Shanda was the first into my
room that morning; I had learned long ago that with young children around I
didn't need an alarm clock. She came in and kissed my cheek. I opened my eye
and returned the gesture.
"Morning Baby, you're
ready, are you?" She nodded her head and grinned.
"Do me
a favor and go wake the others for me would you?" I didn't have to ask her
twice that little girl ran through the house and up that latter, next thing I
hear is a cheerful voice along with a groaning,
"Skyla and Shanda get
off of me!" I laughed Shanda must have wakened Skyla first and they most
must have done Skyla's famous wake up call.
"Mamma Selena, could you
please do something about the wake up call?"
"Personally I think it’s
a great way to start the day. A jumpstart by the young
ones." She sighed as she went to dress.
"Help the younger ones
while your at it, I'm getting breakfast and the baby ready!"
"Fine" Darlita
muttered. She must have had one of those nights.
I had a feeling that the trip
was going to be a long one. Not because of the days but because of the
attitude.
I had the baby ready and
headed out after laying out what was of a big breakfast. I wanted to make sure
that no one would be hungry right after we started off.
I pulled out the horses that
we would be using. And hitched them up. I then put the
baby into her seat right beside me. Darlita would also sit up front with me,
and Shanda and Skyla would sit in the back so they could play as we went along.
"Let’s go!" I
called. I helped each child up into their seat and told them to sit. Then climbed up in myself. Gave the horses the signal to go
and we started off.
"Shanda, Skyla please
sit." I told them about fifteen minutes into the ride. Both girls did, but
they watched as their home disappeared.
"Mamma,
who will take care of the horses?"
"I put all of them out
to the pasture so that they could all graze, and there a stream that goes
through there so they can still get plenty to drink. The cows have it the same
way. Everything would be able to take care of itself while we are a way."
I told Skyla. At about
I noticed after what I did a
few weeks ago. Skyla listens better. I started them on a few games of "I
Spy", and things like that. That’s when Skyla spoke up.
"Bliss is a nut she has
a little butt everywhere she goes she goes putt putt putt" we all broke up
in fits of laugher over that. She cracked us up with all kinds of silly things
she threw together.
Darlita, she just kept
reading her books she brought. Shanda would start doing things with her hands
things that made no since to us but they meant something to her. We watched as
she kept going. On more than a few occasions we'd start laughing. We had made
it to third set of woods by nightfall. I stopped the horses; so that I could
help the others make beds. There was enough room still that they could do that.
It was neat to see all four curled up together under the blankets sleeping. I
smiled as I started the horses on. I knew when we got into town I would rest
then. I had a funny feeling that things would be different when we went home, I didn't know why but I just new. We traveled over
night by the time the first woke, we only had one more days worth, it normally
took me three but it looks like it was only going to take me two. I wondered
why, maybe it was the horses; we were using the fastest ones that we have. They
would have made great race horses if one allowed them. I pulled them to a stop
so that the children could do what they needed and to let them have a good
breakfast. And to run, and to let the horses rest their legs, along with
letting me rest.
"Mamma, look at these
flowers, they don't look like anything we've seen at home."
"No, they don't do they?" I said as I looked at the younger girls.
"These are wild flowers,
you both can have one." Shanda and Skyla smiled as they ran to get one.
Shanda walked back over to me after putting hers into the wagon. She then
pointed to the pans that were being washed.
"We don't have anymore,
you guys ate it all." She stomped her foot and turned around, then started
to walk off. I put down what I was washing and walked over to her quickly,
swatting her. I turned her to face me.
"You're going to stop
running off every time you don't get what you want. If you got lost out here,
there would be no way to find you." I scolded, and then lead her to a
tree,
"You stand there for a
little bit." I then walked over and finished my work and put them into the
bag they were in, called her over to me. I put her into the wagon telling her
to sit. Grabbed Bliss and put her into her seat and got in myself. Dar grabbed
a new book. As I told the team to start. As we moved
along I looked to Dar and spoke, handing her the reigns, and took her book.
"You drive for a
while."
"Me?"
"Yes, I think you can do
it. I'll help you."
"Alright." She said timidly.
"The horses just need
you to tell them which way to go. That’s straight for now." I told her as
she held onto the leather. After what seemed to be forever, I told her to take
a left.
I looked into the back to see
what the children were doing, they had both fallen asleep. Which was good for
them, I wouldn't be doing that until we reached the outskirts of town.
"Mamma Selena is that
the town buildings?" Darlita asked pointing at the outlines.
"Yes, were almost there.
Just a little longer." I made a little note to
myself. To make sure we use these two horses together when we come out here.
"Skyla, Shanda, wake up.
Look at that! We're almost there, just a little longer." I told them both
girls stood up and looked over my shoulder.
Nightfall had set over again
so I had taken the reigns back and let Darlita go into the back with the girls.