For the sake of tomorrow.
It all started like any other day. The mighty crowing of the rooster signaling the coming dawn awoke me from my sleep, and with it, a new day has come and the time to say goodbye to the sheets of my bed has come again. An aroma of freshly baked pancakes arrived to my nose and its welcoming sweetness was something of a routine by now. After all, it’s been a year since Granny took the mantle of the cook of the house once again.
“Big McIntosh! Applejack! Come down here to eat breakfast, will ya!?”
“Eeyup!”
Abandoning the comfort of my room, I walked my way to the stairs of the house. In the end of the path, there was a little girl who was gently rubbing her face. Her green eyes were dazzling with the radiance of morning and her freckles served as a reflection of the sun.
“Big bro!” Applejack spoke with a voice full of energy “Let’s bring lil sis with us!”
“Nope!”
“Why not!? We must eat breakfast!” My little sister Applejack said to me with curiosity, her little hands pulling gently my shirt.
“Because she’s still a little girl, Applejack! When she turns eight in a few weeks, she’ll start to wake up like we do!”
“But she always loses Granny’s breakfast in the morning with us!” My dear sister said with a sad tone. “What does she eats during morning?”
“Don’t worry AJ. Granny will cook her more pancakes later!”
“If you say that then it’s good! But I’m not a child! I’ve eleven now!”
“You are growing faster than I hoped for, little Apple!” I said while patting her head and giving her a hug. “Let’s go to the kitchen before Granny gets angry.”
The way to the kitchen was just a few steps from us and upon arriving, the table was filled with pancakes, jars of honey and marmalade and mugs brimming with fresh milk from the cows of the farm. As I took my seat in the table, my family did the same and we gave thanks for another day of life. Doing a small movement with the fork and knife to cut through the bread and finally placing it in my mouth, there was only one thing to say.
“Eeyup!”
“Big Mac is right! They’re delicious, Granny!”
“Ohoho! I know they’re delicious, little bumpkin! I made them myself!”
“Shouldn’t’ we awake Applebloom and let her eat with us, Granny?”
“Let your little sis sleep a while longer! I’ll awake her myself later so eat your food before it gets cold!”
“All right, Granny!” Applejack said with the mouth full of food. “Gosh, I can’t wait for mom and dad to come back from their journey to the stars and eat with us again!”
Granny abruptly dropped her mug to the table breaking it in the end. Her face turned a little pale and a sad gaze soon was painted in those wrinkles under her eye bags. Immediately I went for the mop and some tissues to clean the place.
“Are you okay, Granny? Something is wrong!?”
“No, dear! Everything is fine!” Granny said while preparing another mug of coffee for her.
“Eeyup! Keep eating, Applejack! We’ll join you soon.”
“Alright…”
After cleaning the place and making sure that everything was back to normal, we continued eating our peaceful breakfast.
“I miss Grandpa too! It’s been years since he read me a goodnight story! How long we must wait until he comes back from Appleloosa?”
“Soon, Applejack!” Granny Smith softly caressed my sister’s head. “Grandpa will be back soon”
“Uhm, Applejack! If you’ve finished your breakfast, please wash your dishes!”
“Yes, Big Mac! I’ll do it right away!”
Leaving the place spotless, changing my sleep garments to my farming attire and making sure that my sister arrived safely with my auntie Rose so she can do the easy task of the farm with the rest of my little cousins, I went straight to the main fields and joined uncle Apple Strudel and my other uncles, aunts and cousins to work in the fields.
“My little Mac, good to see that yuh came this earlier again to do a farmer’s job! Yuh really are your parents’ son!”
“Eeyup!”
“You know the routine by now! Go ahead and help Half Baked and yuhr other cousins to feed the animals and once yuh’re finished, go and harvest the apple trees and the corn fields! Don’t forget to wash yur hands before that! This harvest is getting better and better compared to the last year!”
Since I was ten, this life of mine never changed. My elders planted corn, oats, wheat and barley, and raised cattle and hogs when the right season was upon us. I learned from my family to take care of every single tool of the farm, from how to use it to how to clean it. None of these tasks were a chore to me. In fact, I enjoyed them the most. Being a farmer run’s through my veins and I don’t think I could live without being one. When I go to the town to sell our produce to the folks each month, I often hear that the farm is immense and that it must be hard work. I don’t know, for me is something normal and especially since we have many family members working in it.
