Family

Chapter 4

Me and Mack use to swim in here 'fore Pa gave us work. Now we jus' work in the barn a lot. When we swam, there a rope we swing on. It hang on a tree and it reach o'er the water. Once we got high enough, we let go and fall in the cold water. It a lot o' fun. But now we watch Megan, Sam, and Claire play 'round. Claire and Sam walk along the edge and pick up rocks. Claire in her light blue dress, with a black ribbon 'round her dress. She got leggings under to keep from showing her underwear. And she wearing her black shoes with two buckles. Her shoulder length brown hair get in her way, she try to push it out, but it fall again. She use the rock next to her to get farther down the edge to stand next to Sam. He stand right next to the water where there the most rocks. He jus' wear a long sleeve shirt and a pair o' black plants. And his black work boots. Sam's blonde hair look lighter next to the creek. The water sparkle in front 'em as they throw rocks in. Sam try to skip 'em, but Claire jus' follow him and throw the rocks as far she can. She ain't old enough to know how to skip. Mack try and teach her last time, but she forget.

Megan jus' sit at the edge o' the water and stare. I don't know what she look at, but it mus' be pretty 'cause she ne'er look away. I walk o'er to her and sit. Try to find what o'er on the other side. "There nothin' there, Megan."

"There something."

"What?'

"Only I can see it."

"Why that?"

"'Cause I made it up."

"Well, what ya see?"

"It a horse."

"Why ya think about a horse, we got three at home?"

"'Cause I ne'er seen one like this. It different. This one got spots like cows, but the spots are purple. The mane and tail is purple too. The rest is yellow."

"A yellow and purple horse. Do ya want to keep this horse?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"'Cause this horse is wild. Ya can't keep a wild horse." I sit quiet and look where she see her horse. We jus' sit and stare. Say nothin. Just sit. And stare. Mack walk o'er and sit next to us. But then Sam call Megan o'er to throw rocks.

"I worry," Mack say.

"Stop, Pa and Ma know what they do."

"But what if-"

"Don't. They wouldn't. Ma say they done."

"She say she done with Megan."

"It won't change anything if they do."

"Yes it do." He right, it do. When Claire come less space and food. We had to help her learn. We all come when we 'bout one. That how new children work. All five o' us. No other way for it. When I younger, I ask Ma for a older sister like in a book I read. She say, "We can't get someone older than one. It not how this work." Now I the older sister. I think 'bout the character in the book and how she care for her younger sister. I do the same she do. Her sister listen to her good when she care for her like this. So I follow her way. It work good. It helps when Claire cry. She going, so she cry a lot.

"But we figure it out. We be okay if they do."

"I hope they don't. I like our family now. We full and good," he say serious. I sit quiet and think what it be like with another. Where they sleep? A boy or girl? Do they eat lot? Will they help me and Mack? Well, they be too young to help. It be another kid playing. Oh well.

The bell ring to come inside. Claire and Sam sad now. Megan hold their hands. We walk together to the house.

Dinner already set on the table. Pa sit in his chair. Looking at the food. I think he thinkin. What he think 'bout? What they do today? Once Ma sit after us, he do the same he do e'ery night: fill his plate, take bite, say it delicious. Then we eat. What scares us 'bout dinner is the silence and the food. We are our favorite meal Ma make. Spaghetti and meatballs. She make the meatballs herself. Mack look at me. He look the same as find out Claire coming. Ma told us her name during dinner the night 'fore she came. Me and Mack done this three times together. But I done it four.