Light and Dark

Chapter 4

I wake with the wind pulling on my cubby, the first night it happened i was scared, very scared. But not anymore, I know it won't fall down however strong or fierce the wind is.

I hear the dogs barking and one of them howling. I think that would be Simba, he is scared of the wind; whispering and howling around the house. Pine needles flying everywhere.

I get out of my cosy, warm bed and pull on some old jeans and my favourite blue woollen jumper. I reach out for my raincoat and gloves and put them on. My gumboots lye at the door, ready for me to jump into when I climb down the tree.

I hop onto the red tractor and it roars into life. I cover my mouth and nose as the petrol fumes drift into the air, they are always strong in the morning. As I drive through the fields the horses they have their coats on and I am glad Dad remembered to put them on last night.
The chickens are squawking and clucking inside their coop so I move the enclosure about 100 metres and then open the hatch. Lots of the hens stay inside, much too cold a day for them!

Beep, beep, beep. My watch goes off and I look down at the time in surprise. 6:30am already! Time has gone fast this morning. I quickly feed the goats and make a warm hot chocolate from their milk and then run back to the house.

Breakfast is on the table. Hot, steaming porridge and banana. Yum!!
Dad has already had his porridge, so Mum sits down with her virgin garden tea (her ABSOLUTE favourite!) and we talk about the farm.

On our farm we sell goats milk and cows milk. Every Saturday morning we bottle up the milk into glass bottles and then we catch the public bus into the city. We go to the Queen Victoria Market and set up our stall. Normally we have the regular customers that come to the market for there milk once a week. I have met a few people so it's nice when they come and buy things we have conversations.

We have just finished bottling the milk. I put my boots on and hop into the tractor. Mum and Dad climb on behind me and then we drive up to the road where the public bus is.
We only have to wait about 10 minutes and then it arrives.

I sit by myself and think about school next week. We are doing Cross Country, I have never done it before.
I fall asleep, but next thing I know something tall goes past the window and as I focus I realise we are in the city! I always get really excited because it's so different from the farm.
Thousands of people and shops and buildings.

We get off the bus at the market and set up our stall with a big sign saying.
Fresh bottled Goat and Cow milk from the local farm.
Enjoy! Tasting available.

"Annica! How nice to see you." I hear a familiar voice call

"Sandy!! I haven't seen you in so long!" I reply "What would you like?"

"Two bottles of goats milk and one bottle of cows milk, thanks." Sandra says

"Your order mam." I say in an English accent, as I pass three bottles of milk over. "That would come to $16."

"Why thank you!"

Sandra homeschooled me for three years in primary school. She came to the farm six days a week and we became really close. Now we only see Sandra at the market and once a month when she visits us. I miss her, though she has a busy life now with two kids of her own.