Farm Girl.

I tossed and turned in my bed. How could high school be over already. I dont even know what I want to do with my life yet. I sat up and looked over at the graduation hat sitting on my desk. It taunted me with life's questions. What are you going to do? Who will you marry? Will you have children? Like all the old ladies in my church were in my head asking those questions over and over again. I shook my head and got up. The sun had been up for a few minutes and even though this day was about me, the bottle calves did not care. They wanted fed at the same time every morning. I quickly grabbed my jeans and flannel before heading to the bathroom to get ready for the day. *** Dad smiled at me before I hit the kitchen floor from the stairs. "Hey pumpkin, have you thought about where you want to eat tonight before your graduation?" I rolled my eyes but smiled at him. "Dad, you know I enjoy cooking with mom." The restaurants in this town could never beat her cookin'. "You guys can take a day off you know?" he gave me a pointed look. Which I returned. "The last time you took a sick day was before I was born. Why are you telling me to take a day off." I grabbed the calf bucket and turned the water on to warm before filling it up. Dad kissed my forehead. "I work so hard so you dont have too sweetpea. Now when I get back from the lumber yard you need to tell me where we are eating. okay?" I sighed and dumped milk replacer in the bucket. "Ugh, fine. See you after work... Love You!" "You too," dad said as he walked out the door. I lifted the bucket out if the sink and started the second. As it filled I put bacon in the airfrier before mixing the buckets and heading out of the house to the barn. Waiting for me was 2 little red Angus calves. We had 2 sets of twins this year and both moms only took on one calf. So these two became my responsibility. I rested the first bucket against the stall gate and braced myself for the calf to headbutt while drinking from the attacked n****e. Holding the bucket always felt like a bigger workout than we would get in gym class. After both calves were fed I headed back up to the house. I stopped before heading in. The house wasn't fancy. In fact it was small even though it had been added to three times. My great great grandfather had been born in this house when it was just four rooms. Shared one room with his siblings. Wood stove to cook and heat the home with. Then when he took over he add one room that became the kitchen and the bathroom. His son my grandfather added two more bedrooms, and my father add the sunroom and attached garage. Many generations of my family had lived in this house. My brother shook my out of my thoughts as he ran up from checking fence. "Rae what are you standing around for. You gotta make me breakfast". I glared teasingly at him. "Boone I made just enough for me and mom. You just ran out of luck big bro." "Not if I beat you and get your half first." he kicked up his speed and ran straight for the door. "What! Heck no" I booked it after him. Boone hit the front door and bolted into the kitchen. He popped open the airfrier and pulled out a prefect slightly crispy piece of bacon. "Oh heck No!" I grabbed the bottom half just as he took a bite, breaking it and pieces skidded across the floor. "Hey that was my bacon!" Boone bear hugged me to keep me from grabbing the rest. "No. I told you... You out of Luck!... my Bacon". I tried to wiggle myself free. To no luck, Boone had always been stronger than me. What can I say. Ugh boys. I squirmed for a few more seconds before I put my feet up on the counter pushing Boone back into the fridge and causing a couple cookbooks to fall onto our heads. Promptly I was dropped on my butt, and mom walked in from her night shift at the box store. She rolled her eyes and ran her hands over her face. "What are you two doing?" Boone pointed at me. "She started it!" Which got him a well placed elbow to the shin. "He stole my breakfast". "Only because you should have made me some." "I'm not your personal chef!" "You did get up at two oclock to chase cows!" "You didn't ask me for help! My dreams dont tell me what is going on!" Mom dropped her bags on the table, and we snapped our heads to look at her. "Enough, I dont need any fighting right now." "Sorry," we both mumbled at the same time. Boone picked up the cookbooks as I popped bread in the toaster and started the skillet. I grabbed a couple eggs off the counter and washed them off in the sink before cracking them into the pan. "How was work mom?" "Work was work, we had someone else quit so I unload the truck by myself this morning." Mom sat at the table pulled the glass of hot tea closer to her that Boone placed on the table. "Thank you dear." "Mom you know if you want to switch jobs I can put in a good word for you at the farm store." Boone sat next to mom and poured himself a bowl of cereal. "Know but family members shouldn't work together." mom sighed and took a sip of her tea. I listened to mom and Boone's conversation while I finished the eggs and toast and built us a couple sandwiches. The extra bacon I put on a plate for Boone. I brought out plates over and looked at mom. She was always so calm and thinking of others a lot, but some of the beliefs she had I didn't understand. Why was family helping family get a job a bad thing. As long as your recommendation was true the Lord wouldn't frown upon it. "Mom can I ask you a question?". "Anytime sweetheart. What's on your mind?" she smiled at me. "Isnt okay to be selfish sometimes? The box store is working you to death. I just don't understand why you wont take Boone's help." Mom smile shrank just a bit as she though about how to answer that question. "Well the Lord let's us to care for ourselves, but we also are called to be humble, and to work hard. Remember self love can easily become self lust." "Mom I don't think you are being humble. You are being stubborn." Boone hid a snicker as mom narrowed her eyes at me. She then let out a sigh and changed the topic. "Have you thought anymore about college?" "Mom, I hate school. I'm not like Boone. he wants to be an engineer. I don't even know what I want to do with my life." "Well at least give it some thought, you can always do community college this fall." "That is a waste of my savings! I worked to hard at The Patch. I'm not going to waste it on some dumb classes." "Rae Lynn college isn't just some dumb classes. It is how you get ahead in life." "Pretty sure it is how you make someone else rich." Mom sighed and rolled her eyes, "Sweetheart just think about it." "Sure mom, and you think about a new job." "Well you drive a hard bargain but it's a deal." I finished my sandwich and made my way back outside to work in my strawberry patch.