A Solder's Tale (Book 1 of Something Series) (Completed)

Chapter 10 (Edited)

I had to agree with her that I was evil, well not really evil. The Army had straightened me up, and I was going to teach them why they shouldn't try and mess with me. I shrugged my shoulder. "Not that evil," I replied. "Just hard on people."

She nodded her head. "Well, I need to get papers setup for the new client. She should be here, soon." She looked at me, a frown on her face. "You're still up for helping her out, yes?"

I nodded my head. "What's her name? The newcomer?"

Bellie frowned a bit. "I think her name is Marisol something. I'll check my papers and get back to you." She looked at where the men had taken off. "What will you be doing, while they are running?"

I shrugged my shoulder. "Tack needs to be cleaned and straightened, correct? I know that you have trouble keeping all that cleaned and straightened."

Bellie rolled her eyes, smiling a little. "No, I'm not," she said, scoffing a bit. "However, yes, it does need to be cleaned and straightened. Also, the floors could use a good sweeping."

I nodded my head. "I'll start on that and then get the rest of them to help when they're done." I frowned a bit. "The supplies are still where they used to be?"

Bellie nodded her head. "I didn't change that much from when you were here." A small smile appeared on her face. "It reminds me of you, so I kept most of it the same."

I nodded my head, not knowing what she meant by that. "Well, I'll start getting the stuff done. When is your kid supposed to be here?"

Bellie scoffed, teasingly. "Don't tell me you forgot her name."

I smirked. "Not in a million years, Bellie. Not in a million years." With that, I walked to the main barn, where the tack was.

***

10 minutes had passed, and I had washed and oiled three saddles and two bridles, waiting on the five boys. My best guess, was that they hadn't completed the running and just stayed in a spot until 10 minutes have passed.

They're going to see how hard I can be, I thought silently as I cleaned. At least they will start to act better than they have been, when I'm done with them.

There was a small knock on the door, and I looked up to see Addy, smiling happily. Her brown hair was in braided pigtails, and she was carrying a journal.

I smiled at her and nodded for her to come in. "How are you doin', Adds?" I asked, coming up with a nickname for her.

'Good,' she signaled as she walked into the room. She frowned and looked around. 'What are you doing?'

I held up a sponge, letting her see it. "Making sure that the saddles and bridles are cleaned and not dirty or nasty," I replied. "Would you like to help?"

Addy nodded her head and smiled. She sat down next to me, and I handed her a bridle, a sponge, and two rags, before putting the two buckets in the middle. One was filled with soapy water while the other was filled clean water. I, also, placed down the leather oil in the middle.

"Ok, first take your sponge and place it in the soapy water. Squeeze it out before rubbing it on the bridle. The only thing that you don't use the dirty sponge is on the bit." I pointed to the metal piece that was on the bridle. "That goes in their mouth. You use the clean water and sponge for that." I pointed to the sponge in the water. "After it's cleaned, you use the rag to wipe the soap off of the bridle." I held up a rag. "With the other rag, you put it in the leather oil and rub it into the leather, again, not the bit. Got it?"

Addy nodded her head, smiling at me. She took the sponge and placed it in the soapy water, before starting to work on the bridle.

I watched her for a couple of minutes, before I went back to the saddle that I was working on before she had came in. I heard someone clear their throat, but I ignored them as I continued to work.

"Yo, Captain," José said. "We're done with the three miles."

Still, I ignored them, signalling Addy to stay silent and not to pay attention them. I glanced at her to see a nod, before going back to work.

There was a cough and then a couple of people shuffled around. The silence started to get tense as they looked at me.

"Dude, I think he knows," one of them said.

"No, Herberto, he doesn't. He's just playing with us," José replied.

"Well, I think he does," another said. "Come on, Herberto, let's get the 3 miles done before he makes us do the whole length of the property. I don't want to do that."

"Ya, I'm with you, Antonio," Herbotro said. "How about you, Juan?"

"Sí," the male, Juan said. I heard shuffling. and I knew that they had left.

"Lo siento, José," someone else said before he left.

"Idiota, (Idiot)," José said before following them out of the tack room and going to do those 3 miles.

I snorted and looked at Addy, smiling a little. "They don't know that I tried pulling that off multiple times. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. However, they don't need to know that. Got it?"

Addy smiled and nodded her head. 'Got it,' she said before starting to get back to work.

I chuckled a little before starting to work again, also.