Chapter 4
In which Roxanne has chickens and she gets a new horse and
suffers a hard blow

Many days past. Days turned to weeks and Roxanne was still
working on restoring the barn. She had finished the chicken coop but
it still needed a new coat of paint. And she now had four chickens,
naming them was hard for her. They all looked the same. So the first
one was named Breakfast, the second one Lunch and the third Dinner.
And the last one was named Ruby. It had the darked red crest on it's
head.
Roxanne would collect the eggs every morning at 6:00am. She
hated to get up that early but the dumb birds wouldn't shut up.
Roxanne noticed that the chickens were restless and at every moment
that they could, they would try to dart thier way outside. So she used
the left over wood to construct a chicken pen outside the chicken
coop. After Roxanne would feed them and gather thier eggs, she would
place them outside for the rest of the day then take them inside at
night.
It was still spring and Roxanne hadn't seen Grey since that
rainy day. She wanted to see him again but she had too much work to
do, but at least Roxanne had made a new friend. Karen was a nice girl
with atitude, she was really good with her alcohol and she loved to
talk about different things. Roxanne was really happy that she had a
friend. She had met Popuri, Elli and Maria, and they din't seem to
thrilled about meeting her. Roxanne gave them cold curtesy. But when
she was with Karen, she was allowed to be herself.
She met Ann as well, Ann remembered her which made Roxanne
happy. They would talk to when they saw each other but they would
never go as far as that. So here Roxanne was with her new patch of
turnips and cabbage and her new chickens which she was fond of. She
let loose the last chicken, Dinner, and went to check her mail. It was
just now reaching seven and she had to go and water her plants soon
before the scortching sun was overhead.
She checked the mail box, she was extremely happy that she had
some mail, even if it was advertisment. There was a carpenter
advertisement and another one from Green Ranch. Roxanne opened the
Green Ranch mail, reading it quickly, her smile broading.
She stuffed th letter in her jean's pocket and hurried to water
her plants. They were still seedlings, but they were lush and green.
She nurtured them like they were children. She finished her watering
and it was coming on nine. Roxanne dusted off her legs and bottom and
she walked her way to Green Ranch. She hummed as she did so, happier
than she had been in a long time. It seemed that when she was here,
she was happy. But when she was there, in the city, she was lost.
She reached the ranch, leaning on the fence post by the pasture.
She remembered how she and Grey would ride. She smiled. Grey was out
in the pasture lunging Cliffard. His eyes were concentrated on the
horse as he drove him around and around with the lunge line. Cliff
held his head in definace as he was restrained by the rope. But Grey
still drove him on.
Roxanne suddenly remembered that Grey had said that he didn't
ride anymore. She wondered why. But she didn't press the question, he
had exploded when she did ask the last time. He seemed different than
he used to be. When they were kids, Grey was quiet but he smiled alot.
You could always tell his feelings by his expression. But now he
seemed to have this mask over his face.
Roxanne hopped over the fence and began to walk towards the
lunging horse. The grass was at least ankle high, it was green, very
green. It looked so good that a person could have munched on it.
Roxanne kept walking, she looked up and noticed that Grey stopped
Cliffard. He had turned around and stared at her with no expression on
his face.
"Hi!" waved Roxanne. She jogged the rest of the way over to him,
her hair fell from it's bonds and streamed out behind her.
Grey acknowleged her greeting and gathered up the rest of the
lead line.
"Gee Grey, you're so loud today." teased Roxanne. Her eyes were
playful as she looked up at Grey's dark brown ones. Roxanne tilted her
head to the side, wondering why he had not said anything yet.
"What's wrong?'' she asked, her voice filled with concern.
Grey jerked his head at her but still didn't say anything. He
was waiting for her to say what she was doing her for.
"What are you doing here?'' he asked.
Roxanne was caught totally off gaurd with his question. "What? I
can't just show up unannounced? That's rather rude of you." she said
indignantly, folding her arms across her chest.
Grey looked her over, it was rude of him to ask a question? But
is was not rude of her to just show up unannounced. He grined at her,
leading his horse to the barn, Roxanne close behind him. He brushed
out Cliff and gave him water silently, Roxanne sat on an over turned
bucket and watched, her eyes taking in everything that he was going.
Grey felt uneasy that she was watching him without blinking. He was
going to ask her what she wanted when he thought better of it. It
would be better if she said what's on her mind, he thought.
"So, the letter said that you had a foal up for grabs." she said
out of no where.
Grey paused. "Yes." he answered. He went back to his brushing.
"I was wondering if I could see it." she said, still watching
what he was doing.
"Alright, if you want to." he threw the brush into the tack
bucket to his right and left Cliff where he was. Roxanne didn't follow
right away, she stayed till Cliff was done drinking and he left to go
graze in the pasture. She got up and ran after Grey. He waited for her
and together they walked to a different pen.
They came upon a round pen with two foals in them. They were
running around and playing with each other. They were bucking and
rearing and nipping at each other. It was a sight to behold. Roxanne
bounded forward and ran to the post. She watched the little foals jump
around. Grey came up next to her.
"What do you think?'' he asked, his voice indifferent.
Roxanne smiled, answering, "I think they are the cutest things
in the world!" she giggled. She looked at them both. One was a creamy
brown, like the color of coffee, a chestnut. The other was a dark
black with a fluffy golden mane and tail.
