On Horseback

Chapter 5: Sunshine On My Shoulders

It had been a few days since the 1st of Summer. The Fireworks Festival had been great. Jack dropped by the ranch just when the fireworks were about to start. "Aren't you excited?" he asked me. "You better believe it, partner," was my reply.

The fireworks started. They were beautiful. Truly magnificent. There had never been a better time of year. Well, with the exception of the Starry Night Festival, but otherwise, I loved sitting on the fence of the ranch every year and just staring up into the night sky for several hours, and eventually developing a crick in my neck. But it wasn't everyday that you got to see these gorgeous, popping bangs of light. So, it was a good crick.

Jack didn't take his eyes off of them for even a second. From what I thought, he had probably never seen such a site before. After thinking about that, I chuckled a few times, but Jack just continued to stare into the sky.

When the fireworks ended, (which I never look forward to) he gave me a big hug and said that he'd see me later. "See you," came my reply, and then, "keep at it."

Summer 5th was today's date. Just a few days until the Vegetable Festival, my least favourite festival out of them all. All you did was go to the Square and, maybe, just MAYBE, you'll be able to sample some food. Otherwise, the gourmet judge, this fat man that always walks around town, will stuff his fat mouth with every vegetable that's within his reach. But, as always, I participate just to show my motivation around the village.

Karen was infatuated with the Vegetable Festival, unlike myself. She runs straight for the tomato table and picks up as many of them as she can. Then, she gobbles them down, and quickly continues searching for any tomatoes that she may have missed. I always take as many pictures as I can at the festival.

I would be, this year, too.

It was 7:00 a.m. I had just gotten out of the shower and was getting dressed. I put on my usual attire: A yellow-orange shirt with blue overalls. Red and white running shoes did me well.

I walked into the shop where Dad was setting things up for the morning. "Hey, g'morning, dear." I gave my father a crooked smile and said that I would be leaving the house right away. "Hm? Why? Trying to avoid my cooking?" I chuckled and said, "No, no, no, no. Jack invited me over for breakfast. He asked me last night when he came by to visit." Dad told me to be on my way, if I was leaving, and I quickly did as he told me.

While I was walking to the ranch, the sun irritated me. It may have been early, but it was hot. Hot, hot, hot. I began sweating not long after I had left my own house. "Whew. Thank lord we ain't got any humidity around these parts. I wonder what it'd be like if we did?" I questioned myself.

Jack's farm was just ahead, so I quickly ignored the thought and jogged up to it and found him watering his crops. "Good morning!" I called out. Jack had a handkerchief with him, and he wiped his forehead while saying, "Hello, Ann. Hideous weather we're having, yes?" I nodded quickly and we went inside his house.

"Pretty nice," I told myself. "Get any add-ons since you moved in?" Jack nodded and pointed to the nearby stairwell. "Just had it completed today. Oh, and the carpet on the ground. I bought it from Rick -your cousin- for 2000G. A fairly nice price." Jack rambled on about home extensions for a moment, and mentioned that he couldn't believe the his grandfather never had a kitchen.

"No kitchen?" I asked, amazed.

"No kitchen," he replied.

Before I asked, Jack pulled out a breakfast that he had made in the barn. "Umm, how?" I questioned him. "I cracked the eggs and put it into this here bottle" -which he pointed to- "and then let it soak in the sun for about forty minutes. I quickly brought the eggs inside to find that they were ready. The toast I bought from the bakery. I don't have a toaster, and even if I did, a toaster doesn't require a kitchen." I laughed and then smiled. "S-so," I stammered, still filled with laughter, "We g-g-gonna eat-t?"

Jack put the food on his table and I ate it, little by little. First the eggs and then the three strips of bacon (which I didn't ask where he got it or how he got it) and finally, the toast.

As we ate, Jack pulled up an interesting topic.

"I haven't heard any gossip in a little while. Do you know of any?" I big smile came to my face. "Actually, some new rumours and such has just been spread by Popuri, Karen and myself. The other two girls aren't gossips. Maria's a total loser, anyway."

Jack didn't seem to like my disrespect for Maria. "Why? What's so bad about her?" My rubbed my hands together so hard, that I swore I was going to create smoke. "Well..." I began, trailing off just to impatient the farmer. "Tell me!" he demanded. I gave him a small giggle and whispered something that he, obviously, didn't hear.

"Speak up!" Jack cried. I leaned closer to his ear and whispered, "Maria is a tramp."

Jack looked up at me. "I beg your pardon? Who the hell said such a thing about her?" My eyes shifted away from his and I said, "Why do you care about Maria so much?" Jack looked hurt now. "I didn't say I did! I just can't believe you'd say such a thing. Maria is nice and generous. Even though she may be somewhat of a geek, why do you judge her by her appearance?"

