On Horseback
Chapter 25: Am I Turning Into A Horse?
The midwife was wrong about both birth dates. Karen's baby was born on Summer 5th, and Popuri's baby was born on Summer 13th, just one day before my birthday. Both babies were girls. Two healthy, giggling girls. They were so cute! Karen named her child Sally, and Popuri scared me a tiny bit by naming her girl Mint. But to each their own.
My birthday was the day after Mint's birthday, and Karen, Kai, Popuri, Gray and Dad came over to the farm. We had a small party, but not like anything I had the previous year, which was pretty active. Popuri baked me a cake (since she was the best baker out of us three wives), and Karen tried her hand at cooking an omelette. It didn't turn out too well.
I received a present from each family. Karen and Kai gave me a mug, Popuri and Gray gave me a stuffed horse that they had won from the horse races a few years back and Dad, being the man he is, shrugged and said that my present from him was giving me birth.
...What a nice father.
Waking up on Summer 20th felt very out of place. The first thing I did, was rush into the bathroom, and threw up. Jack said that something must be wrong, since I'd never done that before.
"Honey," Jack began, taking me back to our room. "Maybe this happened because of last night. Perhaps it was very stressful for you."
I shook my head answering, "Last night was fine. But, you probably are right. So from this day forth, I, Ann, swear to God and swear on Popuri's, Gray's and Dad's graves that I will never, ever, ever, EVER-"
KNOCK! KNOCK!
Jack rolled his eyes. "It's a ritual, Ann. I say something in the morning, and someone will come by. In fact, I'm pretty sure that the person who always came around was you, you know." I grinned. "But, whatever. That doesn't matter right now. I'll get the door!"
At the front door stood Cliff. I was surprised to see him there, but I was also not surprised, because I knew that he would end up lecturing me about making the wrong decision and how my future was going to fall down on me. I walked into the kitchen, to let Jack socialize with the ex-vagabond.
"Good morning, Jack," Cliff began. "I'm just here to let you know that I will be leaving for Silver Sapphire on the next ferry. Aunt Sasha got me a job, and I am quite pleased with it. I've just come to bid farewell to you, and who may have become my wife. See you. I'll return one day...perhaps. Perhaps not."
Jack called my name, while I was chopping a fish and sighed. Lecture time.
"Ann! Cliff is leaving to Silver Sapphire on the next ferry!" Jack told me once I walked back into our room.
I smirked. "That's fine with me. I'm actually quite happy. As long as he doesn't return too soon, then I am the happiest rancher to have ever walked the soils of Flower Bud Village. Oh, and don't forget about the ever-powerful pitchfork! Very brutal!"
After breakfast, which I did make, and which I was getting a little better at, the two of us walked out into the morning air. Clouds were covering about 85 percent of the sky and some were darker than others. "Rain," Jack mumbled.
Since my job was to feed the animals in the morning, I walked into the chicken coop and scooped up the four eggs that were lying on the ground. Then I fed the four cluckers. Then I went into the barn where I ran into the three animals that Jack owned. I brushed the three of them, and then milked the cows. After I threw everything into the shipping bin, I got some fodder and placed it into the feeding bins.
Then the strangest thing I ever did occurred.
I went back over to get another piece of fodder, and just as Jack began walking into the barn, I took a quick bite out of the animal food!
My eyes began to droop, and I looked all around, saying, "I have begun to ramble. This is such a pretty point of view. I am in the mood for some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches." Jack walked over to me, saying, "Uhh, you're really sure that there's nothing wrong with you Ann?"
I shook my head. "I am fine."
Jack doubted my dizzy thoughts, and told me to come inside and lie down. I complied, for some unknown reason. I walked inside, slouched down like I was about to fall on the floor.
When the two of us got inside, it started to rain. Not just your typical rain showers, but a very heavy downpour. The drops could be heard hitting the roof of the house, and it sounded like giant-sized hail. Jack was alarmed, and said that a typhoon might be approaching. I doubted that, but I was still feeling rather strange.
