by Karen Rispin
"I'll get more clothes than you," Sandy said. "I won't waste it all on one outfit."
"So?" I said.
"Come on, let's go watch TV," she said and headed downstairs.
The next day was Sunday, and we didn't go to church. Mom and Daddy both slept until midmorning, then we had a family church like we do when we're camping. Daddy read the Bible and asked us questions. Aunt Doreen didn't get up, but Uncle Kurt and Tianna both sat with us. After church Uncle Kurt stayed and talked to Mom and Daddy for ages.
At lunch he said, "You know, Kevin, I'm starting to think the Bible's worth listening to. I want to get back to a more traditional life-style. You know, women should stay home and serve and obey their husbands."
"Christianity isn't about tradition," Daddy explained. "It's about total submission to a loving God by both men and women. Ephesians chapter five says that the husband should lay down his life for his wife, the way Christ laid down his life for the church."
Uncle Kurt didn't seem to hear. He said, "I think things would be a lot better if people stuck to traditional family roles."
Aunt Doreen walked into the room in her bathrobe just then. She glared at Uncle Kurt's back on her way over to the fridge. I held my breath waiting for the fight, but she grabbed an apple out of the fridge, poured a cup of coffee, and left the room.
After lunch Uncle Kurt said, "OK, who's ready to go to Parkers'?"
It turned out that the Parkers were people he knew who owned a ranch south of Calgary.
"I couldn't let my nieces come to Alberta without getting a look at a real ranch," Uncle Kurt said, poking Sandy in the ribs.
"Do they have horses?" I asked. I'm absolutely crazy about horses. Of course, Sandy asked about kittens because cats are her thing.
Uncle Kurt nodded and laughed. "No respectable ranch would be without horses or kittens."
"Kurt, I'm sorry, but Kevin should take it easy," Mom said as she stacked the dishes. My stomach twisted. Daddy couldn't get tired because then he'd get really sick again.
"I'm sure I could manage, since Kurt has gone to all this trouble," Daddy said. But he looked really tired.
"You promised!" I blurted. "You promised to rest."
"Anika!" Mom said.
"But you did!" I insisted.
"Anika's right, Hazel," Daddy said, "and so are you. I did promise." He turned to Kurt. "There's no reason Hazel and the kids couldn't go. I'm sure Anika and Sandy would just hate that." He looked at us with a twinkle in his eyes.
"You'd better get out of your new clothes, though, Anika," Mom said. "Ranches in the spring aren't the cleanest things in the world. This should be fun."
Tianna had been standing at the door from the hall, watching. Now she said, "I'm going over to Sharra's this afternoon."
"Tianna, get ready," Uncle Kurt snapped at her. "You're coming, too. You haven't been to Parkers' since last fall."
"You never even asked if I wanted to go with you when you went before. What am I supposed to do? Get there by myself or something?" she demanded.
"I don't want any lip from you," he snapped. "I'm offering to take you now, and you're coming whether you want to or not."
When I went to get changed, Tianna followed me into the bedroom. She sat on my bed, hugged her knees, and said, "I wish my mom and dad were more like yours. It seems like mine are always either yelling at me or fighting with each other."
She looked so sad. "You could come and live with us," I said without thinking. I stuffed my head into a sweatshirt and didn't hear what she said next.
Outside the city we drove for miles down gravel roads that were as straight as a ruler. The land was flat except for the shining white, jagged mountains in the distance. Everything was bare, brown, and muddy. There were humps of dirty snow in the ditches. When we got out of Uncle Kurt's pickup truck, the wind was cold.
"How come everybody here likes spring so much?" I asked, hugging my arms and trying to step around the muddiest patches.
"I guess you have to live through winter to appreciate it," Mom said.
I promised myself right then and there that I'd never live in a place where there was winter.
Mrs. Parker had long, straight hair and a nice smile. She hugged Tianna. "I'm so glad your dad brought you with him. I've missed you," she said. "It's nice to meet your cousins, too."
Mr. Parker shook everybody's hands with a quick jerk and didn't say anything. He looked like a cowboy, only instead of a cowboy hat he wore a baseball cap that said "Cargill" on it. He wasn't very tall, but he was thin and had on muddy cowboy boots. Mr. and Mrs. Parker had three kids. Sandy took off with two of them to look for kittens.
