Family

Chapter 3

I wake, the others still sleep. I sit up and wait for my eyes to adjust to the little light. The bulb is on. Ma mus' be awake. I walk up stairs, looking around the room on the other side of the door. Make sure Pa ain't there yet. But it jus' Ma in the kitchen. I use to sneak up here and help Ma with breakfast before Pa come to let me out the sleep room. "Ma," I whisper for her. She walk o'er to me. Wearing her white nightgown with small red flowers and her favorite slippers.

"Annie, what ya doing? Pa don't like ya up here early." She try push me back in the door.

"Ma, please, I wanna help ya with breakfast like we use to." She stop pushing. Her eyebrows raise. Sad and confuse.

"What," she ask me in a whisper.

"Like we use to." Tears fill her eyes. "Ma?"

"C'mon." I follow her to the kitchen. "Can ya get the flour?" We whisper to keep from waking the others. We work quiet and quick. E'erything is finish 'fore I wake the others. "Pa can't see ya. Wake the others and get 'em ready for breakfast." I go down and see Mack sit up in his bed.

"Why ya upstairs?"

"'Cause I help Ma."

"Ya don't e'ery morning."

"How ya know?"

"'Cause I wake when ya do."

"I only did it today."

"Pa don't like that."

"I know. Ma sent me down 'fore he came."

"Breakfast ready?" He change the subject 'cause he know the risk it I take for this.

"Yeah, help me wake the others." We work together and get 'em dress. Claire want to wear her favorite dress but she already wear it this week. I find her other favorite and get her to wear it. Mack got Sam dress. And Megan dress herself. We sit and wait for Pa to let us out.

When we upstair Ma smile at me. She keep it from Pa. If he know he get mad. I don't smile back 'cause Pa lookin' at us. He keep lookin', ne'er look away. No look on his face tell me why he won't move his head. Then his mouth open. "When ya done with the horses, y'all can play by the creek," he say. We jus' nod and sit quiet. Megan, Sam, and Claire get happy 'bout this. Me and Mack look at each other. Pa don't let us go to the creek a lot. When we do, something change at home.

Me and Mack don't hurry to get our chores done. He wash Bean and I wash Chance. Then, we work on Lilip together. Mack keep looking at me e'erytime he get a chance. I think he scared of what happening. "Stop worrying, Mack"

"I can't. E'erytime-"

"I know, but it ne'er hurt us."

"Last time Lilip came."

"Maybe we get another horse."

"I doubt it."

"Why?"

"'Cause we already got three. Pa don't got enough space for another." I look 'round. There only three stalls. We can't have another horse or Pa have to make another barn.

We work silent now. We hear Megan, Sam, and Claire play outside. Mack look at me again when Claire scream. He scare Pa may hear. I put my brush down and run outside. Claire on the ground with her arms crossed. Sam try to get her to calm down. "I sorry Claire, I didn't mean to hit you." He beg her to be quiet and listen to him. Megan just stand and look for Pa or Ma. They ain't coming, but she keep look. I walk o'er quick.

"What ya do," I ask Sam.

"I ran and she didn't move."

"Why ya running at her?"

"I the dragon."

"Claire. What hurt?"

Through her tear she point to her leg. There a small scratch and it red. "Sam hurt me."

"I didn't mean to, Claire. I sorry."

'Fore Claire say anything, I ask her to come to the barn with me. No need for her to cry out here where Pa can see. "But I can't walk, my leg hurt." She didn't break anything, but I still carry her. She ain't as light as she use to be. She getting big. I tell her that once, but she got sad 'cause it. "I alway be small, Annie. I don't wanna work. I alway be small." She know if she grow she has to work with me and Mack.

As we walk to the barn, Mack stand at the door. He got band-aids in his hand. "Hey, Claire, got hurt did ya?"

"Yeah, Sam ran at me."

"But he say he didn't mean to," I remind her as I put her atop a box.

"He probably didn't," Mack tell her.

"But he didn't move 'round me."

"Where ya the prince," I ask her.

"Yeah, so what?"

"Well maybe he follow the story. Ya and him had to fight, right?" While she tell me today's story, Mack clean her leg and put band-aids on it.

"Next time, when a dragon fly to ya, get out the way," Mack tell her.

"Okay," she said while she jump down. "Wait, Pa didn't hear?"

"No, ya all good," I tell her. Once she run out the barn, me and Mack get our work done. We need to get to the creek soon. Ma don't like us there when it dark. After we let the horses out the barn, me and Mack put all our stuff away. Then we find the others and walk down to the creek. It warm today, but it colder by the water.