A Day In The Life of Big MacIntosh

After Apple Bloom looked more like a filly than a half-dried piece of filly-shaped caramel, we let her out of the bath to go play with the potions in the guest room. That was rarely a messy endeavor, with the exception of the explosion.

That reminds me, I need to get some flower seeds...

Evenings are almost never eventful in this house. It's usually just a wind down from the day's work. If Apple Bloom has homework, me and Applejack help her with it. Applejack's great at English and Spelling, I'm better at Maths and Science. But today she had no homework, and soon the sounds of gentle bubbling was throughout the farmhouse. So whilst Apple Bloom was doing that, I returned to the barn for another hour's reading and cider, by which point it was about nine, time for dinner.

As a general rule, I make breakfast, we sort our own lunches (only AJ makes Apple Bloom's in the morning) and Granny makes dinner. Tonight it was hayloaf and salad. Not overly exciting, but tasty.

We have a few rules at the table: no talking until dessert, no arguments and no toys/books/magazines/you-get-the-picture. We rarely have guests at our dinner table, unless a family reunion is on, which at this point in time there was not. As a result, dinner was normal, and quiet until dessert - which on this particular day was apple pie with vanilla ice-cream. Can't complain, I love ice cream.

There was not conversation of any particular importance today, just remark on the weather, and how me and AJ are making good progress on the work that needs done - once again the screw issue was brought up, and Applejack said that she'd pick up some more first thing tomorrow.

Granny was trying to prompt me to talk. She's sweet, and I love listening to her stories of growing up in Ponyville when it was new, but I don't like actual conversations. They almost always end up with Granny questioning my lack of a marefriend, and since she's so hard of hearing you have to really yell to get yourself heard. I think she feels a little guilty that me and AJ had to grow up so fast, because she wasn't able to do much, but she really shouldn't. Sure, it wasn't ideal, but she managed to keep the farm going long enough for us to finish our education, even though we suddenly had so many extra chores to do. If it weren't for her, Sweet Apple Acres could have very possibly gone to ruin.

So I eat my pie, listen politely, but when she turns for me to talk I say, "That was a lovely story Granny, and a lovely dinner. Ah'm gonna go read in the barn for a while. G'night, Apple Bloom." I added, because her bed time comes straight after dinner. Applejack and me don't really have bedtimes, as we're old and sensible enough to go to bed when we need to.

Apple Bloom brushed her teeth and before long was alseep, I was in the barn across the way until ten, when it started to get a little cool. And so I returned to the farmhouse and made polite conversation with AJ as Granny dozed in her chair. Nopony ever moves her from her chair, yet she never sleeps there the whole night. I suppose it's one of those mysteries. Like "is there life after death" or "how does AJ always catch and swallow the apple in one go".

Sometimes, usually in applebuck season, me and AJ work after dinner too, well into the night. The standard is ten hours a day - seven until twelve, an hour for lunch, then one until six. When the harvest is particularly good, we squeeze in an extra two after dinner, because dinner is at eight rather than nine.

It was coming up for eleven when I decided to turn in. It might not sound overly late, but I like at least seven hours' sleep a night. As far as getting ready for bed goes, I sneak into Apple Bloom's room and kiss her mane goodnight, even though she's always sleeping, but she smiles. AJ is usually reading, but sometimes she's asleep too. Either way, I kiss her mane as well, and if she's awake, she does the same to me. Then I go into my room, pull off my yoke, snuggle up to Sma-

...to my, er, pillow, and wait for sleep

Just before falling asleep, I often think of another Equestria. A one where Ma and Pa are still alive. Applejack is much more carefree, and so am I. We have far fewer chores and spend more time with our friends, but it's mostly the same, only Pa takes the role of scaring off the Flying Flirts.

Because I don't have to be the stallion of the family in this world, my mind is able to wander. I think that, yeah, Cheerilee is very pretty. I flirt back at mares, instead of politely and tactfully ignoring or playing ignorant to their advances. Apple Bloom has a real mother and father, instead of an older sister and an older brother who play at it. Granny has somepony more competent taking care of the farm. It's a happy Equestria, but so is this one. Apple Bloom's turning out pretty darn good, the farm is thriving, and most of those mares didn't seem that nice anyway.

Life is tough. Life is hard. Life will sometimes knock you down for the sake of it. But with my sisters, my granny, my cousins and aunt and uncles...

...life is good.