Chapter Nine

 

Tommy can be so boring sometimes. All he wants to do is fish and paint. I swear he is the least ambitious person I know, aside from our Dad. The two are peas in a pod.

It's so crazy to me that Mom and Dad have a toddler. Mom is so old now. Somehow she still finds the time and energy to teach Samuel the skills he needs to grow up.

Dad figured we needed a break so we all decided to go to the fall festival in town. Dad ran off as soon as we got there. I guess he really needs a chance to unwind. Who knew gardening and fishing could be so stressful?

Mom won the apple bobbing contest. I was surprised, and she yelled at me for being so surprised.

"Just because I'm older now doesn't mean I'm dead, James!" she admonished me.

Ok, so I kinda deserved it.

Dad won the pie eating contest. Jeez, what ever happened to parents letting their kids win stuff now and then?

Mom found a huge hale bay out back and couldn't resist the urge to start baling it. I think Dad has rubbed off on her a bit too much. I just realized now how that sounds. Ew.

We did get a really nice picture out of the whole thing though, even if some of us still had pie all over our faces.

Samuel is still a baby, but Betty is now an adult. She and Dad had already talked about her plans for after graduation. I know he's excited because all she can talk about is Arthur. He's happy there'll be another man in Betty's life to take care of her or something. That's a little sexist to me, but Dad has old-fashioned ideals. 

Mom also adores Arthur. I have to hand it to him; he did everything right. He got on our parents' good side and even asked Dad for Betty's hand in marriage.

She said yes of course. It's going to be weird here without Betty, too many guys in the house, a real sausage fest. At least I'm pretty sure Arthur is a good guy. If he's not...

"Just so you know, if you do anything to hurt my sister, I'm gonna punch you in the face," I said, laughing but not really joking at all.

"Jeez, James, calm down," said Tommy, ever the negotiator and nice guy.

"I love your sister, James," said Arthur. "I'd never do anything to hurt her, I promise."

He better not. 

It's rare when the family has a meal together these days. Dad is always busy fishing or gardening, Tommy's off doing his own thing and me...well, I'm still trying to come to terms with the fact that I'm the supposed heir of this whole family inheritance thing. I don't think Dad fully gets that I intend to make my own money and eventually move out of this cramped cottage of a house for something bigger and better.

Dad has been trying to spend more time with Samuel lately after his fishing is over. It feels like hardly anyone pays attention to the little guy. His birthday is coming up. At least he somehow learned how to walk and talk.

I don't know what it is about Sam, but I find him a little off-putting. I know that's kinda a terrible thing to say about your little brother, but I don't know if I really like him. Of course I love him, but it's hard to like a kid that hardly ever has anything nice to say and always seems to be in a really crappy mood all the time, not to mention always bugging us for stuff. Maybe we'll get along better when he's older.