Adventures in Berry Picking
Rated- K
Summary: Mike is about to learn picking berries with the help of a four year old, Rama, isn't an easy task.
Disclaimer: I do not own the monopoly of the ninja turtles of any age. I do own Rama though she refuses to admit to it. Ramiela: I have told you before I resent that wording; I am not a dog to be owned. I'm more like a cat I have staff.
None of them had expected to return to the farm house only two and a half months after leaving it behind, but sometimes there are things that happen in life that just can't be planned for, they pop up unexpectedly and need to be dealt with none the less.
So it was that a run of bad luck seemed to bring about the decision to return to the farm for a few weeks.
Shortly after Leo and Karena had married, Don ended up getting a broken leg during a battle with the Foot Soldiers, a hard blow to the back of the legs occurring at just the right, or wrong moment if you prefer, when Don lost his balance. The dampness of the sewers was making it almost difficult for the cast to do its job.
Then there was Karena, who was suffering through her first trimester of her pregnancy, her morning sickness combined with feeling rather fatigued worried and concerned Leo, who did his best to help his wife and keep her comfortable, while still trying to do his own duties and patrol the city with one man out of the equation.
The third run of bad luck, was Ramiela the lively active four year old, had caught a vicious virus of some kind, and while most of it had moved on she continued to cough and sneeze in spite of all their herbal medication, and remedies to put the last bit to rest.
At any rate all of these things seemed to almost demand a chance for fresh air and sunshine, especially as the winter months were quickly closing in, so the family returned to the farm house to take up residence in their human friend's home.
Rama of course was delighted to be back on the farm, and had perked up almost immediately; it was now just after breakfast and Rama went over to take Karena's hand pulling on it.
"Aunt Karena" she sing-songed merrily, "You wants to come play with me." she pleaded giving her Aunt the usual wide, disarming smile and slightly sad but hopeful gaze.
Karena leaned back in her chair, raising the tea cup for a sip, before giving the young girl an indulgent smile " I wish I could honey, but I think I better stay here" Karena replied rubbing her belly.
Rama sulked as she sniffed and then coughed " Please come play with me." She begged.
" Maybe later today Rama, morning just isn't a good time for me" Karena apologized.
Mike came into the dining room to clear the breakfast dishes, just as Rama started her full out routine to con her Aunt into giving in.
" Ramiela" he scolded sharply, " You leave your Aunt alone. You know better, no means no" Mike informed her sternly.
" But daddy" Rama protested, " I wants someone to play wit."
Mike smiled as he reached out to mess her short dark hair, he smiled as he realized a diversion might be in order, he quickly offered a suggestion that might appease her " Tell you what Rama, I'll get these dishes cleaned up and then maybe we can pack a picnic. I know of some berry bushes not far from here and we can go pick them if they are ripe that is."
Rama beamed as she suddenly sneezed, she sniffed " Picnic, yeah daddy, can we go? Can I help you daddy?" Rama chirped quickly forgetting Karena to rush towards her father.
" Of course you can help me honey" Mike winked at his sister-in-law " That ought to keep her out of your way Karena, at least until sometime this afternoon when you are better able to handle her."
" Thanks Mike I do owe you for this" Karena sighed with relief.
" Think nothing of it Karena, last thing you need is a kid hounding you, after all in a few months you will be unable to get away from it." Mike teased his eyes dancing with amusement.
" Don't remind me." Karena muttered, " I wonder if it is a boy or girl."
" Don't think Leo cares, long as you give him one." Mike mused.
" Daddy are we going?" Rama demanded sharply.
" All right all ready Rama hold your horses." Mike laughed as he headed toward the kitchen,.
" I don't have horses daddy."
Mike quickly finished the breakfast dishes then packed some sandwiches, juice, water, cookies, bananas, and pears into a pack and found two buckets.
" All right Rama you carry the buckets and I'll take the pack of goodies and we are on our way." Mike announced as he ushered Rama out of the house and towards the perfect berry bushes in the meadow.
Rama typically forged ahead on the path or then fell behind Mike to inspect items of various interest such as bugs crawling through the grass, rocks, or meadow flowers that slowed her down considerably, luckily Mike wasn't in much of a hurry, which was probably a good thing as Rama often called him back to see the wonderful treasures she had found. Other times she would scoop up her prize and run after Mike squealing " Daddy looks" with such joy and excitement.