As walked my way to where my cousins were, the sun was shining and the fields were sparkling with a semblance of gold, the acres were blinding with their splendor of green and the sounds of the birds just added to the magic of the farm. Working alongside my cousins was something that made me feel comfortable. Family meant everything for the members of the Apple family.
We grew together, we played together, and we were told tales of old legends during night camps on special occasions. We even went to the same middle school on Ponyville, and in a few weeks, we’ll go to high school. After ending our tasks of the morning, we reunited under the usual tree near the cabin where we safeguard the equipment.
“Can yuh believe it!? We finally are going to high school next month!” My cousin Half Baked Apple expressed with happiness. “We’re finally gonna meet some city gals there!”
“Yeah! They say that city girls are funny and gracious!” Cousin Emerald Green affirmed with enthusiasm. “We had bad luck in middle school but this year will be our Piece of Pudding!”
“I heard from cousin Turnip that lots of pretty ladies go to Canterlot High!” Cousin Meadow Song spoke his mind as well “I envy him! He is already eighteen and now knows how to drive a bus to the cities by himself! He told me the other day that he drives the bus circuit and meets pretty girls near the school every day and from time to time he speaks with some of them. I can’t wait to have a dance with girls like that!”
“Cousin Braeburn said that city folks are noisy and unfriendly!” Apple Dumplings came with the rest of our girl cousins. By the looks of it, they already finished harvesting today’s acres.
“Cous’ Braeburn and the rest of the family just have really bad luck with city folks near Appleloosa! Those Manehatun or whatever it’s called are simply too fancy for us!” Golden Harvest replied to her with a bit of reassurance. “Perhaps city folks aren’t used to our ways and they look at us with confusion!”
“It doesn’t matter!” Half Baked spoke. “As long as we feel they are honest folk, I don’t have any concern about where they came from. Don’t you agree?”
‘Yee Haw’ was the answer we all said to those words.
“Big Mac! You’re unusually quiet today. What’s wrong, mah cousin?”
“Cousin is always quiet, Half Baked! It’s you that usually pop the corn from your mind and can’t stand silent reunions!” Apple Dumplings told him with a teasing voice. “You are noisy” Now it was scolding.
“I’m not noisy, daisy lily! I just like talking with all of you! Anywho! We’ll soon be in high school! We must prepare our best bibs and tucker’s for the occasion!”
“P’shaw, Half Baked!” Emerald Green scolded him for that statement. “That’s something that only the city dwellers worry about! As long as we’re clean from poop and sweat, they won’t mind what we wear!”
“Hush! I want to give a good impression to the ladies! What’s wrong with that?”
“You should focus more in how to use the hammer and nails instead of your looks, Chucklehead! Your side of the cottage was a mess and I had to fix it for you!”
“Dumplings! I told yah that I nailed right the wall of uncle Golden Fiddle’s cottage last week! It’s not mah fault those nails auntie Rose bought in the hardware store were of bad quality!”
“Bosh! Bad is the way you treat mah Upsy Dusy to hammer the nails in the wood, blockhead!”
“Who in tarnation calls her hammer ‘Upsy Dusy’!?”
“Shh, enjoy the free time!” I finally spoke for the sake of preventing a battle. “In a few minutes we’ll be back to work and then we’ll go to our houses!”
“You’re right, as expected from our elder cousin around here!” Emerald Green said with approval. “Let’s just take a quick nap and go back to muddle the boots so we can go back home and eat! ‘Yawn’ this breeze feels so nice”
Under the shadow of this tree, we enjoyed the pace of time and the breeze of the winds. Under the shadow of this tree, we were enjoying nature as one.
Every day was the same: Wake up, have a breakfast, work, rest for a while, work again, eat, clean the tools, take a shower, have quick and light dinner and finally sleep to start again the cycle we fell in love with. And soon, in a matter of days, we’ll resume school classes. Every season is the same: we study for four months and two weeks and then we worked for the family for a month and a half. It was the routine I was used to.
But in a fateful Sunday at night, I couldn’t sleep for some reason. I was thirsty and wanted to sate my mouth with fresh water. As I walked towards the kitchen, I heard voices talking in the main hall of the house.
“Have you decided what to do now, Georgia?”
It was my uncle Strudel.
