Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, Stephanie Meyers does. I do own this plot and storyline. I own my own original characters and a sweet little Chromebook I just love. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter 13: Feeding the Masses
EPOV
As noon approaches, I set-up the beverage tables on each side of the pavilion with milk, juice, tea and water, along with cups and ice as Sarah wipes down the remaining tables. Soon, we're joined by Bella, Jessica and my mother, who help us set-up four buffet tables. One is arranged with warmers for baked chicken and lean beef patties, along with plates, napkins and utensils. The next table over is filled with trays of brown rice and baked potato wedges, while the third table holds the bins of broccoli and carrots. The last table is where folks will find the fruits including seedless grapes, cut apples and cornbread. Once everything is set-up, Bella goes inside the Center to get Cassie, while Sarah rings the food bell. I am kind of taken back by seeing her use it. To be honest, I thought that it was just hung out side as a decoration to go along with the ranch's motif. When I say food bell, I'm talking about an old, rusted-out triangle 'come and get it' bell.
How can something so small, make so much noise?
Sooner than I would have imagined, we are bombarded with little bodies. I quickly move to direct everyone through the food lines and start helping parents carry plates to the tables. It takes a while, but soon everyone has their drinks and food. Once everyone is in their seats, Billy stands and asks everyone to bow their heads.
"For food in a world where many walk in hunger; For faith in a world where many walk in fear; For friends in a world where many walk alone; We give you thanks, O' Lord. Amen."
As everyone starts to eat and talk among themselves, Bella walks around meeting the new visitors and catching up with the ones who have been here before. I see Cassie in a chair between Billy and Sarah. She picks at her plate and every so often, she looks around the room, I assume to find where her mother is.
"Rose, would you mind comin' to sit with Cassie while I fix Bella a plate?" Sarah asks from across the table.
"Of course not," Rose replies as she moves next to Cassie.
"Thanks, darlin'. If we don't force her to sit down and eat, she won't."
After a few minutes, I watch as Sarah follows Cassie's line of vision to where Bella is in the room. She shakes her head in amusement and excuses herself from the table. She makes her way to the food tables and quickly makes up a plate. She then makes her way over to an unsuspecting Bella, excuses her from the conversation that she was in, and ushers her to Rose's vacant spot next to me. Sarah sits the plate in front of her with a firm, "Eat."
We laugh at her disgruntled face as she starts eating, and ignores our playful banter. Once she's finished brooding, she asks us, "How's it going so far? Y'all had any problems?" We all talk about how the day has been as she continues to eat her lunch, commenting between bites. After she is done, she and Billy make their way to a small table up front. It holds a small PA system, clipboards and a few small unopened boxes.
"If I could have everyone's attention, please." Bella pauses until the conversations quiet down. "The activities will continue until two-thirty and then we'll hand out accommodations for the night so that you'll be able to clean up and rest. Your belongings that have been held in the activity center when you checked in, will be delivered to your cabin by that time.
"Dinner will be served at five o'clock and we'll have a bonfire with s'mores startin' at seven. If you have any questions, please let Billy or me know. As a reminder, we're also hosting a couple of summer camps and you can reserve your spot by filling out registration forms inside the center. Thanks, and enjoy the rest of your day," Bella announces, smiling at all the kids still cheering about s'mores.
Once she is back at the table, she starts cleaning up Cassie, asking if she wants to go in the Center with Rose or ride horses with Jessica. She picks Rose and Jessica just laughs at her, giving her kisses all over her face until Cassie playfully pushes her away. She has to be the sweetest little girl, I tell myself.
"After she plays with Rose for a bit, I'm gonna take her to each station and give her the choice between one of you and someone she knows already. This will also help her get used to y'all and open up more," Bella explains as she stands next to the table we are still sitting at. "Just remember, she cannot have regular milk and is severely allergic to honey. But, the other snacks we have round here are ok for her."
Bella continues to explain to me and my family how they are trying to socialize her outside of her comfort circle and giving her the option between Rose and Jessica helps her gain some independence. "We always give her at least two choices and she doesn't get either unless she chooses one," she tells us. "It gives her some control and in turn, builds her confidence and self-esteem. If she doesn't understand what we're asking, we use visual aids, such as pictures. It also helps to avoid meltdowns."
"Does she use a communication board or any other communication device?" Rose asks.
Kate smiles as she enters into the conversation, "Yes, she started using an iPad and it has helped a lot. She has one at school and one here at home. We use this app that Bella designed that has all of Cassie's favorite things in pictures. She touches the picture and it tells her what it is," Kate explains clearly excited, speaking with her hands. "For example, if she is thirsty, she can touch a picture of her sippy cup. Once that picture is chosen, then other pictures of drink options come up, like milk, juice, water and tea, for her to choose from. So it will say, "Drink" and then, "Juice." It is the coolest thing."
"Oh! I have got to see this later," Rose tells them holding Cassie's hand.
"Ok, let's get back to our stations. Make sure that you start closing down your area at two-thirty. Have fun everyone," Billy states. "Eric, please help Edward and Sarah clean up the dishes and left overs while I cover the dock with Jasper."
Billy then turns his attention to Tyler. "Tyler, I need you to help Jessica with unlocking all the cabins, and then depositing the campers' belongings in them, please. Sam and Jake already loaded all the bags on the trailer for ya."
