Here For You

This Marks The End (1)

May, 1990
Summer Break
8:00-9:00 AM
Your POV
•-•-•-•-•

I stretch and yawn as I walk outside, heading over to the barn. I need to begin my daily chores, and I'm getting a late start today since my mother let me sleep in.

I presume that was because I went to bed late last night. I was doing my chores and yelling at Henry and his goons to get off of our property for around thirty minutes to an hour. Needless to say, they didn't leave until the authorities were called on them.

Before the cops came, however, they threw rocks while taunting me. Calling me a "metal-faced freak-show" and an "outcasted alien." They were aiming directly for my face, and even hit me a few times. I'm lucky my glasses didn't break, and that my injuries weren't that severe.

I only have a few cuts and bruises from where those sharp rocks had made impact with me. Whether it be my face or some other place, such as my arms or stomach.

The familiar smell of manure mixed with hay and feed, plus the flies buzzing around, welcomes me back into the barn. My nose scrunches up a bit at this, but I simply grab the snow shovel and get to work.

I set the pooper scooper, or the "shit scrubber" as I like to call it, down and lean it against a stall wall. My hand wraps around the lead and pulls it off of its hook, then I open the stall and enter.

I rub my horse's, Shelby's, nose before easing the lead around her neck. I gently have her follow me as I let her out into the field to graze.

After putting the lead back and propping the stall open, I grab the shit scrubber and walk inside once more. I take shovel-fulls of hay that needs to be replaced and the crap on the ground, tossing it into the huge dumpster outside the door.

Once I'm done with that, I take the hose and turn it on, cleaning anything that I missed down the drain. I turn the hose off and decide to wait for the stall to dry before putting in new hay.

I move onto the other stalls, or bigger pens, with the pigs and chickens. As I do this, Shelby's stall dries and I replace the hay and add more feed.

Closer to nine o'clock, I'm called back inside for breakfast.

I finish up everything here, including washing my hands off with antiseptic soap, before heading back to the house. Shelby can have more time to graze this way.

Wiping away the sweat on my forehead with the back of my arm, I stroll inside my home and stop dead in my tracks when I reach the kitchen.

"Father!" I exclaim, running into his opened arms as he laughs.

"Hello, son. How are ya this fine mornin'?" he asks me as we pull apart, and I see the broad smile planted on his face.

I can imagine my face mirroring his expression, as well. He was gone for around a month or so for work.

"I'm well, just workin' on some chores. Shelby's out in the fields, by the way," I tell him. Then I add, "How was yer trip?"

I assist mother in setting the table as my father sits down and sorts through some of his documents. He replies, "It was quite alright, YN. Thank you."