CHAPTER TWO
"Pa, Tim, Chad, Emily," cries Ma from the porch. "Lunch is ready. Come in an' help yourself."
Me and Dreamer barely arrive back when she calls for us. Four hours up and about is enough to have me hungry. Plus those blackberries weren't that much of a help anyway. So I bring Dreamer back to his stall as quick as I possibly can so I can get something in my stomach more satisfying for my stomach. Torpedo is there, of course, and he's neighing furiously, and he's also kicking about. I really wonder how much longer it is going to take for him to calm down and grow to like us. Maybe he will never do so, he is a mustang after all. It is hard to tame a mustang, so I have been told by Pa himself. And I believe Pa. I always have. There is no reason in the world why he would lie like that.
"Emily, you comin'?" I hear Ma again as I leave the barn and close the door. I shout to her in response that I am coming.
At the table already are Tim, Chad, and Pa with beat red faces. I can tell easily that they have been working hard on that fence. But really, how hard can it be to do such a thing? I seat myself down next to Tim like I always do, and I help myself to a sandwich from the plate in the middle of the table. I begin to eat it, and I start to observe my family. Ma is sitting there, taking only a single sandwich as I do. The men each take two wolfing them down. Ma gets up from the table and heads over to the cabinet. She takes out five glasses and then goes to the fridge to get the pitcher of lemonade out. She pours the glasses and starts to hand them out. I get up from the table to assist her. We each gave the men their drinks first, then we gave ourselves our own.
"The fencin' comin' along?" I ask as I take a sip from the nice cold lemonade. It is just what I need to keep my hydrated. The heat doesn't get so bad in Minnesota. It just depends on what you do and how much of it you do.
"Oh," starts Chad, "It's comin' along fine. We finished ages ago. We just had a little trouble with Torpedo."
"Oh?"
"Hmmm," Pa responds, "Kinda got jealous when you let Dreamer out. He doesn't seem too fond of me not lettin' him out."
I nod with understanding. Ma continues to drink her lemonade without saying anything. Tim mimics the same thing. Well not so really mimics. Our meals usually consist of little talk, depending on how the day goes. We really don't use our meals as a type of social gathering. So really what time do we really spend as a family? That's the thing I start to notice a few weeks ago. I keep on planning to bring it up, but I fail to each time. I didn't want to do that. Everyone seems so happy the way things are. It will be horrible to disrupt that.
"So, tell me, Emily, what did you an' Dreamer do?" Pa asks me.
"Oh a little bit of this an' a little bit of that. I talked to him an' I swear he talked right back to me. It was like we are connected some how. It is really neat. I really think he can understand me an' I can understand him."
"That's nice dear," Ma says to me. It is as if she did not believe me about it.
"So, Tim," I say, changing the subject. "When are you gonna to the post office to drop off that letter to Sammy?"
"It's Samantha," he corrects me in a dignified way. "an' why do you want to know?"
"Curiosity killed the cat?" I ask rhetorically. "I just wanted to tag along that's all. Kinda wanted to go into town for a bit."
"Ma, do you have a problem with that?" he questions her.
"Not if Pa doesn't, do you dear?"
"Nope. As long as he stays by your side the whole time."
"But Pa-" I start to whine in despair. I felt that wasn't fair at all. I mean I am a big girl, am I not? Why does he have to control me like that?
"No buts. It is the only way you are allowed to go."
Whenever Pa says something it is always final. You are never allowed to argue with him. What he says is a fact as well as law. Pa is never wrong when it comes to what he has to say about his own family. He knows what is best for us. Questioning Pa always brought trouble. I know better to keep my tongue to myself. I never really plan on going against his wishes. And I certainly know better than to sneak behind his back. Going to town with Tim meant going to the post office and that is it. No going around and seeing the different shops or talking to some of my friends I might wind up seeing. It is kind of disappointing how that our trip will only consist of that.
"Fine, okay Pa," I say without continuing on. I love him dearly, but really he can get on my nerves. Not much of a nerve anyway. For the most part we get along fine. There are some things though we are in dispute about. Just sort of mutually not right out in the open like some people might do. We don't agree on a few things that is it. Like the fact that I am not allowed to go on my own in town, or I am not allowed to go to the fort alone though it was never exactly said.
"Glad we see eye to eye. Dinner is going to be at what time, Ma?"
"I should have it done at about four."
"Good, good. Be back at three then. You two can go, unless Chad, you would like to go with them?"
"I think I'm gonna take a little nap. I might be able to get some sleep without havin' my two sibling's 'round. So I'm gonna say my piece now an' take care of my plate an' head on upstairs. Any objections?"
"If you sleep long enough for Emily an' me to come with another way to wake you up, then it is fine with me."
"Ma-" Chad starts to do his own style of whining.
"Now enough is enough," she says with a slight hint of anger, but no amusement attached at all. "Emily you are fifteen...almost sixteen. Chad you are as good as eighteen already, an' Tim you are what, twenty? I expect each of you to act your age. Tim an' Emily the first few times it is amusin' to wake Chad up the way you do. An' Chad do you really need to whine like that?"
"Now Ma-" Pa cuts in, as he tries to calm her down.
"But nothin'. Pa you firmly put your foot down when you feeling stron' 'bout somethin'. I should be able to do the same. I don't wanna hear any more on the matter. It ends now."
"So..." Chad says as he gets up and takes care of his dishes. "I'll see y'all in a bit okay?"
---
(This is just a little taste of the second chapter. I have a lot more typed, but I won't release anymore until the chapter is finished)