"Didn't the black-and-white mother have her kittens in the tractor Quonset?" one kid asked as they headed off. "Come on, let's go see if she moved them."
Tianna and I ended up following Dean Parker, who is twelve, to a high wooden fence to look at some muddy horses. The way she was acting, I think Tianna kind of liked Dean.
A big black horse came over toward us. Tianna backed off, and I reached out my hand too quickly. The horse jumped back and crow-hopped twice. The other horses danced away from it, then they all stood and stared at us, their ears all pricked up. They were wonderful.
I don't think Tianna thought so. She backed up even farther when the horses were dancing around. She looked scared.
"Um, I'm going to see the kittens," she said. "You coming, Anika?"
I just shook my head without taking my eyes off of the horses. I'd only been riding twice in Kenya. These horses looked stronger and bigger than the ones there.
"Boy, are you ever lucky," I said to Dean, "having your own horses."
"I don't see what's so great about that," he said. "They're Dad's anyway, and most horses are dumber than a bag of hammers. I'd rather ride an ATV any day. I'm stuck with horses right now because there's too much water in the south quarter to take my three-wheeler through there. Hey, if you think horses are so great, why don't you come with me?"
"With you where?" I asked. "The horses are here." I wasn't about to leave. The black one was coming back over to us again. I put my hand out very slowly. "What kind of horses are they?"
"Quarter horse," Dean said. "JJ here is registered. All of them are, except Babe—that one over there with the white blaze. Dad says she's the best of the lot. Listen,
I'm not talking about leaving the horses. I'm talking about taking two of them out to check on the cows in the south quarter."
"Riding?" I asked with a squeak. "You mean going riding?"
He nodded at me like he thought I had no brain.
"Don't we have to ask permission?"
"Look, I have to do this every day. Dad made checking on the south-quarter cow herd my job during the spring calving. It's no big deal."
"That's what you think!" I said.
Dean made me stay outside the fence while he caught JJ and Babe and put bridles on them. He led them both out of the gate, then handed me Babe's reins. He sort of vaulted onto JJ's back and said, "Come on."
I swallowed nervously. Bareback riding! Well, I wasn't going to chicken out now. I put the reins over Babe's head, then I tried to climb on. It didn't work. Babe looked back at me. I tried again.
"Haven't you ever been riding before?" Dean asked, laughing. He got down and took Babe over to the wooden fence. "Climb on from there."
Babe's back seemed very high up—not to mention slippery—as we followed JJ down the driveway. I copied how Dean was holding the reins. It was different than how I'd learned in Kenya. Western riding, I thought and grinned.
We rode down the side of the road a little way, then through a gate into wide-open, taffy-colored grassland.
"Heeya!" Dean yelled, and he and JJ took off at a dead run. Big globs of mud flew up from JJ's hooves. With a lunge, Babe tore after them. I let go of the reins and grabbed her mane, holding on with my knees and hands like I'd never let go. I could feel Babe's huge muscles moving underneath me and the wind blowing in my
face. I was both petrified and wildly happy all at the same time. Babe tore through an enormous puddle, and water sprayed up from her hooves in all directions.
We tore past Dean, and he yelled, "Pull back on the reins, stupid!"
I let go of Babe's mane with one hand and made a grab for the reins, which luckily were tied together so they hadn't dropped. I pulled back hard, and Babe practically sat down. I went over her head in a somersault and landed in another puddle. Babe just stood there looking at me.
"Are you all right?" Dean yelled as he galloped over.
I nodded, and he started laughing. "That was some dismount. You're lucky Babe ground ties or you'd have to catch her again. I'm going to check the cows, then I'll be right back."
He trotted off. I stood up and reached for Babe's reins. She snorted softly and rubbed her head up and down my front. I laughed rather shakily. My muddy, wet pants stuck to my legs, and I shivered. Dean was nowhere in sight. I hugged Babe's neck and wondered if I could get up on her back again. At least my seat would be warmer there.
There was a big rock about a hundred yards away. I led Babe over. She stood still, and I managed to scramble on all by myself. "You're the best horse ever," I said, rubbing her neck. "You couldn't help it if I told you to stop too fast."