Mike would agree it was the prettiest flower, feather or rock he had ever seen, " This is for me? Really? Why I am impressed that is wonderful, look at how pretty it is" Mike exclaimed totally excited and thrilled with each treasure.
Rama stood looking up with an ear to ear grin, hopping on both feet with joy that her dad enjoyed these gifts so, encouraging her to find yet more gifts for him to enjoy.
After a thorough search Mike would remind Rama to go get her buckets before they moved on.
After a while Rama grew bored of looking for treasures and slipped her free hand into Mike's hand to walk silently beside him through the long grass.
" Daddy?" she moaned, " I tired." she heaved a heavy sigh.
" Can't you walk a little further Rama?" Mike wondered.
Rama gave a negative shake of her head " Nope! I cant's" she replied.
" All right then" Mike sighed himself as he bent and scooped Rama into his arm, lifting her with ease up over his head, onto his shoulders without even breaking a stride.
Rama sat up on Mike's shoulder's looking all around admiring the view she had from here, she could see the long grass stretching out far off to either side, with the occasional bush and far off the forest edging one side of the meadow.
Then Rama saw something move " Daddy what's that" she squealed with excitement as she bounced on Mike's shoulders.
Mike glanced around " Just where are we looking Rama?" he wondered slightly confused.
" There daddy, those animals what are they?" Rama pointed a finger.
Mike looked in the direction and he smiled as he saw a deer raise its head suddenly the deer seemed to go on alert, as if it sensed the intruders, then it bounded up and away, the other deer in the herd quickly followed after it in long bounding leaps.
" Those were deer Rama" Mike said.
" Deer jump!" Rama yelled, " Run jump deer" she screamed.
" That will get rid of them if nothing does" Mike muttered to himself as he plucked his squirming daughter off his shoulders to place her back on the ground.
A few minutes later they arrived at the thick berry bushes. Mike could all ready see how many berries hung on the bush, they were thick and heavy and the berries looked very plumb and juicy. This was what he was after.
Mike pulled out the juice and offered some to Rama, as well as taking a long drink for himself, then handed Rama a couple of cookies hopefully the refreshment now would help her stay away from eating the berries.
Once their break was over Mike smiled " Okay Rama let us pick some berries. I want you to take your little bucket and put the berries into it, and I will do the same with my bucket" Mike explained, " Come here Rama, now these are the ripe berries" he pointed out the black berries, " The red ones you leave. Watch out for thorns they will prick you and it might hurt."
" Okay. Why want berry daddy?" Rama asked as she scrunched up her face curiously.
" So I can make treats with them" Mike replied, " You want to help right?"
" Yeah Rama help daddy." Rama agreed nodding her head vigorously.
Mike tousled her hair " I knew I could count on you Rama, you are a very big girl." Mike started to pick the berries.
He had only picked a few berries when he noticed a few wasps here or there on the berries, Mike scowled with concern and quickly called Rama over.
Rama obeyed quickly " Yeah daddy?"
" See that yellow and black bug there?" Mike pointed to it.
" Yeah he eating berries" Rama replied.
" Yes he is, but those bugs don't like to be bugged Rama, you bother him and he may hurt you." Mike informed her, he didn't want to scare her but he did want to instruct her so that she wouldn't come to harm either, " Those black and yellow stripes say, stay away, leave me alone."
" No bug, bug" Rama repeated, " Okay daddy."
Mike smiled, " That is right, why don't you stay close to me, you can pick the low berries and I can get the higher ones" he suggested, wanting to keep a close eye on her, if only to prevent her from being stung.
Rama willingly obliged Mike as she went back to picking berries near her father.
" Daddy can I have one please?" Rama asked as she held one berry between two fingers.
" No they aren't clean Rama, you have to wait until we clean them." Mike insisted, " Put it in your bucket Rama."
" Okay" she reluctantly agreed dropping the berry into her bucket. A few seconds later she lifted another berry " How about this one daddy? This one is clean?" She declared.
" In the bucket Rama" Mike announced.
Rama dutifully placed it in her bucket " But daddy this one is clean" Rama announced hopefully holding out, yet, another berry.
Mike rolled his eyes groaning as he realized that the clean line just wasn't going to cut it. " Very well Rama you may have one" Mike stressed the last word.
Rama grinned in triumph as she popped the berry into her mouth.
Mike saw her smile and he returned it, he should have known he couldn't get Rama to leave all the berries alone.
