Kentucky Home

Chapter 6

Emma

We sit down at the table at Aunt Karen's to eat dinner. Neither of my parents have said much since the funeral. Dinner is quiet until my dad speaks up.

"Em. I need to ask you to do something for me." He has his hands folded on the table.

"Okay?" I mumble through bites.

"Your mom and I have to go back home."

"Right. As do I..."

"Well, that's the thing. We need you to stay and sell the house." Dad clears his throat.

I laugh at the idea. "You're joking," I look back and forth between the two of them. "Right?"

Mom chips in now. "No. We need you to do this for us. Your dad and I both have to get back to work."

I scoff. "You act like I don't have a job to get back to."

"Yes. We know you do, but unlike us, you can work from anywhere. It shouldn't take too long to sell this place. Do you know how many farmers want to buy this land?"

"Umm, all 4 of them?" I answer, sarcastically.

She tilts her head and glares at me through her lashes. "What I mean is, you won't be here very long. It'll be an easy sale and you can get back to Milwaukee."

I scoff. "And what if it doesn't...sell fast? You're not expecting me to stay until it does?"

"Honey. We can't afford someone to keep this much land up. We need you here to take care of it." Dad explains.

I lean back in my chair and cross my arms with a laugh. "Really? Because that's the most hilarious thing I've ever heard." Me? Take care of 30 acres of land?

"Randy, she has a point. Our girl was never for dirt and grass, much less 30 acres of it." My mom chuckles at the thought.

"Yes! Exactly, dad. Mom's right. I wouldn't even know where to start." I argue, optimistically.

"You've always been good about coming up with a solution just like you'll figure this out, too." My dad says with finality. I know that there's no arguing, so I let out a huff. "Fine, dad. Fine. But, don't expect me to come home wearing chaps and carrying a lasso."

That made my dad chuckle. "Dear, don't worry, I know you better than that."

I made the call to cancel my flight and to my boss letting him know what was going on. I would just work from here and fly out if I was needed for meetings.

The next morning I hugged my parents one last time before being left alone to fend for myself on what felt like a deserted island. It's like my own personal Survivor. I sat on the porch drinking my coffee watching the clouds roll in. I'd checked the weather, so I knew to expect rain.

After a pot of coffee, I did some work on the computer and made a few phone calls. Before the rain came in I needed to go check on the animals; something I'd never done before. I can barely keep a goldfish alive, and they expect me to take care of cattle.

The horses were already in the barn. I made sure they had plenty of food and water to get them through the storm. I'm assuming the cows in the field will find shelter if they need to because I'm not chasing after them and herding them into a barn.

I look at the barn before I walk back towards the house. "Hmm. I think I'm off to a good start." I brush my hands off on my jeans. Before I make it to the house, the rain starts to come down fast. I'm all but soaked as I step under the roof of the porch. "Wow! That came fast." I say to myself, looking at the dark sky. Thunder begins to roar through the open field and vibrate the wooden porch beneath me. I see a strike of lightening far out to the west, and the blades on the windmill are rotating much quicker.