When Do Flowers Bloom?

Chapter 2: Purple Flowers at the Prairie

Britney walked briskly for half a mile from Gerthig's farmhouse to the orchard. Though she's a female cow, Britney has a dynamic body, powerful limbs, and hooves that can pull the wagon at ease. Thankfully, their ride had two big wheels on the sides, so Britney didn't have to carry all the weight. 

Mr. Gerthig said that Britney is good company when going to the plantation, but when there's a need for a heavier load, he would put a male cow on the steer. Today, they will not go to Mr. Baldwin just yet, since they needed to fetch a canister of milk from the cattle at the nearby hill. 

"We gotta hurry so we can go see Mr. Baldwin before he goes to town. He told me yesterday that he'll bring some more peach tree stakes that we have to dig into the ground. Also, we have to pick rotten plums and clean the planting area", Mrs. Gerthig said as she tried to stretch her neck and look back so Caroline could hear what she was saying.

Mr. Baldwin is the owner of the peach plantation that their family had been working for. He is a big, generous guy. Though he's older than Amy and Adam, Mr. Baldwin is always calm, polite, and well respected. His family lives in a huge brick house in Parkville Town.

"Got it, mom. As soon as Britney took us to the hill, I gotta run and milk the cow. Eddie and Tom have to see if the lambs are complete and let them roam the prairie". Caroline said while chewing a stalk of grass she grasped while they were traveling. 

Mr. and Mrs. Gerthig just nodded. Eddie and Tom were so excited to see the lambs, though they could hardly count, they knew the fluffy animals well, they even called them names!

After a few ups and downs on the farm road, Mr. Gerthig pulled the steer to stop Britney from walking. Finally, they had reached the pasture. With all her might, Caroline jumped from the buggy and grabbed the large milk canister. Walking to the cow's pen, she glimpsed the panoramic view of the grazing field. 

Everything from where she stood was green, and a little bit of blue because of the wide blue skies. There were slopes of fertile grass. From far, Caroline could see the white-painted fence that served as a border, so the animals wouldn't go that far. She shook her head and realized that she needed to hurry up and fetch some milk. 

Mr. and Mrs. Gerthig was busy feeding abundant hay to the horses and cows in their pens, including Britney. Eddie and Tom were happily chasing the lambs around. Their laughter was muffled by the bellowing and snorting of the animals. 

"I got an overflowing canister of cow's milk. Who wants some fresh drink?" Caroline spouted. 

"Me. I'm a little bit hungry. My stomach is grunting.", chubby Eddie said.

"You're always hungry. I know that, for sure!" Caroline remarked. 

Eddie just scratched his head and everybody laughed aloud. 

The peach orchard was just a few distances from the grazing field. The Gerthig family had their breakfast of milk and bread while traveling in the buggy. Not too far away, they saw Mr. Baldwin at the bushy entrance of the plantation. He was a tall, middle-aged guy with a prominent stomach and a cigar stuck in his mustached mouth. 

"Good morning, Mr. Baldwin. We apologize that we had you waiting here. Amy and the kids got some milk from the pasture. We're gonna spend the day working at the farm today", Mr. Gerthig said in a low-repentant tone. 

"Not a big deal, Adam. I waited for you on purpose because I got to tell you a very important matter", said Mr. Baldwin. 

Everybody listened as Mr. Baldwin explained that they have to improve the production of good quality peaches to catch up with the market competition. Some other farms have been using a machine to plant and harvest peaches, but only Mr. Baldwin's plantation hires farmers as a little help to their families too. 

On the other side of the two-hectare peach orchard, matured peach trees are being pruned as soon as the buds swell and turn pink. They are expected to bear fruit by late summer, sometime in August. Right now, the Gerthigs are assigned to planting peach trees in the ground. These newly planted trees are expected to bear fruit two to three years from planting. 

Caroline wiped the sweat that was slowly pouring from her forehead. She could see her parents working too hard on the farm too. Even Eddie and Tom tried to help by digging planting holes and watering the newly planted trees. The sun was in full blaze. Mr. Baldwin said a place in the full sun would nourish sweet and juicy peaches. 

"I cannot see myself working on the farm for the rest of my life," Caroline mumbled. "Though I love the greens and peaches, I know that my destiny is going to be somewhere better than this". 

