Desolation

Vegetables and Adventures

Knock knock knock.

I sit up and stretch slowly in my bed, the sunlight streaming in between the wooden shutters.

Knock knock knockknockknock--

The banging on my window which had woken me up grows louder and louder, and faster and faster, until I can't stand it any longer. 

"Fine! I'm coming, you pests," I mumble as I half fall out of my bed. "Can't a lady get some decent sleep these days?" I undo the latch and push open the window with a huff, blinking at the bright sunlight.

"Jessa! Finally! We were beginning to think that you were dead!" Merry teases, his head poking out of a rather prickly-looking bush. 

"It's practically noon, Jessa," Pippin complains from his perch in the dirt, "and we've been waiting for you to wake up for ages."

I yawn, and made a big show of stretching my arms, hitting both Merry and Pippin in the head. "And you couldn't've waited any longer? I'm exhausted from the party last night-- or did you forget washing all those dishes?"

"How could I? My arms were about to fall off!" Merry says, massaging his arms dramatically. "Who knew washing dishes was so much work?"

"Besides, now we're going to smell like soap for weeks," Pippin adds, grimacing. "But, Jessa, really, we've got big plans for today. And you're the most important part."

"Hey! You said that I had the most important part! Liar!" Merry tries to grab Pippin, forgetting about the bush he's sitting in. "Ouch!" He yelps, then tries to stand up. Pippin and I laugh as he struggle and squirms for a minute, until finally he gives up. "A little help?" He asks sheepishly.

I roll my eyes. "I'm going to get ready. If Pippin can pull you out before Momma wakes up and loads me with chores, I'll go help you with your plans."

"Thank--" Pippin starts to say, but I slam the shutters shut before he can finish.

"Those rascals," I mutter fondly as I start to change, listening to them argue as they try to get Merry unstuck. 

I grab a pastry from the kitchen, stopping at the counter to write Momma a quick note.

Went with Merry and Pippin. Be home for supper. Love you! J

Then I leave, without a glance behind.

I walk around the house to my window, just in time to see Pippin give one final pull, yanking Merry out of the bush. He lands with a groan and lies on the soft grass unmoving. 

"Did you kill him?" I tease, nudging his leg with my foot. Merry raises his head off the ground, squints tiredly at me, then collapses back on the ground. 

"Oh, he's fine, I'm sure." Pippin says, pulling thorns out of his shirt.

"Easy for you to say. You didn't get stuck in a bush!"

"No, I was smart enough not to hide in a thorn bush, unlike someone I know."

"Alright, so where are we headed?" I break up the boys's bickering. "We better get going before Momma wakes up or I'll be in over my head with chores." 

"Oh, yes! Well, we saw Farmer Maggot at the party last night--"

"And we know he had at least a few too many to drink--"

"So we thought that today--"

"Would be the perfect day to nab us some vegetables!"

"Are you in?"

"Am I in? Do you know me at all?" I begin to skip down the road. "Let's go get us some carrots!"

"And mushrooms!" Pippin adds.