" Now remember berries into the bucket please" he coaxed her.
Rama agreed echoing his words " Berry in bucket."
However as Mike watched her he noticed more berries were making their way into Rama's mouth then into her bucket, in fact if anything the berries in her bucket also seemed to be disappearing at a fairly quick pace. Rama's tiny hands and mouth were growing stained with the reddish purple juice from the berries.
He let her alone allowing her the chance to eat a few as it was keeping her quiet and relatively busy, without getting into any trouble.
He gave her a warning a short time later by giving her a tap on her shoulder, Rama glanced up the berry juice trickling out of her mouth and down her chin, she flashed a large grin showing her teeth that was also stained.
" You better start putting berries into the bucket, or you will get sick from eating all those berries" he warned her firmly, " You will end up in the bathroom almost as much as Karena is."
Rama giggled not taking Mike's threat very seriously.
Mike glared at her " I am not joking young lady, now you better stop eating those berries, and put more into your bucket."
Rama pouted for a moment though reluctantly caved in and started to put berries into her bucket, though many of her berries were still finding their way into her mouth.
Rama tried to be sneakier about the berries she worked into her mouth, looking around quickly then jamming the treat into her mouth. These so called sneaky moves were a dead give away to her intentions.
Mike however, let Rama be, as he continued picking the berries.
Rama suddenly jumped back screaming in fear and tripping, her arms pin wheeled and she landed on the ground with a thud, the bucket flying up a landing on its side.
Mike turned suddenly frightened that Rama had been stung in spite of his vigilance, he looked down at the ground seeing a movement in the grass heading into the bush.
Mike bent down and picked up the fleeting animal.
" Rama it is okay, I know this creature scared you but it is just a little garter snake. I know it startled you, but it won't hurt you honest." Mike soothed, " Are you all right huh?"
Rama coughed and sniffed as she warily eyed the ribbon like creature entwined in her dad's fingers, she got up and cautiously touched the animal it wasn't so scary after all, now that it wasn't moving with whip like speed.
" It not scary" Rama replied as she allowed the snake to come to her.
" That is right, now let him go Rama." Mike told her kindly, as he moved to pick up the bucket, he glanced inside it and decided that Rama probably hadn't lost all that many.
Rama took the bucket from her dad, but she also noticed her dad's pail that was almost full, she glanced down at her almost empty bucket and gave a mournful look.
She went over to Mike's bucket and stole a handful automatically jamming the handful into her mouth causing the juice to squirt everywhere.
" Ramiela!" Mike scolded sharply. " Will you stay out of my berries."
" Berries are good daddy" Rama claimed innocently.
" Yes I know they are but if you want a treat made out of them then you have to leave them alone" Mike insisted firmly.
" What kind of treat daddy?" Rama wondered, it had to be a good treat to allow such.
" I could make a pie, tarts, cake or even jam if we get enough berries" Mike answered.
" I want cake and tarts daddy" Rama claimed.
" Then you best get picking berries and putting them into your bucket." Mike ordered.
After they had finished picking berries, they sat down to have lunch eating their meal. While they ate Rama kept a close eye on Mike's bucket, which was still quite full compared to her own, there was still no doubt that Mike had far more then she did.
Rama got up and began to transfer berries from her dad's bucket into her own.
" Just what are you doing?" Mike demanded.
Rama didn't answer just kept at her task.
" Rama stop that you are going turn those berries into mush if you keep it up."
Rama stubbornly kept at her task then she turned giving her dad a large grin " Look daddy, I picked lots." She announced cheerfully.
Mike sighed shaking his head, he found it hard to believe that he had actually agreed to this whole thing by bringing Rama on the picnic in the first place.
Awhile later the two turtles trudged home. Raph was on the back porch and went to greet them, he glanced down into Rama's bucket.
" Did you pick those all by yourself Rama?" he asked.
" Yep, I did" Rama admitted.
" Good job kiddo, but it looks like your dad slacked off" Raph agreed glancing into Mike's pail.
" You really think so huh?" Mike muttered.
" Sure. You were always the lazy one Mike" Raph teased.
" Well if you really think that Raph, you can take her berry picking tomorrow and then we'll see how much sanity or patience you have left" Mike snorted as he passed by his brother. He called over his shoulder for Rama to hurry up as she needed to have a bath, with that Mike entered the farm house grumbling something along the line of " what was I thinking taking her berry picking."
The End.