"Can we not get into this discussion after all?" I said, trying to change the topic. Jack gave me a smirk. "Never say that about her again!" I rolled my eyes and I spilled, "You do know that Lillia's hair is a wig, right?" My friend didn't. He said, "Who's Lillia? Popuri's mom?" I nodded. Jack burst out laughing, as did I. "That one I can believe! Who ever heard of a pink-headed family?"

Besides the fact that I told Jack that Maria was a tramp, (Karen told me that! don't hold it against me!) we had an excellent time gossiping that morning about who we thought were complete phonies, freaks and true friends.

Breakfast with Jack felt great. But when it ends, it ends. Which is strange, because I felt as though the next day was going to be the Vegetable Festival. I felt awkward about the whole confusion, but the Vegetable Festival did come. I knew what I was going to go for the second I got to the Square: The tomatoes. No, not because I "like" them, (which I really don't) but because I just have to take pictures of Karen going insane again. It always fills me laughter, and after that is when I go for the corn, my favourite vegetable. Well, that's assuming that there's even any left. If the gourmet judge has already been there, not just will he gain about five more pounds, but the table will also be empty. Yes, that is a disappointing thing, but it happens. Actually, it almost always happens. It's not just one of those "sometimes" factors.

I woke up bright and early on the 9th of Summer. It was raining. Our festival had been washed out.

My father was clearly surprised. "This is the first time I think ever that it's rained on the Vegetable Festival. But maybe it's a good thing, because the people around here are already over the weight that they should be at. WAY over, actually."

I was in my bathrobe at the table, stirring my morning tea. "Well, no corn for me this year, it looks like." My father nodded. "I guess not." I barely got to eat corn, and even though we had a lot of money, it was expensive. Very, very expensive. And corn only comes in "four-corns-in-a-bag" as it's called. Altogether, that's 8000G. More than purchasing a log terrace for our yard.

Yup, it's that expensive.

A knock came on our door. I didn't want to answer the door. I shouldn't have, actually, since all shops are supposed to be closed on festival days. But, since it was raining, I guess it wouldn't hurt. I got out of my seat and opened the door.

Jack was standing there with a pink-cat mint flower. "Oh, wow. Hello. That's pretty! Is it for my brother?" Jack burst out laughing and said, "No, actually, it's for you, my dear." I kindly snatched the flower from his hand and took a long sniff. Y-y-yeah, that's good. Like a fresh winter's day. I pulled Jack into our house and poured him a cup of coffee.

"You surely can't be off to town in this weather. Plus, it's a festival day that's cancelled. Are you going to the mountains?" Jack shook his head. "Nope, I just came to deliver you this. I'm going back to bed now."

I gave Jack a funny look and he said, "I'll catch you later, Ann."

I watched Jack run off into the distance and sat back into my seat. "I'm going to check the mail. I'm sure that there's some interesting ads we've gotten. I mean, with the mountain carpenters back in business, again," my father said to me. I took a sip of my tea. "You do that, daddy," I said to him.

My father left the house and I went into my room. The rain really began coming down then and the lightning was just horrible. I saw it flash out my window every so often. WOW! It was bright and the thunder was immensely loud. "I hope we're not going to get a tycoon," I said to myself. The weather was bad. Very bad for a summer day.

Gray came into the house and knocked on my door. "Come in," I called. My brother opened the door and was carrying a cup of coffee. "Hey, I think we're gettin' a tycoon," he told me. I chuckled under my breath. I knew that I was right.

"It ain't gonna be 'dat bad, though. Forecast says it should clear up sometime in 'da afternoon of tomorrow. It'd better, I gotta get back outside and feed them horses n' sheep n' cows n' such." I nodded and pulled out one of my favourite magazines. "Okay, could you please go now, Gray? I really want to read this, and you're kinda busting in on my own private space, here." Gray quickly nodded and slammed my door. Yeesh. Typical Gray. I flipped open the magazine.

More thunder banged and I jumped. "This is intense," I said. "I can't even read my own magazine. I'd better look for daddy." I stepped back into the shop room and opened the door. The winds and rain were so strong that I almost flew right out. My father was coming back and threw me the mail. I caught it and thew it on the table. I grabbed his arm and we shut the door.

"I am never going outside in the middle of a tycoon again!" my father declared. Heh. A tycoon. What'd I say? Aren't I so smart? "Anyways, honey, the power doesn't appear to be out or anything, so you can just-"

My father had been cut off. Surprises, surprises. What else is new?

The power had went out.