A warm sunny summer day is just starting.
читать дальшеWouldn’t it be nice to spend this day hanging out with friends? Oh, how I wished that I was given such a choice. Now imagine a meadow on the outskirts of a small city on this day. The morning is fresh and still cool but the rising sun promises it to be a warm clear day. There is a herd of cows grazing on that green meadow wandering about in different directions. What do I care, right? I’m just a city girl visiting my cousins on a farm. Cows, pigs, goats, well, let them be, as long as they stay away from me at a reasonable distance. I can look at them: cute animals, I think to myself, whatever. A quick glance of acknowledgement is what my relationship with animals has been, up to this point at least. But this summer that would have to change.
Can you imagine in what kind of a “relationship” I found myself in on that day? Well, I’ll tell you: I was supposed to take care of a herd of cows for the whole day! I did have someone else with me -- a little scrawny village boy clothed in filthy rags. So instead of my friends and a trip to the mall or the beach I was stuck with a bunch of crazy animals and some stupid kid I didn’t even know. You’ve got to be kidding! What kind of relatives are they sending me to herd cows? I was mad! But pretty much I didn’t have a choice, not yet, though I was sure that I could figure something out in a while. But the situation would have to last for that while.
Danny, that was the boy’s name, said that he knew these animals well. So I decided to let him have them. I would just stay back. I mean, what could these stupid animals need that I can provide? That morning Aunt Nina dragged me out of my bed at the Stroginsky farm home to “let me know” what I was to do for the day.
“Well, couldn’t you find someone else for this position? “ I asked with frustration during breakfast, once my head had cleared from sleep and my brain started to process information.
And my Auntie started her speech “There is supposed to be an adult at the pasture because Danny is too young to be entrusted with the herd alone. You know well enough that I cannot leave the farm and the kids alone and that last night’s accident disqualifies Katie. She usually was the one who did the chore of herding cows when our turn came but now she is no help with the broken leg. Besides, Danny is there to help, you shouldn’t worry. You’re a big responsible girl, you’ll do just fine.” She could talk forever with the speed of a machine gun.
I rolled my eyes, forking the last bits of fried eggs into my mouth, washing them down with fresh milk. Oh, what a great day of awesome adventures awaits me…
Danny came to the my aunt’s farm to help me get their cows to the pasture with the rest of the village cows to form a herd, as it was done each and every morning from March through October (so Katie informed me). Reluctantly I followed the little guy and the three Stroginsky cows to the pasture, where ever it was. I felt like a sheep being led to the slaughter house. What fun could this day bring?
Once at the meeting place of all the village cows, we had to wait for owners to bring their stock. Gee, I wondered, how many animals are there going to be with them coming and coming? A thousand?! Actually, we ended up with 37. Danny counted them. Well, at least he’s not all that stupid, could count all right, I was trying to encourage myself somehow.
As the morning grew old and the cows became restless trying to wander off in different directions, the boy informed me, “We need to start moving. Now your job is to make sure that none of the calves or cows wander off in the bushes or the forest. “
“Sure, whatever,” I said absentmindedly.
“Here, have yourself a stick. You’ll find it useful to bring them back when they do stray, those careless little brats. They love to hide from ya.”
I looked at the crude “herding instrument” in disgust – the kid had found that stick somewhere in the forest who knows where it had been.
“I’m not taking that!” I cried “What would I do with that dirty piece of wood?”
“Well, whatever, but you will regret not taking it. It’s better to have something to prove to those unruly beasts that you are the boss around here” said Danny.
I just turned away from him and walked on straight on the path starting for the forest following the restless herd of cows. For the next 6 hours I was miserable running after those crazy beasts that were getting away from the herd, being laughed at by that boy, and just exhausting myself with the frustration of it all. I did get help when the owners came in the afternoon to milk their cows. I was glad we have not lost any of those cows. But by then I didn’t really care if we did. I would rather have them all perish than spend one more hour in such “company”.
I had to get away. I thought that I would come up with a plan but all morning I was busy chasing the beasts. And then just gave up on them because I was so tired and hot. The milking area is in a growth of trees so there was a little shade to hide from the burning sun. I was on the verge of tears and mad at every single one of those beasts and anyone I could think of that had something to do with my being sent on this “mission.”
My relief finally came with the day’s end at around 6 or 7 in the evening (I couldn’t tell, I had no watch and the boy navigated through his day by the sun). I was dropping dead by the time we were finally heading back though I quit my chasing and just sat there or followed the herd at a distance. Danny just shook his head full of unruly brown curls and laughed a suppressed laugh.
On the way back I was tugging along at the end not caring anymore about the smell of the animals because I was so tired and smelled like them myself. Though once I got to my cousins home first thing I did was wash myself in their makeshift shower with my own soap that smelled delicious. Then, not caring for food, I went straight to bed and as soon as my head touched the pillow (that I had sprayed with my perfume the night before) I fell asleep. This was the end of the beautiful summer day that I could have spent with my girlfriends at the beach…
-
-
25.10.2006 в 22:13-
-
25.10.2006 в 23:56thank you very much for your reflection!!!
If you see any mistakes or something to be clarified/changed etc. then tell me (if you don't mind). I would really appreciate it!
-
-
27.10.2006 в 00:55-
-
27.10.2006 в 23:15