"Ann, we just went outside an you feel dizzy. Okay, I didn't think that it would get that serious, so, do you want to go see the midwife afterwards?" Jack asked me, looking very concerned.
I was still dizzy. I answered, "She gives me pain. Sure."
Jack now wore the most confused expression that I'd ever seen on his face. The next thing he did was pick me up, throw on a jacket, and we ventured out into the pouring rain. From the looks of it, he was about to take me to the midwife. I was completely oblivious to any thoughts and I just watched all of the worms coming out from their homes in the ground.
We arrived at the midwife's at quarter past twelve. I lied down on her bed and we began a "check-up". I was told to cover my mouth and to slowly breathe in and out. I complied. She also told me to hit my knee. I did and began laughing hysterically. Jack looked worried. Was that a good sign or a bad sign?
"Well," the midwife said, after doing some paper work. "It is very, very safe to say that your wife is doing just fine, Jack." The farmer took a sigh of relief. "However," the midwife continued. "Don't let her get her hands on any of that fodder again. I can see why she's craving that stuff. Each woman has a certain craving for something while they're pregnant."
Pregnant? ... I WAS WHAT?!
Jack toppled onto the ground while I regained concious. "Pregnant? You mean I'm pregnant? As in ready to have children and start a family and do a whole lotta others things that worry the heck out of people?"
The midwife put a finger on my lip. "Shh, Ann. May is sleeping. And yes, you are pregnant. I can easily tell. There hasn't been anyone pregnant in this village since Karen and Popuri, but excluding those two, that would be...well, your mother!"
That was true. Out of the five girls in town, I was the oldest. The order was unchangable: Me, Elli, Maria, Karen and Popuri. What made Popuri younger was the fact that she was born the following year.
"Go on home, Ann. Jack will come once he wakes up. It was just a dramatic trip and he should recover shortly. Go on, go on, go on!" the midwife exclaimed, rudely pushing me out of her house. I shrugged. I'd have to get home one way or another.
The rain had settled down at least. Not by much, but it had. Walking in the rain was always neat. The feeling of the rain in your hair, the rain on your lips...what pure, refreshing bliss. But I had to get home. Jack would get mad if I trailed water everywhere in the house, especially the kitchen. That literally made him flip.
I entered the house and quickly took off my coat. My clothes were soaked. I hated wet clothes. I wasn't going to be able to do the laundry though, since it was raining. I ran into the bathroom and got changed into another pair of overalls. I threw my wet ones in the bathtub. I'd deal with those later.
Jack arrived home in time for lunch. My cooking was getting better, but it was still rather nauseating. I had made mini-pizzas, but the each one was burnt at the bottom. That was a bad sign and Jack wasn't surprised when he entered the kitchen.
"Ann, thank heaven that you only made three pizzas. Do you want me to help you every night while making dinner? I assure you that you'll become the greatest cook in Flower Bud before you know it!"
I sighed. Back to the drawing board for me. But I was going to have to learn how to cook if I wanted to be a good parent.
Jack and I were in the kitchen for the rest of the night, just trying to make mini-pizzas. Every single time that we made one, and if it wasn't burnt anywhere, then Jack would give me a huge kiss! I had to fight to get away from him once. But I could get used to this, heh.
After we made nine non-burnt pizzas, we sat down and ate four each. Since neither of us wanted to eat the last one, so we gave it to the dog. After that, we decided to make dessert. We were going to make ice cream on our own. But it wasn't going to be an easy task, and Jack was not familiar with the recipe, so he expected us to screw up. We did, too.
At 9:00 p.m., we perfected the art of making chocolate ice cream. It was my favourite flavour of ice cream, and Jack's too, so we didn't have any arguments there. When I licked the creamy dessert, I realized that it was the worst ice cream ever made! But I wasn't about to admit that to Jack!
"I find this a little odd," Jack commented after taking a few licks and a deep bite. "It tastes like meatloaf. How?"
I shrugged.
We had done a lot today. We cooked, visited the midwife, and I even got to taste some fodder, which I now had to beware of. It had been a good day, and I was hoping that the next would be just as good.
Or, maybe even better.