Just for You

Chapter 2 - Day One

I glance at the clock for the fifty millionth time.

5:17 am.

My first night in my new home hasn't started off so well. I hardly slept last night. I was so cold that I nearly froze to death! And the mice made so much noise, how could I be expected to sleep? I decide that the first thing I was going to do was go into town and buy myself a heater. What time is it?

5:18 am.

That's it! I'm getting up. I slip out of the covers and wince as my feet touch the cold floor. I put on three layers of clothes from my suitcase which is still on the floor and slip out of my room. As I pass Dad's room I can hear him snoring away. How does he do that?

I am finally out of the house and I am so glad that I am wearing all this. It's freezing! The first thing I notice is the old chicken coop beside the house to the left. Then I look up and see the sables and the fields beyond that. How big is this place? The stables seem to back onto a shed. It must be the shearing shed. Dad better not go ahead and buy a bunch of sheep for the family to sheer together! Not happening! I think I might run away if that's what Dad's idea of farm life is!

I really miss my friends. I can hardly wait to get on my laptop and catch up with them. Hang on, do we even have internet. Probably not. Crap.

I go for a wander. Check out the water tank and the vegetable patch full of weeds. I am dreading having to fix this place up.

As I look inside the stables I remember the first time I rode a horse. It was at a fair and the lady said I had a good seat, whatever that was. I remember seeing Dad's face as he watched me walking by. He hated horses. He loved cows and sheep and chickens and all other aspects of a farm, but horses, he wouldn't go near them.

I see a few old bits of leather and some horse shoes but nothing very interesting. My stomach rumbles. Do we even have anything for breakfast? I head back to the house to find out.

It turns out that Dad decided to get up at six so he was already in the kitchen making bacon and eggs. I am relieved to find that they we're expectable and not to burnt. Todd is still asleep and I envy him, so I set about telling Dad all the negative that I had collected about my room.

“I'll help you move all your furniture around today, Phoebe.” Dad promises, “ And we'll clean out the fireplace too so that we can light it each night.”

“It won't reach my room.” I reply.

“It will, you'd be surprised.”

I roll my eyes to heaven, which sets Dad off with a passion.

“Phoebe Davidson! We are going to make this place work and you are going to cooperate. I know you're taking this hard but I want you to snap out of it! NOW! Would you rather go live with your mum? The party girl?”

“Yes!”

“And have her come home drunk every night?? Oh no! I'm not letting you go live with that old witch! This is your new home and you're going to get use to it and make new friends and enjoy the peace and quiet and you're going to pull yourself together! And we are starting right now, young lady! You are going to help me clean the house today and you're not going to sulk in your room until you're finish!”

Wow. I have never seen Dad so angry before. He turns around to face the stove and takes a deep breath. I decide to back down.

“Ok.”

He nods and points to a list on the kitchen table. “Pick a job and get to it.”

And so I do. I write my name next to “clean the bedrooms”, find a broom, duster and some window cleaner and head upstairs.

My heater can wait.