Trick

Kate didn’t want to work. She just wanted to be normal; Kate didn’t want to be a farm girl. She wanted to stop skipping school. “Katie!” Mrs.Xtan called. “Don’t forget to milk the cows! I’m going to work” “yes Ma’am” Kate replied. Kate hated it when people call her Katie she just liked plain Kate. As usual Kate didn’t do her work. She ate breakfast and went to school. Her brother who was 17 named Nicholas, yet shortened it to Nick always was the first up and her sister Pennie who was 14 was just getting up. Pennie was always the last one up. Pennie had also changed her name to Jen. But as always Ma’am never called us by are shortened names just other family members and friends called us by that. Jen came in to the room as Kate was leaving the house, as usual Jen would act as if she thought Kate was outside doing her work. Kate was the youngest of the 3 Xtan children she was 13 and had to do all the work in the farm. It wasn’t always like that. When Nick was born father had to do all the work. Then Father had to go to war. And was killed. By then Nick was 6 and was capable of doing work he was counted on doing all the work in the farm. He loved school so he would sneak out of the house and go to school and then when he came home from school he would do all the work. And would not get back in to the house till dinner. Ma’am would always ask him where he had been up to he would always say: “oh… just doing some extra chores that’s all.” Yet Nick would hardly ever get any homework done. After dinner he would usually go to bed and stay up till 1:45 doing homework. And then get a 5-hour sleep and start the day over. Jen was only 3 then but he was so close to her. Yet and as soon as Jen was 6 she started doing all the work and Nick would go to school. Nick told her his trick since Jen also enjoyed school. But Jen didn’t have to stay up till 1:45 doing homework, since she had her big bro to help her. Who had already completed these assignments 3 years ago. Then when Jen was 7 Kate was born and as well when Kate was 6 she had to do the work and Jen and Nick passed down the trick Nick had created years ago. Kate still was doing the work. And Ma’am separated from her second husband yesterday. Ma’am was a beautiful woman she had crimped blonde hair and beautiful think eyelashes and streaks in her hair. Beautiful lush lips that seemed always red and natural. Her cheeks as rosy as a real rose its self and eyes that glowed as the dew on the grass does in the early morn.
Ma’am never knew of this trick. No one ever planed to tell her.
Jen never ate breakfast she would drink water. Sucking on an orange was as far as she ever got for breakfast. Except for when she was a baby when Ma’am chose out everything for her. Every child in the Xtan family was to be home by 5 so no one really could stay as late as their friends did in school. Or go to a friend’s house. Ma’am was usually home by 7 and left in the morning at 7 so she was gone for a good 12 hours a day and 7 of them were spent for the kids in school. So when Kate came home each day she would have 5 hours to do her work. When Kate came home the next day the phone rang Kate picked up. “Moo” said the person. Kate knew right away that it was the nurse from the school. She always made fun of the Xtan family because they lived on a farm and were farm kids. You might think it is kind of odd how a grown woman would make fun of you. The nurse was in fact not a woman she was a student. A top A+ student in nurse school who was 15 her name was Clara. “Yes Clara” Kate said with a sigh. “Your sister came in sick today and she started to cough up blood and she is not feeling to well in her stomach either. We sent her to the hospital. They just called now to say she is suffering from breast cancer”
“Wha.wha.wha.” Kate said. “I am sorry Moo girl but that’s the story” Clara said. “Well you should past this message on to your ‘rents and you should go to the hospital to visit her. She said she knows about “the work” but she has a plan. And Nick is to be contacted as well.” “He is…at school” Kate managed to spit out. “Uh are you ok Moo girl? You don’t sound…good”. “I am fine can you tell Nick to meet me at the hospital?” “I will do so,” Clara said. Kate to young to drive was hopeless. She had not realized that before.
She might as well just do her work Kate thought. So she went outside and did her work but fast very fast it only took her 3 hours. She had to do these three things. This is her Monday job list: Mow the lawn, weed the veggie garden, milk the cow, feed the horse and the chickens, clean the stable, wash the car. An awful lot but she got it done. And then she called the hospital. “Hello you’ve reached your city hospital how can we help you?” “My sister!” Kate burst out and then started bawling, “sorry ma’am I can’t understand you?” “My sister is in the hospital with breast cancer” “And what’s her name dear?” “Pennie Xtan” Kate wetly replied “Ok dear you can come visit her anytime now, yet we do have some one named Nicholas visiting her at the moment and we are waiting for some one by the name of Katie” “That’s ME!” Kate sobbed out.
“Oh well then” the lady said “come on over☺” “but I can’t you see” Kate bursted “I am much to young to drive!!!” “Oh! Well then” the lady started “I could contact some one who could give you a lift? “Nicholas” Kate mumbled, “ok I will tell him, does he know the address?” “He lives with me!” Kate shouted. “Ok dear I will contact him…goodbye dear” “bye” Kate said and hung up.

