Family

Chapter 13

It been a few weeks. Mack do as he told. Claire don't ask no more. I think she forgot 'bout it. Megan and Sam still play. E'eryone doing the same as they did, but Kate. She different now. I think she know she ain't going nowhere. She understand this her family. She ask me and Mack what she can do to help. She say she don't wanna play with 'em, and sitting 'round doing nothing ain't no fun. She help with the third horse. We always wanted another person for the horses, but we didn't want to push anyone from doing what they want. We were gonna wait 'till Megan got older.

It took Kate a day to learn e'erything in the barn. She a quick learner I guess.

She been working with us for a week now. She work jus' as fast too. We all get done at the same time. And with her help we get to have more time to ourselves. Lately me and Mack don't know what to do with that time. So we jus' sit and watch the young ones play. Ma make us lemonade sometimes.

"Annie, when did you get here," Kate ask. I was thrown off by this question 'cus no one ever ask me 'bout when I arrive.

"When I was a baby like e'eryone else," after saying this I remember she didn't come when she was young. I quickly fix it. "Well, 'cept ya. Ya came late."

"Why did I come late?"

"I ain't got the slightest idea, Kate. Would ya rather be taken when ya were younger?" She look at the lemonade in her hand, sad. "I sorry. I didn't mean to make ya sad. Ya don't need to answer that."

"I use to go to school."

"School? What that like? I read 'bout it in magazines but I ain't got a clue what it like."

"You never went to school?"

"Nah, Pa and Ma taught us all we need. We also needed 'round here. We ain't got time for school."

"Well, you're missing out in an education. You're missing the fun of learning about going to school. I mean it's 2018 and there is so much that has happened that we can learn about. The world is big and has so much to it. Learning is always so much fun." Her face go sad again.

"Why ya sad again? Learning sound nice."

"It is. But I didn't appreciate it until now. I use to fight my parents to not make me go. I would fake being sick sometimes so I didn't have to go. But being here makes me realize that it was so important and special."

"I sorry."

"Why are you sorry?"

"'Cause ya can't go back to school. Ya came here late so ya had to see the world outside o' our family. Now ya gotta change to our living. I wish ya came earlier."

"I don't."

"Why not," Mack said 'fore I could say nothing. He been sitting there silently listening while staring at the fields.