descend the stairs as silently as possible. Around the corner, I see Ma in the kitchen cooking relentlessly. The target happens to be only a few feet away from where she kept busy with the pancakes. I tiptoe on the kitchen floor hoping to make it unnoticed. My hand reaches out when I hear Pa cry out for Ma. Lucky for me that she went the other way out of the kitchen, so she didn't have to look back at me. I quickly open the freezer door and pull out a small handful of ice cubes.
Racing back up, I didn't worry about being quiet. I pass my boots as I reenter Chad's bedroom. My hands grew numb from holding the ice cubes in my hand. I look at Tim, who started to grow impatient.
"Took you forever. Ain't you able to go faster than that?"
"Sorry, Ma was cooking. Pa called her so I-"
"Just give 'em here," he orders. I gave him the ice cubes.
He then tells me to remove the covers, which I did so obediently. Tim then places each of them on his neck. Chad almost jumps out of his bed yelling! I fought hard to contain my giggles. That didn't work so well. I flee from the room, knowing by now what will happen if I stay.
"Not that again!" hollers Ma from downstairs. She never approves of our methods to wake up Chad. We've been trying to come up with more and more creative ways of waking him up, ever since the start of summer at least.
We, me and Tim, race down stairs before Chad can get to us. When we go into the kitchen, Ma threw us two a look of disgust, but I can see a small trace of a smile from her. Once Chad comes down we help her set up the table for breakfast. Pa comes in and goes to the sink to wash his hands before sitting down with us. I smiles at the thought of us all eating together like we always do day in and day out. I know some other families take it for granite, but we don't. So I know how hard it'll be when my big brother leaves to go to college. That's if he still wants to go...
"So," Pa says breaking the comfortable silence. "Did you two come with any new ways of wakin' poor Chad up yet?"
Ma gives him a disapproving look, he smiles innocently. I take a bite of my blueberry pancakes. I enjoy and savor the delicious flavor of it, flowing throughout my mouth. I wait to see who will be the one to explain what happened to Chad. So far it didn't look like my big brother would say anything, so it has to be me.
"Not exactly, we used ice cubes again," I say sheepishly.
"Ah, well next time I'm sure you'll get him," he says giving me a wink.
"Now Pa, do you think you are settin' a good example for them?" she asks him.
"Ma, what harm will it bring 'em if they have a little fun."
I look left and right to both Ma and Pa to see what they have to say. As I look at both of them I realize how much traits each of us have from them. The color of my hair comes from my Ma as well as my figure. The color of my eyes obviously comes from my Pa. He always has that special way of cheering us up with his warm chocolate eyes. Both Chad and Tim have Pa's height as well as his build. It helps a lot when they work on the ranch. But while I have Pa's eye color they have Ma's, a sort of dull green. Their hair isn't brown either, but blond like Ma's. All of our traits are spread around like that. There are some things that each of us have in our grandparents as well. Like my spontaneous behavior I get from my mimi, Ma's mama.
Chad clears his throat, letting everyone know he wants to change the subject. He always has to be the victim of our pranks. "So, Pa, what is there left to do?"
"Well, I took care of the cattle already. The garden can use some tendin' to. I'm sure Ma will want to do that. Tim and Chad can help me make the new fencing that Torpedo knocked down last week. Emily do you mind feedin' the horses an' tendin' to them. Just make sure you stay clear of Torpedo for the meantime. I'll feed him later. an' make sure Bess has food too. She's growin' old ain't she?"
"Sure thing, Pa," I say to him. Taking care of the horses is simply the best thing for me to do. I love being with them. And I get to ride them afterward to stretch their legs out and so they can get exercise.
"Pa, don't you need to get lumber for the fencin'?" Chad asks him.
"Oh, Paul's comin' over any time now to drop it off. He had extra from fixin' up his shed."
"How long will it take, do you think?" Tim inquires, taking his turn to speak.
"Well if we get started right away after we are done here, we should be finished at nine."
Normally there is more to do, but we kinda finished everything that had to be done yesterday. Normally there are other things we have to do, make sure the fruits and vegetables are growing properly and free from weeds. Depending on what time of the month it is it can take us all day working on chores, or just a couple of hours, like today. No one slacks at all, and we each help each other when we are done. There isn't really anything else we do here at the ranch.
"What's the big rush, Tim?" I tease, laughing at him. I figure he wants to make sure he can get down to the post office to deliver the letter in time.
He continues to eat in silence. I smirk with satisfaction. I know I beat him again. There wasn't really anything they, Tim and Chad have against me, whereas I have several things against them. Being the youngest has its advantages, I can act innocent easily. Well maybe age has nothing to do with it. Maybe it's the fact that I'm the only gal in the house so they don't think I am capable of anything mischievous. All I can say is shame on them.