Amy Gerthig called the whole family for a short lunch break. She unwrapped the boiled potatoes and some scrambled eggs. For a simple family of farmers, it was already a sumptuous meal to indulge in. 

The mighty sun of the early spring started to cool down. Caroline and her family decided to get some rest on the nearby prairie before they headed home. As boyish and carefree as always, Caroline lay on the carpet of grass and rolled over in glee. 

"Thank God. Sunday farm day was done! A few weeks from now and I'm gonna be back to school once again!", she said, looking at the pastel-colored clouds above, her arms were at the back of her head, her body lay down flat on the grass. As she tried to get up, she saw a couple of wildflowers that were almost in full bloom, their pinkish-purple buds were swollen and ready to burst anytime. The stamen has an attractive yellowish anther and its leaves are green, long, and linear. Caroline was fascinated since it was rare to see this specific type of flower. 

"There you are, Caroline. Your mom has been calling you. We need to go home before dusk", Mr. Gerthig interfered with Caroline's fascination. "Oh, those are Lillybells. They're rare to bloom in this sunny location. You're fortunate to see them, Caroline", Mr. Gerthig commented. 

Caroline fell in love with the Lillybells, so she got a handful of them, wishing to grow them in their yard. Amy Gerthig shouted once again that they needed to get going, so Caroline and her father hurriedly went to the buggy and set Britney on foot once again. 

It was almost dark when the Gerthig's finally reached home. Everyone was tired from the farm work. Amy Gerthig set up the fireplace and wearily boiled hot water for tea. Nobody wanted a full meal at night, so they would just share some cheese and freshly brewed tea. 

While waiting for their simple dinner, Caroline grabbed the lamp with a candle and went upstairs to her room in the attic. It was the same old mess. Old bricks, cracking wooden planks, and the almost-torn blanket she threw this morning. She grinned while thinking about her stubbornness. She looked in the mirror with the lamp in one hand. Her farm clothes were soiled and her face was grimy. She felt disappointed at how she looked. 

Caroline went to the window in the attic. From there, she could see the moon slowly radiating its pristine light into the dark-blue night sky. It was alone at first until the stars slowly glimmered around it. They were sparkling and smiling at Caroline. 

With great determination and ambition. Caroline grabbed a used paper. It was the back of a used calendar; and a pen. She wrote her "Age-To-Be chart". Caroline wrote that at 16, she should have graduated from school and entered a university. Also, she noted that sometime at 20, she should have earned a degree in college, and at 25, she should be married!

Suddenly, Caroline stopped writing. It would be impossible. Those were just her ambitions. How can she graduate from a university when they were only helping on the farm? Her parents were just making ends meet. Or how can she even get married if no one is interested in her? Muddy. Soiled. Grimy. Not a beautiful girl. She would never be a fine young lady like what her mom wanted her to be. 

She almost cried in dismay when she heard Eddie and Tom calling her from the table downstairs.

"Caroline, let's eat dinner. Eddie is hungry as a monster!", Tom yelled, and it was followed by a burst of loud laughter. 

Caroline sighed and joined their happy family as they shared a simple dinner over the old wooden table. 

Crickets were chirping in the background. Amy and Adam were telling stories to Eddie and Tom in front of their fireplace. Though it was almost spring, it was still cold at night. They had a worn carpet of sheepskin, laid near the fireplace and the stairs, which was perfect for storytelling. Sometimes, they fall asleep there without going to the bedrooms. Everything was warm and cozy. But for Caroline, she always wanted an adventure. Maybe someday, she'll set foot on that scary yet exciting journey. 

After washing the dishes, Caroline wiped her hands on her apron. She remembered the Lillybells that she got from the prairie. She has to plant them or else she will never see them bloom again. Realizing that it was already dark outside, Caroline put the purple plants in a vase with water, hoping that they'd survive the night so she could plant them the next day. After changing her clothes and preparing herself to sleep, she set the vase on the windowsill in her room in the attic.

It was magical to witness the purple flowers bow to the moonlight in the dark skies. Caroline took a glimpse at the chart she'd written earlier and pinned it beside the mirror. She smiled and tucked herself into the weary blanket until she fell asleep.