May 6th; Rock Creek Station

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Why are there taxes to get to Oregon? We already have to spend so much money on supplies, why do they expect us to give away more money just to travel?!

Father said that they were just trying to make a living, and he wouldn't listen to me, so I ranted to Michael since he was the first person I saw. I know they only make us pay what we can afford, but we need to buy supplies gosh darn it!

They said that we looked like a good crew, so they made us pay fifty cents. Do you know what we could've bought with that money? We could've gotten some good meats or perhaps some bread, but no, we had to spend it just to continue on our journey!

Naime said that I was being pessimistic, but that's not true. I'm being realistic. I'm being legit. I'm being reasonable. I guess you could say I was a bit negative, but I was peeved off.

Anyways, I guess I can't complain too much. We got some good supplies, and the other families helped us out. Michael bought a cheap cider cake, and he knew how I was feeling, so he shared some with me. He didn't tell anyone else about the cake, and he told me that it was our little secret. It was amusing how he spoke like a child when he told me that this cake was a secret. The cake tasted good, and it might last for a few days if it was just between the two of us.

The Oregon Trail: Gerald HylandWhere stories live. Discover now