Farm Stay

Chapter 2

Ethan's POV.

"Ethan! Come set the dinner table!"

I look up from the garden hoe at Mum's voice. "Coming!" I yell back.

In the distance, the sun's dropping over the horizon, indicating another day's work over. Sometimes it feels really weird working for my parents, how I have a good relationship with my bosses. I guess it benefits me a lot, because they understand me and how I think. I should probably be more thankful.

As I enter the back door, the flurry of everything hits me like a concrete wall. Everything's so busy and stressful, unlike out in the barns and fields and gardens. It's just me, myself and my iPod shuffle when I'm working. I'm one of those guys who would rather keep to himself or spend time alone than socialise and spend all day lazing around with mates. Not that I don't have any, it's just they're 30 kilometres away and it's really a nuisance for Mum to drive all that way for me to sit in their living rooms trying to figure out how to work a Wii remote.

I move uncomfortably through the dining room where everyone – as in my three sisters, two sets of grandparents, four cousins, three aunties and two uncles – is getting chores done, lost in the heck of it.

I finally stumble into the kitchen, grabbing the table cloth and cutlery trays (we need trays because there are so many of us). A hand grabs my shoulder just as I'm almost out the door way.

"Thanks for that, Ethan," Mum says with a smile. "I'm just telling you now, we are having people over tonight. Later, because it was sort of organised last-minute. So I'm letting you off your evening chores, I need you to reorganise the second living room and set up four beds there. Is that okay with you?"

Great, more guests! I seriously thought we were a full house, but it seems as though Mum has other ideas. "Got it. I'll start straight after dinner."

Relief fills her eyes, and she gives me a soft smile. "I knew I could count on you."

"Um... Who's gonna do my chores?"

"Oh, I'll find someone to do them. I mean, we have nineteen people here at the moment, how could it not get done?"

I laugh with her while walking out the door.

•••••

Hannah's POV

The car trip there is full of tension. After Tom got home, Maria informed him of the situation and where everyone was at. He wasn't too pleased, but helped us pack anyway. Tom's still pretty pissed, but I don't blame him.

The trip will take three hours, which means we will have to survive by watching a movie and a half. Jack and I are watching Jaws, and old favourite of his, on my laptop in the back seat. It's one of our favourite things to do – watch a movie together. I have to persuade him to watch a few chic flicks, because hey, who doesn't like a cliche story line every so often? Next on my list is The Other Woman. I'm thinking Jack will like it, because it is pretty funny.

The sun set about half an hour ago, so the sky is gradually growing darker. My eyes start to get sore from the bright light, and I pull my jacket on to stop the chill of the evening from getting to me. It's an odd night, I guess – usually Summer nights are balmy and warm. Not the case tonight though.

Halfway through the second movie, Tom pulls up to an old gate the opens to a long, winding driveway that drags someway beside paddocks and fields, then up to a large farm house in the distance.

•••••

Ethan's POV.

The couches have been moved to the side of the room, the rug out into the storage cupboard, and spar mattresses into the centre with a gap running through the middle to create two beds for for people. It was a pretty easy job, looking back at it, but I'm still pretty proud of it. Not often I get to become a floor planner.

The rumble of a car engine snaps me back to reality. I can hear Mum's excited mumbling and gasps. I wander into the living room to see all of my sisters and cousins trying to play chess in teams (just a little difficult when there's seven of you). None of them acknowledge my presence, as usual, so I just flop down onto the sofa.

Mia, my smallest sister (only eight years old) comes and joins me. I let her onto my lap and turn her to face me.

"Ethan, why does Mum have to let more people stay at our house?" she asks with a sigh. "I mean, our house is already full. Doesn't that mean anything to her?"

"Yeah, I thought the same thing. But I guess we'll survive, won't we?"

"Uh-huh..." she trails off.

"Maybe you'll make some friends?" I say, trying to enlighten the situation.

She gives me a playful glare along with a shove. "You know I'm not good at making friends!"

"Okay, okay!" I laugh. That's probably why I love Mia so much. She's not as out-going as Hillary and Sally, our other sisters. We both keep to ourselves, except when we're around each other of course, and takes life as it comes. We understand each other almost more than ourselves.

Just now Mum walks in the door with a couple about her age, a teenage girl and little boy. The girl and boy look dressy and almost sophisticated, not to mention freaked out by the house. I don't blame them, though – we really love our country stuff.

"So this is all our family, we have quite a lot staying with us at the moment."

The guy's eyes widened while the girl's jaw almost hit the floor. The parents just smile at all of us, the mum's eyes so full of excitement you'd think she'd burst into tears of happiness any second. Their eyes skim over all of us, taking each person in briefly.

"So... These are all your kids?" the girl trails off.

"Oh, no!" Mum laughs. "They're not all mine – I only have four children, these are cousins who are leaving in a week. Don't worry, they're pretty good at sharing a house." The adults have a laugh, before Mum turns her attention to us. "Um, do you guys want to let..."

"Hannah and Jack," the little boy interrupts.

"Right! Can Hannah and Jack join in? I'm sure they won't mind," she tells them.

Their Mum gives them a little shove towards the kids swarming around the coffee table. "Go on, I need some time to catch up with Sonya."

They slowly walk towards the group of kids, who are eying them cautiously. By now, the parents have left the room to chat int he kitchen.

"Okay... So what are you guys doing?" Hannah asks, raising an eyebrow.

"We're playing chess."

"In teams."

"But it's really hard because there's seven of us."

Mia decides to speak up. "It's okay, I'll stop playing."

"Thanks, Mia," one of my cousins says. "So do you wanna play with us?"

"What's chess?" asks a confused Jack. Hannah looks equally confused.