Fireworks and Monday Mornings

Chapter 2

My alarm went off at five thirty just as July had said. “Oh you have got to be kidding me.” I grumbled into my rock hard pillow. It was about 100 degrees outside and my skin was dewy with perspiration. I knew I had very little time to shower, so I reluctantly got up and headed down the hall to the bathroom.

 The water pressure was dull and lukewarm, but I turned it as cold as it would go so I could cool off and pull myself out of my sleep-like trance. I missed my comfy pampered life back in California where I would stay out all night with people I barely knew and sleep until noon. I had to face the facts though, that wasn't my life anymore. If I screwed up again, it wouldn't ever be my life again. I shook the thoughts off with the water in my hair and stepped out of the shower.

 I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around my waist, it was a bit small so I hoped no one was awake yet so i could dash back to my room. As I walked out of my room I saw July, heading downstairs. She didn't see me though. I made myself lighter as if it would make the floor creak less. 

 I made it to my room safely without exposing myself to the entire household. I changed reluctantly, my forehead dripped with perspiration and I could see three black curls already sticking to my face. I hoped I would get used to the heat.

 My footsteps were heavy on the creaky stairs and I thought I might break them. I knew everyone heard me coming because their heads were turned towards me. I waved slightly and sat down at the table.

 ”Ah! Good morning Mr. Morton! And you’re early.” He made a show of looking at his watch and smiling like I was some kind of invalid. “Wonderful!” He boomed. I did everything I could not to hit him, the man got on my last nerves and there was nothing I could do about it.

 He took me outside to the barn, leaving July and the housekeeper Cornelia in the kitchen. I looked around, surveying the area. “This is where you’ll find all the things you need, tools, water, lunch will be in the fridge every day at noon. You get a half hour to eat."

He walked over to the far side of the barn where there was a table with gardening tools and small pots. I looked up at the wall to see a cluttered bulletin board with local phone numbers, safety tips, and what I assumed where permits of some sorts. "The bulletin board will have the things I need you to do for the day, as I won’t often be here in the mornings" He pointed to a blue piece of paper with a few simple tasks on it in messy cursive.

" Every Monday," he continued "you and July will go to the market to sell produce and get groceries, she'll have the list. Every Friday you’ll meet with the guy who buys the baled hay and he’ll give you a price. Just write it down and give it to me. Understand?” I nodded like an idiot. The way he spoke to me was like I was one of the horses which were in stalls on the far side of the bran.

 ”You can stop working at six on the week days and 5 on the weekends. The rest of the day is yours. Feel free to go out on the town." Oh please, like I would want to get to know more of this shit hole town. "You get Sundays off. That’s about it. Your work is on the bulletin board.” He snapped his fingers as if I was a dog and walked away. I muttered a ‘yes sir’ before going over the the bulletin board to see my tasks. They were simple enough. Weed the baby plants in the front of the fields and scatter the hay piles into smaller piles to be baled by the more experienced workers.

 As soon as I started separating the hay to be baled I threw my shirt on the fence. The heat was unbearable and the hot sun beat down on my back, I could practically feel my skin frying and turning a deeper tan. I came form Italian decent, so I tanned easily.

  It took me a few hours to get though the piles of hay on the large expanse of field. When I finished I walked back to the garage to eat and get tools for weeding.