Junior Year Box Set

“Sure, why not,” I said and followed her into the barn.

The sounds and smells gave me a momentary flashback to my summer with my uncle. I felt at home, suddenly. I volunteered to muck out the twelve stalls. Zoe showed me where to take the soiled straw. They had a couple of compost piles going, and it was obvious which one was the newest. Over time it would break down and be used as a natural fertilizer.

Mucking stalls wasn’t hard work and didn’t take any thought. I needed the mind-numbing repetitive time to get my head straight. This was almost as good as running. When I finished with that task, she had me fill the feed stations in each stall. I then checked to make sure they all had water. While I’d been doing that, she would take a horse to the wash station and get him clean. They looked like they had been into the pond and gotten muddy.

After I finished with the feed and watering, I went to help her.

“What can I do?” I asked because I wasn’t sure what needed to be done.

“Get the sweat scraper and get the water off of him,” Zoe said.

The sweat scraper looked like a bent window squeegee. She showed me how to use it to get off the excess water. While the horse was being washed, she had him in a synthetic halter so she wouldn’t get his leather one wet. Zoe showed me how to switch the halters, and then she had me lead him to his stall where his dinner was waiting. We then got the next horse.

By the time we had done the last three, I was confident in my ability to wash a horse. I then cleaned up the wash station while Zoe checked on her charges. Zoe and I made a good team. She was good with the horses, and while we worked, her focus was on them.

“I need to check the fence by the pond. Somehow they got into it today,” she said.

“Fences I know. I helped my uncle redo all his fences on his cattle farm.”

We walked the pasture fence lines and soon found how they had gotten into the one with the pond. We went back to the barn and got the tools I needed, and Zoe held the pieces in place as I fixed them.

“Can I ask you how being a Mennonite is different from being a Christian?” I asked.

“Mennonites believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ. Our beliefs stem from the Anabaptists. Anabaptists are Christians who believe in delaying baptism until the candidate confesses his or her faith. It doesn’t mean anti-BaptistBaptist, but rather rebaptizers. When our religion was founded, the authorities started to arrest the rebaptizers. We believe that Jesus taught peace, so we didn’t resist.

“From the first group of thirteen Anabaptists, other religions were founded. The most recognizable are the Amish. Unlike them, we’re allowed to wear normal clothes and drive cars. But we believe in service to our community and nonviolence. That’s the quick version of what it means to be Mennonite,” Zoe said.

I glanced around and took a deep breath. It was so peaceful on the farm. Zoe cocked her head and looked at me.

“I can tell something’s bothering you. Would you like to talk about it?” she asked.

“No, not really,” I said.

“Would you allow me to pray with you?” she asked, which caught me off guard.

While I had never been one to hide my faith, I’d never really put it out there, either. I just nodded, and she took my hands and bowed her head. I joined her and prayed that the rift that had developed in my family would be healed. When we were done, Zoe held my hand as she walked me back to the barn. I admit I took my time to get back and just enjoyed her company.

We put the tools away and rechecked the horses, and then she walked me to my car.

“You’re welcome to come help me do my chores anytime,” Zoe said.

“I’d like that,” I said, completely serious.

The farm had a real attraction for me. As I looked closer at Zoe, I felt an allure there also. It was different from what I usually felt with a girl. While there was a sexual attraction, there seemed to be something more. I couldn’t really put my finger on it. Zoe squeezed my hand, and then let it go so I could leave. I wanted to kiss her, but something stopped me. I didn’t want to rush whatever it was I felt. All I know is that spending a couple of hours with her on the farm had drained all the stress out of me. I felt better than I had in a long time. Maybe even before Jeff’s accident.

◊◊◊ Monday September 14

When I pulled into school, Tracy and Pam were out front hanging out with Brook. For some reason, Brook made me nervous. Maybe it was the predatory way she checked me out. While walking up, I saw Tracy pout.

“What’s wrong with her?” I asked Pam.

“You forgot her birthday,” Brook supplied.

I felt like shit. I’d never missed Tracy’s birthday since starting high school. Her birthday my freshman year had actually been our first unofficial date.

“What can I do to make it up to you?” I asked.

“You could buy me a Mustang,” Tracy suggested.

For her sixteenth birthday, her parents had bought her a Mustang. Tracy had sold it to pay for the accident she’d had that destroyed the ice cream stand.