Page 98 of Run Away Home: Tempered

Hey stranger,

It was nice meeting you today. You can come visit me if you’d like. Our camping site is called Samson’s. I’m in the second pod from the shore. I’ll be there until Monday.

I hope you come see me,

Teva (Girl from the bakery)

Samson’s, eh? Haven’t seen him or his kids in a long while. That’s how he’s making money these days? Tourists? “Glamping?” Farming really is a dying industry around here. Soil’s been really bad. It’s not all my fault, if even Goraidh Samson couldn’t make it...

I rip the note off the door, shove it in my pocket, and walk inside. Ma is sitting on the couch directly in front of me. She stands.

“Well, who was it?”

I quietly shut the door, then turn to face her. “Just some of those daftys from the farm over. They wanted to borrow some eggs.”

“Did you shoot them?” She steps closer.

“No, Ma.”

“I knew you wouldn’t. Did you give them eggs?”

“No, Ma.”

“Okay, good. You must finish the fence. That will stop them from coming on our property.”

I laugh. “Yeah, I’ll build a great big fence, honey,” I say in a deep voice, mimicking my dead father. “Fetch me a beer while I do it.”

Ma slaps me behind my shoulder. “Don’t do that!”

“I don’t know how to build a fence, Ma.”

“Adair said your father was teaching you two when he was working on it, before he got sick.”

“Yeah, well, I didn’t pay any attention.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything else from you, lazy boy. Ask Adair. He’ll remember some things.”

I roll my eyes and grab a cloth from the kitchen. I head to the couch, sit, and begin polishing the shotgun barrel.

“I’m not asking an eight-year-old how to build a fence. Stop making him feel like he can do everything better than I can.”

“Hecando a lot of things better than you can.”

I snort and shake my head. “Okay. It’s decided then. Adair is building the fence.”

“He is not building the fence! He’ll tell you what he remembers about building the fence, and you will build it.”

“Fine, fine!” I put the gun down. “But not tomorrow. I already have so much to do.”

“Like?”

“First of all, the chicken coop needs to be cleaned. Also, I have to...tend to the corce beag for the sheep.”

“Fine. Saturday, then.”

“Yes, of course.” I lean back on the couch. “On Saturday, I will build the fence while my supervisor Adair hollers instructions.”

“Get your arse back in bed. I’m finished with you.”

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