“I told yah that my buds will go to school!”
“Please, be reasonable! This is da’ best harvest we ever have since years! We need to start teaching Applejack to make the basic works of the fields now! The other kids will start soon as well!”
This time it was my auntie Rose.
“Oh she’ll learn to make work in da’ farm! But she’ll go back to sixth grade in two weeks and Big Mac will go to high school with the other buds as well! Applebloom will start third grade and I know she’ll be a fine student!”
“The kids won’t go to high school, Georgia! I already spoke with my son and nieces that Half Baked and the others are needed for the coming harvest”
What!?
“WHAT!?” My Granny yelled in disagreement. “You can’t do that to the kids! They must study and they’ve waited this moment for months now! Long gone are the days that we could manage with basic knowledge! It’s time for us old timers to let the kids embrace the future! My baby would… my daughter…”
“Georgia!” Auntie Rose spoke with a sad tone. “I miss my niece as much as you do! My baby and Brave Apple were… ugh! we need to preserve our legacy! I know how little Maple wanted all of the kids to study and have a good life but we need to bring food to the table and if we don’t start to teach them how to work and be real farmers soon, we won’t have another chance to recover from the expenses from the last few years.”
“But…” I could her suspire with great sorrow. “I want the buds to be children a little longer. My lil daughter wished for them to at least finish high school and I just want to fulfill her dream.”
“We know that, Georgia! But we need people to work in the farm. We don’t have the money to hire workers from the outside and our family in Appleloosa barely have the minimum people on their lands.” Uncle Strudel said with urgency. “I know that this is hard and you want to fulfill Maple’s dream but we need to face reality! Perhaps when we have more money, they can go back to school someday!”
“And when that ‘someday’ will be?” Granny said with concern and a little bit of defiance “Next season? Next year? Next decade!”
“Please! I have faith that it won’t take us that much to recover! Business will be great this year, I’m sure of it!”
“I’m so tired… I miss the days where I could see my grandchildren being taken to the park of the town and play like normal kids! I miss the days were a mother had her husband at her side, admiring the fresh flowers of youth dancing in the land and be happy that soon the elder would no longer be needed! I don’t know how much longer I can hide Applejack and Applebloom the truth… No mother should have to bury her child!”
I felt lost with those words. I turned back and walked silently to my room, I didn’t want to hear what they had to say! The only thing I knew was to keep forward and face the bull’s horns straight ahead. Dad always told me to prepare for the charge at any time. As I went back to try and have some sleep, I noticed something peculiar this time. The door of Applebloom’s bedroom was open and I curiously walked straight in.
In this small room full of stuffed toys and walls colored in light yellow with red apples painted in its surface, an old bed made of wood was there. Between the light sheets for this summer, two small girls lay sleeping, softly hugging each other. Their small snores and pinkish cheeks were full of endless dreams and innocence that mustn’t be tainted so soon. But the dream chasers soon must awake from their fantasy and with eyes wide open face the bitterness of reality. One day, my sisters will now about the eternal slumber, the endless dream, and the withered roses.
The shadow of death soon will be a part of their lives and in that day I must be strong. But Granny was right. Children must be children while they still can and I am sixteen now! I know what I must do first thing in the morning.
The crowing of the rooster once again made its song be heard and a new dawn was upon us. I repeated the usual routine of every morning and soon I found myself near uncle Strudel working alongside the rest of my uncles and elders.
“Great, little Mac! You know what to do! Get going and made me proud!”
I didn’t know how to start. I usually keep quiet and do as my elders told me… but if I don’t start now.
“Uhm… uncle? Can I… talk to you for a second? In private?”
My uncle’s eyes were wide open and I couldn’t stop having this sense of fear in my throat. But thankfully, his expression went back to his familiar compassion.
“Of course, little Mac! Let’s go and have some water while at it! George! Take care of things while I have a chat with little Mac!”
“Alright, Dad! But be quick since its breeding season and da’ horses act wild without yuh!”
“Yuh’ll be fine! Yuh’ve done this for fifteen years now, lad! ‘kay, let’s go!”
In one of the numerous cabins with supplies in it, we took some water from the tank and sated our thirst. Looking at the endless fields of green, gold and sparks of red, I started to talk my mind.