I was rubbing her neck and trying not to shiver when Dean came tearing back over a rise.
"There's a cow calving, and I can see four hooves. She needs help. I've got to stay with her so she doesn't wander off," he called. "Go get Dad, OK?" He took off without waiting for an answer.
I managed to get Babe to turn around and start back. She didn't act like she understood the way I was using the reins. I kicked with my heels and she started to trot. My sore seat bounced all over her back. Running is better than this, I thought as I just about bounced off and clutched crazily at her mane. I kicked harder and yelled like Dean had, and Babe started galloping. This time I hung on to the reins. Babe seemed to know where to go.
Luckily Dean had left the gate open. Babe's head went down and she ran faster. Gravel flew in all directions as we tore down the driveway. I saw a bunch of people standing outside the house. I pulled back slowly on the reins, and Babe actually started to slow down.
Mr. Parker took two big steps and stood in the driveway with his hands up. "Whoa, girl. Easy, girl," he said, loud but kind of gentle. Babe stopped right in front of him. "Dean says for you to come to help a cow with four hooves," I said, breathing hard.
"What?" he asked.
"Well, that's what he said! Four hooves showing," I answered.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Parker laughed. "That means he could see four hooves of a calf showing, sticking out a little way, on a cow who is calving," explained Mrs. Parker. "Either she's having twins or one calf is all twisted up. Either way, she'll need help."
Mr. Parker was already on his way across the yard at a trot. I wasn't sure how to get off of Babe. I'd never gotten off of a horse without stirrups before—except in the pasture, and that hadn't been exactly normal. I put both legs on one side and sort of slid off. My feet hit the ground with a thud and I nearly fell down.
Mom caught me. "Anika, what on earth?" she said. "You're soaked and freezing. How do you get yourself into these crazy situations?"
Already Mr. Parker was back with a saddle. He put it on Babe, cinched it up, and swung onto Babe's back in no time. He hung a coiled rope over the saddle horn and reached down for a bag of stuff his wife handed him. He and Babe left at an easy lope.
As soon as he was gone, Mom and Mrs. Parker hustled me into the house to get cleaned up. I was so muddy I had to have a bath while Mrs. Parker put my clothes in the wash. I didn't care. I'd ridden a quarter horse bareback and had actually done something helpful. I couldn't stop grinning. By the time I got out of the tub, supper was on the table.
Tianna glared at me as I came into the kitchen. "You think you're so cool, going riding with Dean Parker," she hissed. She turned her back on me and went and sat down.
I sighed. Couldn't she figure out that I only cared about the horses?
Dean and Mr. Parker came in a bit late and had to go wash up. I had to tell my part of the story all over again for Mr. Parker. When I got done, he said, "I always did say that Babe had a lot of sense. Not that I can say the same for my son, putting a green rider up bareback."
"Is the cow OK?" I asked.
"Yeah, nice twin heifer calves. Dean and I did all right with that cow, so maybe we'll keep Dean after all," Mr. Parker said with a grin.
Halfway through supper Tianna and Sandy went out to look at the kittens one last time without asking me if I'd come. I was too warm and sleepy anyway. Besides, my seat was hurting where I'd fallen off of Babe. When we went out to the truck, Tianna and Sandy were already sitting in the back.
On the way home they were quiet and kind of giggly. My eyes kept wanting to shut, but my sore behind—and Uncle Kurt's loud country and western music—kept me from going all the way to sleep. I didn't pay any attention to how weird Sandy and Tianna were acting. Until I heard a soft mew, that is.
My eyes flew open.
Tianna's jacket was mewing! I sat up and stared at her. Both she and Sandy made frantic hushing noises at me.
The jacket mewed again.
Chapter Five
Luckily, Uncle Kurt's music was too loud for him and Mom to hear anything. I sure wasn't going to tell. If there's one thing you learn at boarding school, it's to not be a tattletale.
"Can I see it?" I whispered.
Tianna shook her head no.
"Come on, I don't care about Dean. I just wanted to go riding. Please?" I begged.