"Could I get one? I hadn't ridden in so long. May be I
shouldn't, I have enough on my plate already." she was mummbling to
herself, one of her favorite pass times. She looked at each of the
foals, thinking it over.
"I'm sure you could handle one." Grey said absently. His mind
was somewhere else.
Roxanne gave him a hard look, straight in the eyes. "What's your
problem? You haven't said 'hi' back or talked much at all." she said,
her voice hot and defensive.
"It's not my fault." Grey said evenly, giving her a dirty look.
Roxanne took it as an offence. She stood up straight and glared at
him. "I want a good opinion. Should I get a horse or should I not?''
she asked seriously.
"I think you should, you have good reflexes and you seem to know
what mood Grey is in. I think it would be good for you to ride. It
builds your legs muscles and arms. Having a horse around is also a
good friend as well." said a blonde haired girl. She gave Grey a mean
look, crossing her arms over her chest. "Ya know Grey, you've been in
a bad mood ever since that conversation we had the other day. Don't
tell me you took it to heart." she watched her brother for a while
then turned her attention back to Roxanne.
"So what do you say? Want a horse or don't you?" said Ann.
"Well hello to you too Ann. And yes I would like to have a
horse. How much?'' she asked.
Ann gave her a funny look then answered. "If you read the note,
then you would already know. We're giving them away. It's not every
day that you get this good of a deal. Father wanted to do this to
bring in more potential buyers but I don't think it's gonna work." she
said, putting her hands on her hips.
"Which one ya want?'' Ann asked.
Roxanne gave Grey a side ways glance, wondering what the
conversation that he and his sister had. But she didn't want to
intrude. "Could I have the black one?'' she asked, her eyes roaming
over to the little black foal.
Ann nodded, " You got good sence in that brain of your's. The
black one is the mot well behaved, plus he's a looker. What will ya
call it?" she asked, her eyes serious. "Remember, the name is
everything."
Roxanne gave Ann a sigh and watched the little foal again. The
black one was a hyper little fellow. He had a certain fire in his
eyes. She had to give him a noble name, a fine name for a fine animal.
She watched him jump and buck. Then a name suddenly hit her.
"Fox Fire." she murmured, the words were bearily audiable to
Grey who was right next to her.
"What?'' said Ann, her voice was high, almost screeching.
"I'll call him Fox Fire." she answered, her eyes aflame with
happiness.
"Ok, Fox Fire. That's a nice name. I like it." Ann went inside
the wooden pen and caught the colt. "You're gonna have to brush him
every day and make sure he comes to you. You got to train him and all
that. Take him inside when the hurricanes hit, they like rain though.
It doesn't hurt them. Ride him every day too when he's big enough."
she shoved the lead rope into Roxanne's hands and walked away with out
a good bye.
Roxanne had the feeling that the conversation between Grey and
Ann was about her. Ann thinks I'm no good too? Roxanne thanked her any
way and said good bye to Grey, who didn't say anything either. She
walked the little colt back to the entrance of Green Ranch, but she
was stopped with a shout.
"Roxanne, wait!" it was Grey, he was running around the corner
of the house, right to her. He looked like he was in conflict with
himself.
"What?'' she said. She had a guarded voice, not really having
the patince with him anymore. He acted so cold to her that she really
didn't care what he had to say at the moment.
"Want some help?" he asked, his eyes searching her's. Roxanne
really didn't need any help, she could walk the horse by herself. But
his voice sounded pleading. She looked at the colt who was watching a
butterfly, then back to Grey.
"Ok.'' she answered, smiling at him. He took the lead line from
her hands and tugged at Fox Fire, they continued to walk in silence.
"Your sister seemed really cold to me today. Is she mad at me?
Does she not like me?" questioned Roxanne, breaking the silence. She
watched Grey's face, the corner of his mouth twitched.
"She has this thing against you. I don't know why. But she says
that you're a real slut." he answered. He adverted his face, he stared
at the dirt. Roxanne felt a strong tug at her heart. Not Ann too.
First Elli then Popuri, Maria, now Ann. Man these villsge girls are
mean. She was grateful that she had Karen as a friend. They were close
or so she thought.
"Oh, really." she whispered. "Has she always thought of me this
way?'' she asked, not even looking at Grey.
Grey snapped his head up at her statment. She sounded sad again.
He didn't like it when she was sad. "I'm not sure. She never really
talks to me anymore. But she's the first to butt into people's lives."
he answered looking up at Roxanne.
She had a small smile on her face, but her mind was somewhere
else. "Do you think of me that way?'' she asked, looking up at him for
the first time in this conversation, her eyes looked watery. She was
about to cry. She was a hundred miled from her home in the city and
she had only her grandpa here. Now he was gone and she was making a
living out a of scratch. She had few friends, if any.
"No, I never have. And I don't think I'll ever will." he said,
his voice low, reassuring. They reached her farm and they stopped at
the entrance. Roxanne took the lead line away from Grey, giving him a
warming smile, but her eyes still looked like they were about to cry
any minute.
"Thanks Grey, even if you don't mean it. I like to think that
I'm still friends with you." she gave him a hug and a kiss on the
cheek, her eyes spilling over. She turned around and left him, saying
goodbye.
Grey watched her leave, feeling really bad for her and very
angry with Ann. He wondered if Roxanne would stay or leave. Leaving
must look pretty good for right now, he thought. But he really didn't
know the half of it. He turned around and walked into town to pick up
some groceries. He was out here already, might as well get them now
instead of later.