Markus Anopha is a 13 year old boy who was adopted by Tabitha's family. He helps out at the Quarry at the end of the Ffarquhar branch arranging wagons full of stone into place so that other teens can take them down to the harbor. Markus is clever, and more of a modern sort of chap than Tabby. He was also full of his own Ideas, and put the wagons in different places everyday. Now, most of the others respected this. But Tabby on the other hand… she was a bit pissed, for she had OCD, and was a very rural person rather than Markus.
"Wagons." Tabby stated whilst lecturing Markus one night. "Should be where you want them, When you want them!" And she lectured him on where to put them, Markus rolled his eyes and tried thinking of an insulting comeback or a curse word to get it across to Tabby that he didn't give a flying fuck about the arrangement of the wagons.
"Fiddlesticks!"
Yeah… It was pretty weak to be honest. And whilst Tabby was trying to decipher what the actual fuck that meant, Markus shut off the lights and went to sleep. The next day was the same, and the day after that, and the day after that… and soon when the first snow began to fall, Tabby lost patience with Markus.
"That's it…" She said, putting her hands up. "I'm fucking done. I can't waste time playing "Hunt The Wagons" with you. Take them yourself." Markus was pleased. Taking wagons felt important, besides, it would give him something to do besides loading up the damned things and then leaving them until someone picked them up hours later. At a random oil depot, Deborah slide up to Markus. She was a devious girl, and was more fond of boys on motorbikes than regular ones.
"That Tabitha is a fusspot." Markus said, Kicking a stone. "She thinks my way of doing things is silly and improper." Deborah sensed trouble and was delighted.
"Tabitha is stuck in the past." She purred. "She doesn't realize that we have our own, more efficient way of handling things. Depend upon it, Markus… anything the older ones can do, we can do better…." Deborah didn't know shit about wagons, and Markus was too daft to realize this….
Tabitha's Path crosses the main road behind Ffarquhar, and for a short way follows a farm lane. Frosty weather makes the muddy lane rock-hard and very slippery. Tabby stops before reaching the lane. She halts the traffic at the crossing and then sets off again. By using the heavy wagons to push her and her bike along along, she has no trouble with the frosty path and the lane and across the road. It is the only thing safe thing to do in this kind of weather. Tabby warned Marvin and told her just what to do. But Markus, being the fucking Idiot he was, refused to listen.
"I can manage" He said snootily. "I'm not a fusspot like you."
"Fusspot?" Tabitha inquired to herself. "What the fuck does that mean?" But Markus had already mosied of to go collect her wagons. Tabitha sighed and went to get a drink. The workmen were tired of doing the same thing over and over, and decided to, once again, overload the cars. Very original, I know. They knew it was slippery, and wanted to pay Markus out for… whatever. I guess they're just being little creeps again. But anyways, the trouble started when Markus started up the lane on his Bike. Traffic halted and Markus tried to start again, But the heavy weight of the trucks prevented him from getting up the hill. He shouted and 'grred' and for some reason, no one helped him… Instead they just shouted and cursed at him. Tabby was in the yard when he heard what happened.
"I warned his ass!" She growled. "But oh! Let's not listen to the fusspot!" She paused and thought… "They're my wagons really… and Markus should be up by the quarry… and what if our parents found out…?" Tabby quickly bundled up and headed out to fetch Markus. An angry and drunk ass farmer was just about to tell Markus what he could do with those stones when Tabby arrived. "Having trouble, Markus? I am surprised." Markus muttered something inaudible under his breath. The two got to work hauling the wagons up the slope, and afterwards, Markus dropped off the stones and hastily headed back to the quarry.
Tabby only laughed.