The next morning came, Teum and Bejide did their morning chores which consist primarily of caring for the livestock their family raises. First there’s the pig and goat pens to open, letting the animals out into their own separate enclosures. Then they feed the small featherless, bird-like ravi after opening the coop, where they spend the night. Mucking out the pig stalls and tidying the goat pens is handled with practiced efficiency. Then they inspect the spiked collars of their guard inu and give them the belly rubs and head pats they require as much as food. The last thing they do is release the pair of short haired 40-pound guards and watch them race back to the pasture to check on their herd of cavi. After taking care of the ravis, inus, pigs, cavi, and goats they can finally wash up and get some breakfast for themselves. Their dad spent much of that time loading the wagon with the supplies he’ll need for this week’s big job of repairing the sawmill roof, which collapsed from too much snow accumulation.
At the breakfast table, Teum and dad patiently waited for Bejide to prepare scrambled ravi eggs with a side of bacon. Bejide insisted on doing the cooking and most of the cleaning on account that mom used to do that, and she would need to be proficient at those tasks for her future husband. Teum was just glad he got out of the extra work. What he didn’t factor into that assessment was, he subsequently was required to apprentice to dad as a carpenter and had less spare time than Bejide.
Bejide served the food after leading the family in thanking the Free’er for the world they lived in. Afterward, Teum, out of character helped his sister clear the table and wash the dishes. Their dad noticed but said nothing when he saw them whispering to one another. He likes to see them scheming together. It reminds him how he and his wife, Aasimah used to conspire to do mischief.
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But the real world always intrudes on such moments, “Teum, are you ready to put a new roof on the sawmill?”
“Huh, yeah. Of course, what else would I do,” stutters a nervous Teum.
“Why don’t you go hitch Gerald to the cart so we can get a move on.”
Gerald is their pack inu and the sweetest, nicest beast you’ll ever meet. Teum doesn’t hesitate to agree to do that and darts out of the kitchen and heads to the barn.
Marama, otherwise known as dad, is no fool, he can tell when his children are conspiring against him. “What are your plans today my daughter,” he asks, not so innocently?
“Oh, not much I was thinking of going over to Shelbi’s and work on my needle point.”
“Shelbi, isn’t that the girl with the radio that’s always listening to music?”
“Hmm… yeah, I guess she does that a bit. But her mother knows every stitch and has been teaching me a lot.”
“Stitches huh, I hope Teum won’t need any of those. You’d make sure he’s safe right?”
“Teum? Nothing can hurt him; believe me I’ve tried. But I understand and thank you daddy.”
Teum finished hooking Gerald to the cart and waited by the back door for Bejide.
When she came out, Bejide grabbed Teum’s hand and held it as they jogged and laughed their way across the field and ducked into the woods, heading towards the bowl.