Family

Chapter 11

When I wake Kate still in there. I knock on the door like Pa does and listen. She don't answer for a while, but when she does it's jus' loud enough for me to hear. "Hello?" She quiet 'cause she still tire, or she still scare.

"Kate? Are ya gon' tell Pa ya won't do it again?"

"Yes, but it doesn't mean I'm not going to do it again."

"I know. Jus' say it."

She don't say nothin' back, but I know she gon' do what she gotta do. I walk o'er to the beds and sit next to Mack. He jus' staring at the small door. I think he thinking about when he had to be in there. Four days in that room 'cause he made a mistake. It was the last time any o' the five o' us where in there.

It was two year agos. Mack and I were working in the barn. Claire jus' arrive and Megan and Sam were showing her all the places they like to play. Mack, at the time, jus' start to work wit me. And e'eryday he would complain 'bout not playing with the others. I try e'eryday to get him to stop talking in case Pa come in, but e'erytime he had to finish his rant.

"Why ain't we allow to play no more? I don't wanna work in the barn," he say. "I wanna play in the field like we used to 'fore the others came."

One day it went longer than he normally do. And he talk right up to when Pa walk into the barn.

"Whatcha saying, Mack?" Pa asked while standing behind Mack in the doorway. The sun shine behind Pa, and made his shadow longer than he really is. It almost reached our feet.

"Nothin', Pa," Mack said.

"Now, Mack, I believe ya said something 'bout working. Am I wrong?"

"No, Pa."

"Then why ya lie and say ya say nothin'?"

"Cause I don't want ya to know what I said."

"Well, I only got the end of whatcha say, what was the rest?"

"It ain't important. I'll get back to the horses."

"No, ya will tell me whatcha were saying that kept ya from the horses and ya work."

"It just...," Mack stopped 'fore telling Pa e'erything. He looked scare of what will happen if he tell Pa. But he also know something will happen if he don't tell Pa too. "It jus' ain't fair that Megan and Sam get to play, and now Claire too, but me and Annie gotta work e'eryday."

Pa smack him and grabbed him by the arm. Mack was dragged all the way back to the house. I followed them to make sure Mack don't get hurt 'long the way. Megan, Sam, and Claire see. They walk right behind me as Pa pulls Mack into the house. All the way to the house Mack was screaming at Pa. "I hate ya! Let go of me! Ya the worst Pa e'er! I ain't gonna work for ya no more! I wanna run away and leave on my own farm away from ya!"

 'Fore they enter the house, Pa slap Mack 'cross the face once more. It cause Mack to cry this time. Then, Pa continue to drag him through the house, down the cellar stairs. He told Pa he sorry all the way down the stairs, but Pa ne'er listened to him. He knew where he going. The one place he ne'er like. No one like it. The small room.