Tianna opened her jacket, and a little tabby kitten with blue eyes and white on its little nose and chin looked up at me. Its pink mouth opened in a loud, scared mew. Tianna covered the kitten up in a hurry, but Mom looked back at us.
"Mew!" Sandy said. "Mew, mew!"
It was a pretty good imitation.
"What on earth?" Mom asked.
"She's pretending to be a kitten," I explained.
Mom gave Sandy a puzzled look, but turned back around.
"Thanks!" Tianna whispered. "You guys are brilliant."
We were just pulling into Tianna's driveway, and Daddy was coming to the door to meet us. I opened the door to get out—and groaned. I couldn't believe how stiff I was!
Sandy got out and kind of blocked Daddy's view of Tianna as she rushed past him, her jacket in her arms. Sandy went after her, but I couldn't get away without telling Daddy about riding. I didn't mind, really.
"Tianna!" Aunt Doreen almost screamed. She was standing in the door to Tianna's room. "Kurt! Kurt, come here!" Boy, did she ever sound mad. "Look what your daughter's brought back from that ranch! A cat! I will not have a cat in my house."
"Your house?" Uncle Kurt roared. "I'll have you know I'm the master of this house. Right, Kevin? The husband is the master."
"Kur—" Daddy started to say, shaking his head warningly.
Uncle Kurt didn't listen. He just broke in angrily, yelling at Aunt Doreen. "If my daughter wants to have a kitten, it's up to me to say if she can or not. I say it might do some good to have something gentle and pretty in this house. We sure don't get much gentleness from you."
"Your hyperreligious sister and her husband are making you even worse, if that's possible," snapped Aunt Doreen. "I don't think you realize that women are people. We're individual human beings who have every right you have, Kurt Malcome! If this isn't my house, then where do I live?" Now her face was all red, and I could tell she was trying not to cry. She whirled to go.
"My daughter can have a kitten if I say so, woman," he bellowed at her retreating back. She just kept going.
There was a long silence.
Uncle Kurt shuffled his feet, like a little kid who is embarrassed. "Um, sorry about that, folks," he said. "I just don't get the kind of respect around here that a man deserves in his own house."
"Kurt," Daddy said softly. "It's true that a
man is to be head of his household, but the Bible teaches that a leader is to act and live for the benefit of those in his care. He's to give respect to others as well."
Uncle Kurt gave Daddy a puzzled look. I didn't stay to hear more. When I opened the door to Tianna's room, she and Sandy were huddled over the kitten staring at the door wide-eyed.
Tianna looked like she might cry.
"He said you could keep the kitten," I reminded her.
She just barely nodded.
"What are you going to call him?" I asked.
Tianna didn't answer.
"Jake," Sandy said. "We decided at the Parkers'." She had the kitten in her lap.
"Here," I said. Reluctantly Sandy handed it to me. Its little body felt warm in my hands.
"How do you know it's a boy?" I asked.
"The kids said so," Sandy answered.
Jake struggled and mewed really loud. I put him down, and he scratched at the rug and then squatted.
"Oh no!" said Tianna. "He peed on the floor!" She rushed to get a Kleenex. "Mom will kill him," she said, crouching to wipe up the wet spot. The kitten leaned against her foot, yawned, tried to lick a white paw, and lay down with a flop.
"He's so cute," Tianna said in a completely different tone of voice, stroking the little round striped head with one finger. "I just have to keep him."
"Then you better get cat litter and stuff," Sandy said, reaching down to pat Jake, who shut his eyes with a tiny sigh.
Tianna carefully scooped Jake up with both hands, laid him on her bed, and said, "I guess I'll have to ask Dad."
She left the door open, and a second later Uncle Kurt's voice sounded, loud and angry. I went to see what was happening.
"I said you could have a cat," Uncle Kurt snapped, still sounding angry, "but I won't pay for it. You wanted a cat, you pay for the junk it needs."
"I can pay, Dad, I can really," Tianna pleaded, "but the only place open now is Super Store. I can't walk there."
"So take the bus," he said and crossed his arms.
Aunt Doreen came storming back into the room, and I backed into the kitchen. "You really are a jerk, Kurt," she yelled, and then she swore at him. "Get in the car, Tianna. I'll take you."