“Uncle… I heard what you were talking about with Granny and auntie last night…”
“Oh Tarnation…” My uncle Strudel sighed in lament while removing his hat. “That’s something that yuh shouldn’t have heard, little Mac. I know yuh kids want to go to school and all but we need yuh right here and help us with the menial tasks to speed things up! Yuh’re already a man and I know yuh understand what I’m talking about!”
“Yes, uncle. That’s why I want to made a deal with you!”
“A deal? Oh my, lad! Yuhr father started to make deals when he was sixteen as well… I know yuh miss him and I’m thankful for what yuh’ve done so far… but with all sadness I must ask from yuh another sacrifice for the sake of the family.”
“And that’s the deal I want to talk about, uncle!”
“Then by all means, speak!”
“I’ll work before dawn at five with all of you and work full time until sunset. I’ll learn the office of the farmer with you and my elders with the rest of the cousins!”
“Holly molly, little Mac! That’s the thing I wanted to hear! And what’s what you want in exchange?”
“Allow AJ and ‘Bloom to study and have a normal life! If they wish to work in the farm during holydays, that’s fine… but I want them to be kids like Mom and Dad would want them to be.”
“…lad.” Uncle Strudel’s silent tears started to travel in his cheeks. The proud face of the man I was used to suddenly changed into one of humble and lament. “Yuh inherited yuhr mother’s selflessness! That’s something she would… ‘sob’” He cleaned the tears with his shirt. “Forgive us, Big McIntosh! Forgive these old fools that got greedy and nearly ruined the farm’s business! Forgive us for denying yuh a better future and a chance to live a better life! Forgive this old timer for robbing all of yuh the happiness you deserve!”
“Forgiveness it’s something that all of you have always taught me. There’s nothing to forgive really… All of you and Granny have been there for us long enough and she shouldn’t weight in her shoulders what faith bestowed upon us. Crying will not bring Mom and Dad but I working for the future will allow AJ and ‘Bloom to live the dream they wanted for them! Please uncle, I’ve never asked from you anything! If there must be a time where I need to be selfish! Then please let this be that time!”
I closed my eyes and made a small bow. But firm hands raised my head.
“Don’t act like a lily liver after saying all that, Big Mac! Chin up and look to the sky upon us! I accept the terms! Little ‘Jack and ‘Bloom will go to school… but yuh, Big Mac! Yuh’ll receive the whaling of yuhr life in this path! Working full time is not the same like doing the basic tasks and harvesting of the fields! Yuh understand what I’m saying, lad?”
“Yes! I understand!”
I won’t turn back for the sake of my sisters.
“Oh! Yuhr father’s eyes! Good!” Uncle Strudel gently slapped my face with approval. “Really good!”
This family moment came to an end, allowing us to come back to the labor of today. As I walked on the familiar hill and steeping in the usual fields, the sad faces of my cousins were like the darkest shade of the moon. Dull, hopeless and weak were the hands of my cousins in work and in a way, I joined their grief.
I told my Granny about my decision that night and only tears was her answer. I let her grief… she stayed firm for too long and it was time for her to weep and finally move on. The next day and forward, I awoke earlier than usual! It was weird putting a clock to awake me instead of hearing the rooster singing his way to dawn.
A quick and cold breakfast is what I ate instead of the warm of pancakes and milk heated to perfection from Granny. I felt a little weak with the work overload of what was once a usual routine. My cousins kept their usual workload but soon they will join me in my struggle. Harder and harsher was the work of sowing the land than simply harvesting and collecting reaps of the fields and trees.
Milking cows was harder than just serving it from the jar and drinking it from my mug. It was just eight days, eight days and I was starting to feel tired. And one day, two days before classes started, I was pulling the carts with brute force and a lasso. The wheels were broken and all of my elders did the same as what I was doing. Pulling more than six sacks of goods to the trucks was hard and tiresome. My hands were skinning even with my gloves wore, my back was hurting and I finally succumbed to the softness of the grass.
I’m tired… I’m so tired…
“It’s this how my Dad brought food to the table every day?” I asked myself, no one was nearby to hear my sobbing.
Why did they crashed and left us behind!? Why the police didn’t catch the culprit? Damnation and curses to everything! I don’t want to do this anymore! I hate this! I hate it! I HATE IT! Why is this happening to us!? What did we do to deserve this? WHY I MUST PASS THROUGH ALL OF THIS!? WHY I’M DOING THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE!?
