I already hated him when he stepped his foot inside, sweat giving a glimpse of his ugly tan face. His ragged jeans were splotched with dry dirt, and his hat just made everything worse. He looked like a proud farmer. The creepy kind with the frozen smile that matches his wide eyeballs.
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX30Aff5GCA
The wood creaked as he came inside. “Hey, fellas!”
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2JXimOKsfY
I kept quiet and barged into a bundle of noodles. He quickly came over and sat down across from mine. “What are we having today?”
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsrryfzjy4L
My mom appeared in the kitchen. “Chicken and mashed potatoes!” she called out.
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPgz34YcYni
“Why don’t you take a shower first?” his annoying son, Joshy, said. “You smell!”
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCqs1otZD2B
The farmer guy laughed along with him and agreed. “The food will probably be ready by then,” he said, standing up. “Phew, the sweat!” They giggled some more. I tried not to roll my eyes. Damn, was that hard.
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlfgipvhoiY
“Cadence, honey, can you help in the kitchen?”
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVjO5jhVmwE
I stood up from my seat. I usually would have complained, but anywhere away from that guy’s sweat was good.
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCd2zuuAOVC
***
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL8e5a3jhsx
I refuse to call the creepy farmer my dad. He married my mom a few weeks ago, and since then, nothing’s been the same. Joshy and Nick, the two rascals, usually went into my room and destroyed at least one thing before coming out. My sister, who’s a year younger than me and was always on my side, really liked Maxine. Maxine dyed her hair red, which I hated so much. It wasn’t curly, which I thanked God for, but the color was so bright and ugly that didn’t match her face at all. I told her that, and she shrugged and said it was a nice change. A nice change? Really?
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSph1Gxbglm
On top of that, my mom even admitted that we might move to a farm. That was stupid. Shit, moving to a farm just because that farmer grew up in one and dresses like one from the ‘80s. Huh. Not gonna happen.
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3T4Zey1l3B
Today is Christmas, Farmer Guy is covered in sweat, Joshy and Nick are destroying the neat table I set up, and my sister Heather is ignoring me. I waited for this holiday for nothing.
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGGwemISctZ
***
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZJemKCwHEP
Now I found my mom arguing with him.
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIhAmRCpNh3
“I told you that we were having chicken!”
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzltBl2RE7E
“I told you on our second date I was a vegan, Jen!”
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFSP4JcGGxF
“Well, excuse me. You came home covered in filthy grease, laughed about it with your children, right before I said we were having chicken. You never helped out in here anyways!”
They continued arguing. I wanted to tell her to divorce him, that she was a city girl and he was a creepy farmer. Now that’s no match. But that might hurt her even more, and I’m not rude.
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYGLnbjRgri
“Kids, dinner will be ready in a sec,” my mom said hoarsely. “We’re having chicken.”
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmK4xCTKvA0
***
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7q9LWBsfd
We were all very quiet at dinner. Heather picked at her food at first. I knew she didn’t like chicken without gravy.
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSSQsQnq4lQ
Joshy and Nick were whispering in their secret language. “Ga ba bushu ba,” he whispered loudly even though he could talk words clearly. They both laughed, and then snorted.
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWC6McrJ3nc
“Dah bu ga bushu ba,” he whispered back. More giggling.
Maxine was on her phone from under the table. I caught Farmer Guy glare at her, which was all it took to make her put her phone away. I never had seen him with a frown.
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWcRDfAG3cM
It was quieter than I had imagined. I thought that Mom would share some of her city life stories, Joshy and Nick would laugh as they put straws through their noses, Farmer Guy would joke about his old days, and Maxine would send funny memes and texts to Heather. But there we were, hearing the chatters of our neighbors nearby, hearing squirrels sing songs, and us in the history book? Eating dinner like starving elephants on Christmas day.
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8SOg8kwoCl
I shook my head, standing up. I thought about Dad. My real dad. If he were here right now, we would all be stuffing straws up our noses. I headed away.
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw3TbVUQ2Gr
“Cadence?” my mother said softly. “Cadence. Where are you going?”
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkKgAwzvMiQ
I shrugged the opposite direction she was sitting at, which must have looked strange. I shook my head again and ran off upstairs.
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlmeNIcZ3JM
The last word I heard was Heather saying “Cadence,” before I could hear nothing at all.
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSA4hzQVeCl
As expected, my mother followed me to my room. I didn’t hide under the covers. That would make me feel weak. I just sat up on my bed, pretending to think about today.
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAMA06jFIyV
“Cady.” My mother whispered quietly. “What’s wrong?”
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2vSKtzLEOJ
And then I spilled everything. That Creepy Farmer Guy was stupid and sweaty all the time and he should leave with his shitty children. I told her that Maxine was a spoiled rich girl who shouldn’t have dyed her hair until she was sixteen. I told her Heather needed hearing aids because she couldn’t hear a damn fuck about me screaming for help and that she was picky for wanting to eat chicken with gravy. I rambled on and on that she chose the wrong guy, and he smiles all the time. I screamed that he’d probably smile if there was a volcano that erupted right this second.
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgNcxclterY
Just kidding.
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1cUL6W0bjs
I just said, “I hate Farmer Guy.”
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSrjetFQLV
She asked, “Who’s Farmer Guy?”
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ71OyMR5jJL
Woman, are you blind? Can you not see how he dresses?
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbHVbuvv4Fm
“My stepfather.” It felt weird getting the words out.
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpg5AWo58EM
She paused. “Why do you hate him?”
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtStTPJnSKG
“Do you want me to name one reason that stands out of all the other reasons? Because I have quite a lot.”
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKdmvyfuoM0
She chuckled for a moment. “Things must be weird now he’s part of our family.”
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIPq1PX2HMS
“Yeah, but he shouldn’t be.”
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXidmMRfgw9
“What do you mean?”
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡixdQVj5Dlt
I answered, “I mean if Dad was here right now, he would know the right words to say. He’s not a stupid vegan and he’d appreciate the effort you did into your cooking.”
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPgRgsWaZBf
She looked at me. “Hon, I’m not mad that he’s a vegan.”
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlDzuvpvGHg
I stared back at her. “I thought that was just part of the reason you’re mad.”
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6yERC1lb4j
She gave a slight smile. “I was mad just for a few minutes. But the reason I’m mad is that, well I’m not mad. I’m just upset that he spends so much time with his kids, and he goes outside and breezes away, while not spending one minute with me today.”
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU9PKdJmet8
“Hey, that rhymes!”
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgn1YPGnOll
She laughed and pulled a strand away from my face. “But that’s not a reason to be upset. It’s Christmas and everyone’s busy. We’ll have time later when you’re asleep.”
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB8tTvkG9p3
“Ew, Mom, what are you saying? With Farmer Guy?”
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsvoEYwRgi4
She chuckled again, and asked, “No, seriously though. Why do you call him Farmer Guy?”
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPF1AlWoTgh
“He dresses like one and grew up on a farm. Duh.”
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY91DvfLrEg
She laughed, and I felt my face getting less red and mad. My fists that I didn’t know were balled the whole time, relaxed.
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7cNb5uL3o
“Can we go back? I’m hungry.”
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKOGTWalLGC
“Your food probably went cold—”
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsAtKVXdH3S
“I don’t care. I’m hungry. Can we go? Can we go?”
380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpIUoe27MJj
She smiled and said, “You act like it’s not our own house.”
ns18.223.241.144da2
