Doorknob's.
Nick Barkley sat in the parlor staring into the fireplace. Heath was walking by when Nick grinned real big. Heath was sure he knew what Nick was thinking. Nick watched his brother leave the room and go outside. He then went outside and got a bucket of axle grease. He carried the grease into the house and up the stairs. Starting with Heath's room, he rubbed the grease on the doorknob. After Heath's, he did Audra's and Jarrod's doorknobs too.
Heath was in the barn unsaddling his horse. When Heath finished unsaddling his horse he went to the house. Heath went upstairs to his room, he put his hand on the doorknob and started to turn it, but found that he couldn't. Heath looked down at the sticky axle grease on his hand. He took a bandanna out of his pocket and wrapped it around the doorknob. He was able to turn the it and walked into his room. Heath sat on his bed, wiped the grease off his hand. He wondered what he was going to do to get even with Nick. Then he got an idea. Getting up, he walked to Nick's room and went in. Heath pulled the pins out of the hinges on Nick's door. Heath had to crawl out the window. He then went to the barn and got the bucket of axle grease. Heath carried it upstairs and put some on Nick's doorknob. Then wiped the grease off Jarrod and Audra's doorknobs.
Nick was tired when he got back to the ranch. It was almost time for dinner, so he went up stairs to clean up. Nick grabbed his doorknob and started to turn it, but he realized that he couldn't. He tried again, but the doorknob still wouldn't turn. Now his fingers were covered with axle grease. Nick lost his temper and kicked the door. He was shocked when it fell off its hinges.
Victoria came running up the stairs to see what had happened. Heath was walking behind her.
"Nick, what was that noise?" Victoria questioned him.
"The door, it fell," Nick answered her.
"What caused it to fall?" Victoria asked.
"I kicked it." Nick looked like a child being punished.
"Fix it," Victoria commanded her son. With that, Victoria walked down the stairs and to the kitchen.
"Here, you may need these." Heath handed the pins to Nick, and then walked down the stairs.
Nick looked at them for a minute and then yelled, "Heath Barkley! You're going to regret that!"
A STICKY MESS.
Nick grinned as he put flour on Heath's pillow. He didn't put a lot on it, just enough to turn Heath's hair white. Then he quickly left the room.
That night when Heath went to bed, he thought something smelled funny. But he was so tired that he didn't worry about. He fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.
The sun wasn't shining when Nick walked out of his room carrying a small jar. He went straight to Heath's room, opened the door and quietly walked to his brother's bed.
Heath could feel something dripping onto his head, but he wasn't quite awake yet so he didn't know what was happening. Whatever it was continued to bug him, so he took his pillow and covered his face. That was when he was finally fully awake. He threw the pillow off his head and glared at Nick who stood laughing.
Nick hadn't expected Heath to cover his face with his pillow, and couldn't help but laugh when Heath threw the pillow. He laughed harder when he saw that his brother's face was white.
Heath jumped out of his bed and chased the now running Nick. Victoria, Audra and Jarrod woke up to the sound of laughter and the thud of running feet. They all got out of bed to see what was happening.
Heath cornered Nick in the gun room.
"Nick I'm going to make you regret that!" Heath yelled at his brother.
Nick couldn't answer his brother because he was laughing so hard. Victoria, Jarrod and Audra walked into the room at that moment.
"What is going on? Victoria's stern voice interrupted Heath who was still yelling.
Heath slowly turned to face Victoria. He pointed to his face and said, "Tis is what's going on. Nick poured honey on my face!"
Audra, Jarrod and even Victoria started laughing. Heath wondered what his face looked like.
"Heath,go upstairs and clean up. Nick calm down," Victoria spoke in as stern a voice as possible, but was finding it hard to keep from laughing.
Nick couldn't stop laughing and his sides were starting to hurt. There was no way Heath would be able to top that one.
The next morning Heath got up early. He went to the barn and saddledhis horse. Then he went back inside to the kitchen. There he got a jar of honey and bowl full of flour. Heath quietly walked back up the stairs and to Nick's room. Once in Nick's room,Heath walked to his brother's bed and opened the jar of honey. With the honey in one hand and the flour in the other,he poured the honey on Nick's head. Nick shot up in bed, but before he could do anything, Heath dumped the flour on his head.
Heath ran down the stairs and out the door with Nick following close behind. Heath jumped on his horse and rode out as fast as he could. Looking back, he could see a white faced Nick waving his fist in the air. Heath laughed until his sides hurt.
BACK TO WHERE WE STARTED.
Later that day, Heath came home for lunch. He led Charger to the barn. The barn door was closed which was unusual. They usually left it open because they were constantly going in and out of the barn. Heath pushed the door open and was shocked when cold water was dumped on his head. Looking up, he could see that some one had hung a bucket of water up there. Laughter told him who that someone was.
Nick walked out from behind the hay bales that he had been hiding behind. Heath walked towards his brother. Nick backed up until he couldn't back up any further. Grabbing him by the arm, Heath twisted it behind Nick's back. Nick couldn't get away from his brother because he was laughing so hard. Heath took Nick straight to the water trough and pushed him in.
Nick came up still laughing as Heath just stood there with his arms crossed. Nick suddenly grabbed Heath by the arm and dragged him into the water trough. Heath sat in the water trough for a moment just glaring at Nick who sat just across from him. Nick also glared at Heath. They sat there like that until Silas hollered that lunch was ready.
Victoria was not happy when she saw her two wet sons walking through the kitchen.
"Nick and Heath Barkley! How dare you walk through the house soaking wet!"
Victoria's voice caused Nick and Heath to jump. Both brothers started to explain, but Victoria silenced them.
"Go outside and wait by the door." She pointed at the door as she spoke.
Nick and Heath obediently walked outside. Victoria brought them clothes a few minutes later and they changed in the bunkhouse.
TRUCE
"I think it's time for you two to call it a truce," stated Victoria.
Nick and Heath both looked at her for a moment.
"Alright, we'll call it a truce," Heath agreed.
Victoria nodded her head and then turned to Nick.
Nick was reluctant at first and then broke under Victoria's glare. "Alright," Nick finally agreed.
After lunch, the two brothers went out to their horses. Both brothers put a foot in the stirrup and went to swing on, but both saddles fell sideways.
"Nick!"
"Heath!"
They had both forgotten that they had loosened the each other's cinch.
The End.
