New Life with Apples and Love

%i%Chapter Two%I%

I woke up to the sound of knocking at my door. I looked and the sun was barely coming up over the horizon making me immediately react, jumping to my hooves and running out to the room again straight into a red wall of stallion.

“Oh um sorry again mac I didn’t mean to bump into you its just…” I said realizing a hoof on my mouth.

“Look ah owe you an apology for yesterday. Today we get to work in the apple fields alright, but first we need to have breakfast before granny has a cow” He said as his hoof finally came off my lips.

“Ok” was all I could say staring back into those green eyes of his again. As I walked down the stairs a mirror caught my eye. “Ugh my mane is a mess!!” my red mane and white coat were matted and tangled into a mess. “Darn it I hope AJ or bloom has a brush I can borrow…”

We finally sat at the table as granny served the food. “Um Applejack I have a question. Do you have a brush or comb I could borrow?” I smiled coyly hoping she had something to control my unruly mane.

“Certainly sugar cube ah have a brush we all use in the bathroom if you need it.” Applejack said in between bites of food.

I excused myself after finishing breakfast and used the brush to untangle my hopeless mane. Finally it was off to the fields were I was met by Applejack and Macintosh. Macintosh explain the apple bucking and Applejack explained where to place the baskets to make sure no apples will fall on the ground and get bruised. Finally after a few times I got the hang of the apple bucking and decided to go a little faster.

“Hey Mac I’m on my fifth tree in under 2 minutes!! At this rate we can finish the orchard in no time!!” I smiled as I bucked the tree again trying to go as fast as I could, watching as mac was staring back moving slowly using one hoof to buck the trees.

Finally after bucking most of the field we were in, it was time for lunch and granny had made a wonderful dandelion sandwich and apple cider vinaigrette on a tossed salad. We finally got back to the fields and finally it was time to come in for dinner.

I was working hard making sure I got all the trees I could trying to make sure the apple family knew I wasn’t a slacker at the job. I was still working on this one tree so I decided I would catch up with the two apple siblings when I finished. I shouldn’t have finished and went when I was told.

I came upon the conversation from the kitchen window next to the barn listening into a conversation I wish I never had heard.

“AJ he aint good on this farm!!” Big mac said glaring at his sister.

“But brother what I saw today was determination and a pony that is a good addition to the farm!” Applejack semi yelled as she glared back into macs eyes full of fire.

“AJ he’s a bucking hazard!!! Did you see how reckless he is?!! He will have blisters on his hooves if he continues like that!!!” Mac yelled back making me feel like I’m worthless through the window.

“Mac he will get blisters his first time, you did for goodness sake!! Shoot many times you got blisters but they became calluses!!” Applejack fired back as the argument continued.

“AJ not only will he get blisters but he will be useless for two weeks and by then the snow will come and then we will be behind!!!! Think AJ!! He’s going to ruin the farm!!!” Mac hollered back and I decided it was time I got inside before granny was mad at me too.

“AJ Ah’m sorry but he aint worth the fuss and hassle and he’s going to end up sinking us and putting us in debt!!” Mac growled as I closed the door behind me grabbing both of Mac’s and Applejack’s attention.

“Sugar cube you alright? Why the long face?” Applejack said acting oblivious.

“I don’t know applejack I am just a hazard after all… Granny no offense your food is great… but I’m not hungry anymore…” I said as I walked past them going to my room.

I locked the door and started to sob on the bed as I felt every word Mac said fill my head and sink my heart deeper into the darkness of my room. “He said I was a hazard… he said I would bring the farm into debt…” I quietly told myself his exact words as I could only think about them.

Finally I heard all the doors close upstairs signaling everyone was going to sleep. I slowly made my way down stairs to the field looking at all the apples shine from the full moon. I thought to myself for a while thinking what if I buck as many apple trees as possible would they think I was useless and a hazard then? I thought if I could save the farm and help them stay afloat till cider season when we could press the apples, maybe they would rethink about me being a hazard and useless.

“I’m going to buck until I pass out and there aint nothing to stop me.” I said determined as I got all the baskets out putting them just right around all the trees. “I have to act quickly if I want them to realize I’m worth something to this farm and hopefully still let me have a home here.”

I bucked and bucked until I got blisters on my hooves and even then I continued and didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop I wanted to prove my worth and I wanted them all to see who I was as not only a pony but perhaps a family member. I bucked eight hundred and ten trees filling the baskets to the brim. The last thing I saw was the sunrise… then everything went black.