“BIG BRO!”
That voice!
“BIG BRO! HURRY! DINNER TIME WILL BE READY SOON! HURRY!”
Applejack was waving her hand under the rays of sunset! And Applebloom was at her side holding her hand.
Dad… he used to say during our camps under the starry sky that if I can keep my wits and move forward, the dream will come, what's more, I'll be a man. His songs of old bravery from the west, the heroes of the land and that nostalgic sound from his guitar and songs legend was something that I’ll never forget.
Mom… how she used to clean my clothes after playing with my cousins and giving us treats with the rest of my aunties! Always praising me that I would grow into a fine man for helping in doing the works of the house!
Yes! I won’t crawl in the dirt like a stray dog. My objective, my dreams, is right there on the horizon! Golden yellow and Red apple will live the dream and someday, I’ll join them in school. I’m not a lily liver! I’m a man!
AND I CHOOSE TO LIVE AS ONE!
Days passed and it was time for our monthly selling in the markets of the town. The people were coming for fresh produce and money slowly but surely started to fill our wallets. It was the best sell we had in years. Uncle Strudel and the rest of the family said that at this pace, we could go back to normal in a few months. But for me, the most important thing of my life took the form of my sisters with school bags filled with books and pencils.
They told me tales of what they learned in school. Simple math that for me is just as easy as sweeping the house soon will transform in fancy magic that’ll be alien to me in a few years. And that’s okay for me.
“Big Mac! Are we going home soon!? I’m sleepy!”
“Yes, Applebloom! Just wait until we pack things up! Go with Granny, both of you!”
Because that’s the way life works.
Back in the farm, under the protection of our usual tree, my cousins and I were sitting in the land and eating some apples while at it. We were tired and dirty from another day of work
“Such a shame!” Half Baked talked with a bittersweet tone. “No ladies and school for us this year!”
“No fancy guys with flowers and chocolates for us either!” Golden Harvest replied with the same tone.
“But at least we’ve each other! That’s how we enjoyed our time on school in the first place!” Apple Dumplings spoke with a hopeful voice.
“You’re right!” Emerald Green replied with confidence. “‘Jack and ‘Bloom will enjoy the school days instead of us! One day, they could save the world with something they learned in school or something fancier!”
“One day I’ll sing about that!” Meadow Song spoke with happiness. “Maybe I’ll become a rodeo star singer or the likes! Or perhaps a super fair organizer!”
“Perhaps... school wasn’t meant for us!” Half Baked said with finality. "This musy be fate!"
Fate... I don't think this is the end! Abandoning my faith would be abandoning your self. I refuse to throw the towel!
“I won’t give up!”
“Cousin?”
I stood up and looked to the horizon. The sun will go to sleep soon and the gentle moon will take his place. Admiring it for a brief moment, I noticed my cousins joining my side.
“Someday, we’ll live the dream! I’llgo to high school and then, I’ll become a real farmer! Just like my folks before me!”
We looked at the horizon, together, with a new dream in our heads. The future is uncertain! But whatever is meant to come! Whatever challenge I must face! I know I can fight back and keep foward!
With my family besides me!
Author's Note
Western Vocabulary I researched in the web:
Piece of Pudding means 'A piece of luck' or 'a welcome change'
Best Bib and Tucker means 'Wearing your best clothes'
Bosh means 'Nonsense'
I always found weird that Big Mac was at High school if he is older than Applejack for several years so this is my idea on how he ended up studying later in life. Another reason for this outcome is that I find impossible that Applejack and his siblings in the human world can study without someone doing farm work. Granny Smith also works in the cafeteria during the events of the Annual special of Equestria Girls so definetly by that point she decided to work in there.
Continuity is a nightmare in the 'Equestria Girls' universe, and it has less content to worry about than the main series! (My opnion)
In the movie they stated that the Human Mane 5 met in their childhood and in the comic it's said that they met during school entrance. The mentioned comic doesn't help at all with it's art and plotholes if the movie is more canon than this. I mean, if they met before so a picture of them as kids was taken, why they treat themselves as strangers in the first few pages during the school fair in the comic? Why Bab Seeds looks as old as Applejack? Why do they look as they have 15-17 already?
Perhaps I'm reflecting far more than necessary... anyway! Hoped you enjoyed the fic and suggestions are welcomed.