Momma is stomping over to the garden now and is still shouting for Daddy, all the while on her hands and knees, tearing up the plants and looking for any scraps of vegetables left she can salvage. Momma is busy and ain’t seen Daddy slink out of the woods. I see him but Momma ain’t. Daddy sees me seeing him and smiles and holds a finger to his lips. I ain’t sure what all my role is in this now.

I say to Momma, “there he is.”

I point and Momma looks up sharp and spots him too. She shouts “get your ass over here, Ross! Get over here and see what kind of mess we all is in now! you let these crops die in the cold and I ain’t know how crops is supposed to work! Now it’s all brown and these vegetables is withering! I ain’t sure what all season it is, and tell the truth, I ain’t even sure what month or day it is, but I think we’re in the fall now! I don’t know!” She throws up her hands and holds them there, waiting for Daddy to respond.

He shuffles his feet and admits he ain’t wholly sure what all time of year it is either and beyond that, he also ain’t know that much about farmin’ either, tell the truth. “What!? you brought us up here and you ain’t even know how to do these things?! You said you knew what all you was doing!” Daddy interrupts, “I ain’t said that! I ain’t! I done got us this house and I know how to fiddle with things! I thought you was the one that was good at jarring things and bringing things out of the ground and... and... wearing an apron and having babies and washing dishes and the like. Sweeping! Dustin’! Hittin’ rugs with something to get the dust off em’! Woman stuff!”

Momma is looking like she’s about to explode. "You think I already know how to do fronteering things because I'm a woman?! that's the stupidest thing I ever did hear come out of your mouth, Ross! What, you think I done gone through fronteering school when I was a little girl? All little girls know automatically how to jar things and take care of a house in the middle of the woods? Coming out of my momma, all ready to swing a broom and steam some vegetables? I know you is lazy and a little dumb, but I ain't know you was all the way an idiot!"

Daddy gets a storm cloud frown on his face.

"This is your fault woman. You done gave birth to that boy what can't even get in the water without becoming a vegetable himself. At least when the winter comes we'll still have a vegetable, only instead of us being able to eat it, it's us what has to keep feeding it! He can't even provide nothing for us in that state! These boys was going to be men up here in a pretty quick amount of time, now one lays around, shitting himself while the other one has to clean up after him! Ain't nobody doing anything right on account of that boy! He taking up all the resources and how we going to live out here if all we have going for us it taking care of a human log?"

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Momma says "we already been over this. We done agreed that Jacob is our'n and need to be taken care of as best we know how. Don't go on forgetting about how you ain't want to take him to the hospital to get well. We is all staying up here and getting along on our own or not at all? ain't that what you said? That mean we all have to die if it ain't work out like you want?"

Daddy ain't say nothing, just stands there.

"I've had it." Momma says. "Give me them keys Ross. Give ‘em here. This stops now. We ain't got enough food even for the next few days, we ain't get that Jacob better, and I ain't even see him blink even his eyes. Someone else needs to take care of him for a while. Someone who knows what they’re doin’. I ain't got it in me no more and Gabe is too small and forgets too much to be able to take care of him on his own, so who does that leave? hmm!? I know you ain't take care of him. All you do is wander around in them woods, I ain't even quite sure what all your doing out there. This is just like before when you ain't like to go to work or do anything to help this family. I knew you weren't going to help with this. I should have known. You is a liar and the laziest person I ever done met and we're fixing this right here and now."

Momma holds out her hand and gestures for Daddy to give her the keys to the truck. He looks at me and says "what all is your take, Gabe? You think I'm lazy and a liar? Ain't want to take care of this family? Just want to run around in the woods and eat up everything without helping none?" He said it dangerous, like he knew what my answer would be. I was the one he went to with his woes and always agreed with him. Daddy wanted us to go against Momma so he could keep doing what all he'd been doing out there, but I ain't want to play that game no more. I ain't want to starve in the woods in the middle of winter, watching Jacob get skinnier and skinnier as the food runs out. "Yes." I say. Daddy is surprised at first, then he colors and says "so you all is against me. At least you come out and said it so I know where I stand. But here's how it's going to go. You ain't the ones telling me what to do, and you ain't the ones in charge. I am. I say what goes, and what goes is that we're all staying up here. We're not going back. I done told you both and maybe you ain't really believe me. Ain't take me serious.”