Kate went in to her room to change out of her sweaty and grimy clothes. She took off her overalls and t-shirt and put on one of her jean skirts and a sweater.
She put on some deodorant so she wouldn’t greet Jen with a dirty smell.
When Nick came to the house he honked his horn and Kate leaped out of
The house and ran to him. Nick had gotten out of the car and Kate got to him she threw herself in to her brothers arms. Nick said “its not that bad really” “oh! Nick” Kate said “cancer? Really, Nick its awful!” And Kate started to bawl some more “oh Kate! Do stop at once! Once you see her you would hardly think she has anything at all” “but its on the inside Nick” Kate said. How could her brother be so silly Jen could die and would he care Jen the one he passed his trick on to. Jen the one who was there for him when ever he needed to talk to someone Jen the one who he was always closest to. “Jen!” she yelled “how could this happen?” “Even worse what will mother say?” “Oh I am sure it’ll be fine but as long as you got the work done she won’t be as upset “yes I got the work done what do you think I was doing for the last 3 hours of the stupid day!?”
“Oh for gosh sake how would I know?” “Well you got the work done way quicker than I ever did” “well Nick you probably did a splendid job every time!” “Not every time” “well I surely didn’t this time” “obviously” Nick said as they turned in to the parking lot of the hospital. As soon as they went in the signed in at the front desk and they were took to Jen’s room Nick give the nurse Ma’am’s work number so Ma’am could get the shocking news. Kate felt awfully sorry for her. Imagine getting a casual phone call from some one you don’t know and that stranger telling who your daughter is on the stage of death? How awful!



When Kate walked in the room she found Jen lying there with blood all over her shirt (from coughing it up) and she was reading a magazine with blood covering the page she was desperately trying to read. Kate felt sorry for her. “Jen.” Kate said. “Jen.” Kate said again “Oh hey Kates” “what’s up?” “What do you think is up?! I am about to die in a few days!” Jen screeched she was obviously sad and mad she was on her deathbed. That did it Kate was so sorry for her she started yelling and screaming she fell to the floor and screamed and kicked and swore and yelled at god! It made her so mad and sad! Nick was looking at her in aw. But Kate didn’t care if the nurse came rushing in and swore to god she thought Kate was going mad. “Kate! Good lord! I know your upset but could you please take it down!” Nick said calmly” “HOW? HOW CAN YOU ACT SO SMART!?”
“SHE, SHE IS DEAD!” Kate screamed, “She is already gone” “she is gone she is not Jen anymore!!!” With that Nick started to sob he was so sad to see his two only sisters in such great pain. Then at that moment Mrs. Xtan walked in. She was horrified to see her three children Screaming in pain and agony she screamed: “THESE ARE NOT MY CHILDREN WHAT…IS GOING ON??? DO TAKE THIS AS SOME KIND OF JOKE?” she yelled to the nurse “no ma’am the names of these children are Nicholas, Katie and what…of left of Pennie” “NO! No, this can’t be! My beautiful brave girl almost dead?” Let me talk to them She walked over to her first child “Nicholas.” She said smoothly he did not reply. There you see he did not reply he is not my son. These are not my daughters” “oh! But they are!” the nurse said “Take Nick and Katie leave Pennie here”

And she did. “Now what was that all about Nick?’

“Don’t you understand?” Nick asked her “Ma’am Pennie is dieing she went to the nurse’s office today and…she started to cough up blood and she was feeling sick to her stomach. So they sent her to the hospital and there she is now dying from breast cancer they aren’t doing anything they said they have more important things to work on, and that…that…she has no chance of living!” And he started to whimper and then the tears started to roll. “Oh Nick! Do stop!” “Jen” he said sadly “Why does this have to happen to her?!”



The next morning the kids stayed home from school. And Ma’am went to work.


There was phone call saying Jen was dead.

Ma’am still doesn’t believe it.