Rip - Becoming Whole

It's Complicated

At this stage there was no point of going back to bed, so after sneaking back up the trellis and into his bedroom, he got himself dressed for work and went downstairs, where he put on the coffee for his uncle and his sons, and made a big pot of porridge for them all. When the breakfast was cooked, he took his portion and went outside to sit on the steps of the porch to eat it, taking advantage of the fact that he was the first one up.

Rip was happy. So happy. The last time he had felt like this was on the day of his first birthday on the ranch. He had been there just a bit under a year at that stage, and the old man had brought him to the horse market, announcing when they got there that he wanted to have a look for a horse for him. It didn't take long however for him to get impatient with Rip, when he sensed the boy's reluctance and lack of enthusiasm in choosing a horse. He got frustrated with Rip and tried in vain to encourage him. In his brash way Mr Dutton started to give out to him for being unreasonably modest until Rip broke down crying. Eventually the old man managed to coax out of him that he didn't want to look at any of the horses, not because he felt bad about accepting a gift of his uncle, which of course he did as well, but because he already had fallen for a horse.

"Trust you to fall in love with the most mischievous horse on our ranch, but if Chip is who you want, Chip is who you get. I can't think of anyone better suited to look after him," the old man told him with a sigh as he hugged him tighter than the boy was comfortable with and roughly rubbed his back in an attempt to make them both feel better. 

Rip had been well aware of the fact that his uncle shared his fondness for the playful skewbald and why, which is why Rip was so scared of asking him for the horse. Chip was the only foal of his uncle's late wife's mare and Mr Dutton had instructed him to always take extra good care of him which was how their special relationship had started to develop in the first place. Chip was indeed mischievous, forever managing to get out of his box and no one but Rip really enjoyed riding the temperamental horse, but he simply loved him.

Most mornings it would be Mr Dutton who sat on the porch drinking his early morning coffee on his own, while he and Robert, and sometimes Jacob would have breakfast together in the house. Jamie rarely got up that early and even less often had breakfast before he left for work. Sitting there, and watching the first rays of sunlight appear on the horizon, absorbing the sun and the warmth of the memories from the night just gone, reflecting on the good things that had come his way since coming to the ranch, Rip could understand the appeal of this. He felt hopeful and lucky.

"Romeo, Huh?" Robert teased, as he sat himself down beside Rip on the steps of the porch holding a cup of coffee. Rip let his head sink onto his arms. Of course, he had to get caught, how could he have even thought for minute that it might not be so. And why could it not have been Jacob, there was no way Robert would let him get away with this. He glanced up at the man beside him. Robert's eyes were fixed straight ahead, not looking at Rip, just sipping his coffee. Rip detected a faint smile in the man's face and was relieved to see it. Robert was always strict with him and often took him to task if he felt that Rip hadn't done the assigned jobs on the ranch or in their shared area to his satisfaction, but his suppressed smile made Rip think that there was still hope.

"Please, Robert don't tell him," he pleaded. "Don't do the crime if you can't do the time," Robert coolly told him, still grinning and still not looking at him. "Please, Robert. Don't. I really like her. She is my only friend. He'll make me stop seeing her. Please Robert, please," he begged in earnest, he was almost crying now and at last the man looked at him empathetically and no longer grinning. "Hey, relax there, buddy. No one is going to make you stop seeing her. We are all glad you made a friend. You just can't sneak off with her during the night like that. You guys are not old enough for that sort of thing," he told him. "It's not what you think Robert. Nothing happened. We didn't do anything," Rip defended himself. Robert chuckled looking ahead again, "Yeah, right, said every teenage boy ever."