Surfing Midland (Complete/ First draught).

Chapter 23

The next few days were spent getting used to waking and heading straight into work, though as Trisha had promised she spent more time with me and taught me the basics of ranch work. There were a few things that continually tripped me up, like tying a knot in the rope, so it didn't slip. Time and again I was left frustrated, and for the hundredth time I threw the piece of line that Trisha had left me practising onto the ground, glaring at it and willing it to catch fire.

But it didn't, and the piece of rope continued to lay where it had landed, taunting me with its unknotted straightness. A nearby laugh distracted me from my work, Adrian came walking over with an amused look on his face. The first thing that popped into my mind was a rude comment, but I kept my mouth shut as I watched him pick up the rope I had been practising on and handed it back to me.

"The best way to practice knot tying is to wrap the rope around a post or pole, no use in trying to do it any other way 'cause you'll just end up frustrated and annoyed. Bring it over here." I took the rope and gave Adrian a doubtful look as I stood from where I had been sitting and went over to the pole he had indicated.

"Never try and tie knots in a rope just as is. Wrap the rope around and try it again, you'll see." Though I doubted Adrian was right, I did as was advised and tried to tie the knot again, but no matter how many times I did the knot always came out wrong.

After a few more failed attempts, Adrian took the rope off of me and gave me a look that I hadn't figured out yet. "Now, watch carefully." Was all he said to me as he wove the rope into some knot, I was still learning the names and wouldn't remember one off by heart anytime soon.

Adrian repeated the process a few more times, each time explaining over and again the same steps. As I tied the knot, Adrian guided my hands where I faltered, and by the end of it, I had accomplished one task. Tying a simple non-slip knot was a complicated thing, Adrian gave me a pat on the back and a congratulatory handshake as we both joked around.

I was a little giddy with happiness as I walked out of the barn waving the knotted piece of rope around, Trisha spotted me and began clapping as I walked towards her. Giving her the piece of rope once I reached her, she gave me a light pat on the back which had my chest swelling with pride at being able to accomplish something practical for once.

"Nice work Leah, do you think you're confident with that stuff now? I can show you how to do the more basic things in the horse barn?" Though I knew going anywhere near the horses most likely meant cleaning out their poo, I didn't mind and nodded eagerly as Trisha motioned for me to follow her.

"I know you don't want to learn how to muck out stalls, but that is one of the most important things when looking after animals. Not only do they need to be well fed and watered but also need a clean place to sleep and rest. During the day they can roam around in the fields, but at night they need a safe and clean place to rest, just like you and everyone else. So here, I left you a stall just to teach you how to muck it out." Though cleaning wasn't something I liked doing, I didn't want the bad thoughts to ruin my day and took the offered pitchfork and walked towards the stall Trisha had pointed out.

The smell wasn't so bad; I had imagined it to be worse for some reason. But the reality was that mucking one stall wasn't as backbreaking or dirty as I had thought, by the time I emerged from the booth pushing the wheelbarrow full of horse dung and old hay my happy mood had only increased.

Again Trisha gave me a pat on the back for a job well done, and again I felt my chest puff up a little. I had never been told that I had done such a good job, at least if I had it had never been said with such genuine enthusiasm and never with a pat on the back and a broad smile. More often then not there was no one around to congratulate me, pat me on the back or even acknowledge that I had done something.

"Come on in for lunch Leah; I'm sure you're hungry. Valerie! Lunchtime for you too!" I didn't argue with Trisha as she stood at the front door of the house, she had left me out in the horse barn with Sonia, and the both of us had continued moving hay bales around, polishing stirrups and just before lunch we had begun polishing leather.

I was sure my hair stank of polish, my fingernails were ruined. Dark brown polish had stained my fingers and nails, and no amount of scrubbing before lunch would remove it. Sonia told me it was just another thing she had adapted to; I guess I would need to as well. But as soon as I returned to California or went anywhere near a city I would make sure that I could get rid of it.

"So Leah, how are you finding work so far?" Declan asked from the head of the table. The entire family and ranch hands were all sitting at one, long table out on the deck. Even though there were a lot of people, it still felt small and cosy almost as everyone ate and chatted amongst themselves.

I was sitting close to Declan, so he wasn't interrupting any other conversations at the table when he directed his question at me. It didn't help my answer that everyone went quiet, you could hear a pin drop if it had. Everyone was waiting on my response, but all I could do was shrug my shoulders as if I were too cool to answer.

"It's okay," no one seemed satisfied with my answer, but Declan didn't question me any further. What could I say? I wasn't a huge fan of talking about my work; people could decide how good or how bad I was for themselves. It was the same with surfing; sure I had said a few times that I was decent at it, but mostly I left my surfing to speak for me.

"We need to work on expanding your vocabulary over the summer, that sort of answer just won't do." Adrian winked my way, I had a sudden urge to stick my tongue out at him, but instead, I laughed.

"Bite me." Was my response, no matter how hard I tried I couldn't keep a straight face and was smiling within two minutes of uttering the sentence. I don't know why I found it so amusing, but it didn't help as Adrian began laughing as well. His laugh though wasn't like mine. Usually, I forced a laugh or two, but Adrian's was full bellied and natural.