"Come help me play some music, pretty girl," Rose says to Cassie leading her into the Center.
As everyone else walks away and we start cleaning up, Eric gives Sarah a hard time, "Momma S? You aren't gonna make me wash dishes are you? You know my pretty hands can't get all wrinkled, they have to stay soft for the ladies."
"Eric, stop your whining and get to work 'fore I make you do it all yourself. You need to stop chasing those silly girls in town and settle down with a good Christian girl, not some floozy," she chastises him while I'm trying not to crack up.
Finally, we cannot contain our amusement any longer and we all just bust out laughing. After everything is back in the kitchen, Sarah starts filling to-go containers with the leftovers.
"What are we going to do with those?" I inquire.
"Oh, Bella will have Sam or Eric take them to the nursing home in town," she says. "She always sends the leftovers there so the residents get something special once in a while."
I really don't think Bella could be more of an angel. She has the biggest heart and brightest soul. "She's an angel," I whisper.
"Yes that she is. I just wish she would find someone to share all that love she has to give. So, tell me Edward, are you single?" she asks me with a mischievous grin.
"Recently, yes. I just went through a really bad breakup," I tell her as I finish loading the dishwasher.
"Well, maybe you're meant to heal each other's hearts," she whispers but I still hear her. Maybe I think to myself, but shake my head at the thought.
As we walk out into the Center, I hear my angel's voice, "Ok miss sassy, let's go ride some horses," Bella tells Cassie, and that is when I learn, first hand, what a meltdown is.
Cassie is sitting next to Rose on the floor where the music area is set-up. As Bella reaches for her daughter's hand, Cassie throws herself back into Rose and screams. Her whole body goes stiff as she pushes her legs our kicking and thrashing.
Bella calmly kneels down next to Rose and places both of her hands on either side of Cassie's face making sure she keeps eye contact. "Do you want to go home?" Bella asks in an unruffled tone. "If you don't calm down, you will go home and not be able to play anymore," she tells her in a stern, matter-of-fact voice.
She gently lets go of Cassie's face, ushers Rose to walk with her, away from Cassie, and over to where Sarah and I are standing.
I didn't realize that Eric was standing behind me until he speaks, "Looks like baby girl lost her sweetness. It'll come back in a few minutes." Bella just shakes her head at him annoyance.
After a few minutes of lying there and screaming, Cassie realizes that no one is around her and sits up, looking around. Once she looks calm, Bella walks back over to her asking, "Are you ready to go see the horses now?" while holding out her hand. Cassie gets up and grabs Bella's hand and they walk out.
I'm stunned silent at what I just witnessed.
Rose looks at Sarah with her eyebrows almost near her hairline, clearly stunned at what she just saw as well. "How...how...did she just...do that?"
Sarah shrugs at her question, "She took away the one thing that Cassie wanted, which was you plus any attention she was getting. Sometimes walkin' away is best. We never go far but once she realizes her tantrum isn't workin', she calms down," she explains to Rose.
Eric takes off after that to go back to the dock while Sarah and I go back into the kitchen to start prepping for dinner. Sam walks in a few minutes later with two large plastic storage containers with locking lids. He packs all the to-go boxes in them and I help him carry them out to his truck, which is parked outside the Center. He says he'll see us in about an hour before driving off.
A noise catches my attention and I turn to see Billy on a tractor pulling a trailer with a barbeque grill on it. Not just any grill, this thing looks more like a tank, and is probably built like one, too. The thing is big.
Sarah walks up beside me with a big smile, "I wonder if I could talk that little brother of yours into puttin' a roof over that trailer for me. It gets really hot when you're up there grillin' and the sun's beatin' down on ya," she states as I nod in understanding of her request.
"Who built that thing?" I ask referring to the grill.
As we walk over to where Billy has parked the barbeque grill outside the Center in a grassy area, away from the activities she tells me, "One of the local high school boys built this pit as his FFA Ag Mechanics project. Bella bought it at auction. The money they raise helps with their livestock for show and scholarships for FFA members."
"A pit?" I ask unsure as to what she is referencing.
"A pit is what y'all up north call a grill," Billy explains simply. "However, this here pit grills as well as chars, smokes and barbeques just about anything that can come from a cow or a pig." He looks me straight in the eye and claps one strong hand on my shoulder, "Son, you are in the south now. We take our barbeque seriously."
Sarah simply shrugs again and continues, "Bella is always doing stuff to help local kids and really supports the FFA program. She was involved with FFA all throughout school. She knows firsthand how hard those kids work to raise their animals for show," Billy adds as we load logs from the wood box on the front of the trailer into the fire box. Once the fire it started, it is time to head over to the pavilion.
My thoughts travel back to Bella and how she leads her life here at the ranch. After everything she has had to endure, one would think that she would be bitter and closed off to the outside world. But she is just grateful for what she has, dedicated to her roots, and wants to help others succeed.
AN: I want to take a minute to thank everyone who reads and reviews my story. I read each one of them. I haven't been able to respond to all them yet because, well RL gets in the way sometimes. The extra time I do have I would rather write so you get updates. On another note, if you review as a guest I CAN NOT reply.