Born to Ride

Chapter 19

A fresh sunrise tastes different. Waking up early has always been in my DNA, if I am not working or being as productive as I can, it just doesn't feel like I am living. Call me a work alcoholic but my life here in the ranch holds a close place to my heart. And today we are inspecting the crops to determine if they are ready to harvest. Strawberries are especially popular during this time of the year. Many college students will come down and help with the strawberry picking. We usually hold a strawberry picking event for the yearly volunteers and I hope that we can continue doing that this year too.

Walking down the strawberry bushes, I see my father out in the field talking with a few of the workers. I bend down on a random strawberry bush and take a look at the Strawberries. They seem to still be a bit green. I look around and move from bush to bush inspecting the strawberries myself. Even though I am not a professional myself, I can determine when these strawberries will be ready. There are certain talents that are developed when you live in a ranch for all your life. It just becomes a part of your identity. Moving to the next section, I see Clover huddled taking pictures. She puts her camera down, to take out a notebook and starts writing. I walk over to where she is to squat next to her and see what she is doing. "What is the diagnosis doc?" I hover over her.

She giggles a little, "I think we're losing him. Quickly, he needs CPR. Everyone move out." She swings her arms making the gesture to get out of the way. I take off my flannel shirt to lay it in the ground to give the illusion of a stretcher. Clover continues to pretend to fold her already folded sleeves to start the CPR.
I take the liberty to pretend I am setting up the defibrillator, by rubbing my hands together and announcing, "Clear." I move my shoulders to make it seem like the shock wave was powerful. Clover stops me, "Hold it nurse. Listen." She grabs a strawberry and shoves it in my mouth. I quickly spit it out when the sourness of the strawberry hits my tongue. The strawberries aren't ready yet, they are not ripe enough and still green. Our little impromptu ends with us laughing at the face I made when I spit out the strawberry.
"I take it that they are not ripe enough to harvest." I say after spiting to get rid of some of the sour sensation.
"That's about it. They are too green to eat. That's my diagnosis." She waves her arm above the bushes revealing a few more green strawberries. "Has your dad mention anything about pushing back strawberry picking?"
"At this point, it's not an option." I stand up. "It'll give us more time to prepare and organize the event itself." Clover follows my lead and we start walking down the bushes of strawberries as Clover takes a few pictures.
"I miss the strawberries. In the city, you learn to miss this. Taking the time to pick the fruit and then be rewarded with consuming them. That's really cannibalism."
"That's why the city sucks. It's a soul sucking place if you ask me." I playfully shove her with the side of my arm. "Can you really say there's tradition lost? Maybe you lost your ways, lost all the real traditions." Stand in front of her giving her a playful smile.
"Haha, very funny. Unlike you, I didn't have a choice. Maybe I would still be living here if things were different." She returns the shove and continues walking forward.
"Really? I thought you were brain washed like all the other city folk." I give her a teasing smile. To which she responds to charging towards me on full force to try and tackle me but I move aside successfully dodging her. As I chuckle from her miss, she ends up loosing her balance.
"Watch out!" I try to grab her arm but she slips to fall right into the puddle of mud. She fall on her bottoms and the mud splashes getting on her clothes and camera. Sitting there on the puddle of mud, I assume from shock, she shoots me a glare and throws a fist of balled up mud. "Very funny, Cowboy. You asked for it." Clover gets up to try and tackle me into the same puddle she fell into. In her attempts she only manages to get half of my body near that puddle when she throws her full body weight on me to lose my balance. I use my elbows to lift my upper body, as she gets off and sits up next to me. "You know the city is not that bad. It doesn't beat the memories I have here but it has it has its go sides. But I will always miss this. This is home. Really. Will always be."
Playful shoving each other reminds me that day of when we were just kids. We would always flip a coin to see what house we would show up in. Mine or hers, usually was mine because I knew if I went to her house, she would get an earful lecture. Her parents were fine folks but not really playful people. Especially if we showed up with a body covered in mud, like we usually did. Who would have thought, even as adults we show up like this. Clover is right. This is home. So many memories could not be replaced.

We reach my house and I see Bonnie getting up from her seat on the porch and walking to the edge of the stairs. She looks at me and then at Clover. "What is she doing here, Austin?"
" Bonnie? When did you get here?" I avoid her question. Not really sure what I am supposed to say to that. Clover used to come over all the time. It's really abnormal if she wasn't here in my opinion.
"A few hours ago. Why are you guys covered in mud?" Bonnie looks a bit disgusted by the smell of mud we are carrying. 
"We just got a bit carried away," Clover answers as she tries to get some mud offer her neck.
I grab Clovers and signal her to fall me to the back of the house.
"Where are you going?" Bonnie calling out but does not move from the porch.
"To wash off the mud in the back." I keep on walking towards the hose we have in the back of the house. I grab the hose to direct the water on Clover's arm.
"She doesn't seem too happy," Clover comments as she washes her face.
"Bonnie, is just are to please. She's not very into ranch stuff or rural life or anything that has to do with outdoors." I try to laugh it off. But really if you think about it, why would she be with someone like me if she has not interest in what I like.
"Then maybe you guys should do something you both like." She turns around to get the mud on her back raised off. "I am actually surprised that she wasn't with you out in the fields. I thought that would be something to enjoy together."
Bonnie, doesn't really like to do anything of the things I like. We usually end up doing things she wants. I never had her ask about the ranch either. "I think you are all rise up. You can head to shower, I'll tell Arizona to drop off some clothes for you to change into." Clover heads into the house.
Once I am done rising myself off, I take the long way to the bathroom in hopes that Bonnie will be on the other side of the house, but find Bonnie waiting for me there. "Does she know you have a girlfriend? Or does she just flirt with other girl's boyfriends?"
I walk towards the bathroom as she trails after me, "Bonnie, she knows. How many times do I have to say it?"
I go inside but she holds the door open with her hand, "It doesn't look like she knows we're together."
Taking off my shirt, "We were childhood friends, first. This is normal for us. Don't read into it."
"Its looks more than just being childhood friends."
"You're my girlfriend, so if it bothers you, then come help me for a change."
"You know I don't like stuff like that. Why don't you just stay away from her."
"Bonnie, we're friends. If you want to spend time with me. Let's do something I like for a change." I close the door.