In the Eye of the Storm

Chapter 4

 The rainy season was staring the Clearys down and they were not nearly ready for it. In the days after Caroline had been sent out to the market the skies grew grey and dripped inconsistently. It took Terrance three days to get the plow back in working shape after the mishap that occurred the previous year. He had never gotten around to fixing it and had quite an ill temper because of this. For Caroline, this meant three days of avoiding the barn as best she could while still performing her chores and getting yelled at for alternately entering and staying away from the barn. When the thing had finally been fixed and Terrance called for Caroline's help out in the field she wasn't sure whether to be grateful to once again be able to enter the barn or apprehensive about a day spent in the field with her father.

Either way, grateful or not, Caroline was out in the field the next day with Winifred's reins in one hand and her eyes lowered to the ground. Terrance stood cursing at the plow and everything else around him as he fought to get the plow in line and Winifred's harness hooked up. Winifred was indifferent to his struggle and simply danced back and forth, not truly going anywhere simply doing his best to make it difficult for Terrance to attach the harness.

Frustrated he threw one of the straps to the ground, "Hold the damn horse still will you Caroline! I can't get this strap around him while he is moving like that!"

Caroline nodded keeping her eyes fixed to the ground and gripped the reins tighter while stroking a hand down Winifred's side in an attempt to calm him. Taking a deep breath Terrance grabbed the strap once again and moved to secure it around Winifred's middle. Refusing to do as Terrence wished Winifred danced to the side. After so many years of plowing the fields, he knew exactly what that strap meant.

Cursing he threw the straps in Caroline's direction, "Fine, if you can't hold the damn horse still like I asked, you can hook him up to the plow. If you think it's so easy, then you try."

Without taking her eyes off the ground Caroline handed the reins to her father and moved to pick up the straps. Her heart raced and her palms grew damp as she collected the pieces. Sorting through them she almost dropped the right one under the weight of her father's gaze. Trying to calm her breathing she stepped up next to Winifred and stroked his side gently, with the other hand she lifted the strap and placed it over his back. As she tightened the strap she made sure to stoke his side every once in a while to keep him steady. Moving to the one around his neck she stroked his nose and looked him in the eye telling him what she was going to do using only a look. She could see him grudgingly accept his fate, she couldn't help but feel bad for him as she tightened the strap, he was a tool to her parents just as much as she was.

After securing all of the straps in place, she moved back to take the reins from her father. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a rigidness to his posture that indicated he was not happy about something. Terrance set the plow on a straight course at the first row and they began. Caroline stood off to the side watching her father and Winifred. After two rows he stopped and motioned for Caroline to come take over. She obliged. Turning Winifred and the plow around she set it into the ground and began. Caroline had never much enjoyed plowing the fields, it was quicker work than some jobs but endlessly dull. By the third row, she had nearly begun to drift off before realizing that her father was still standing off to the side.

As she passed him he grabbed her wrist and she nearly fell as Winifred continued on without her for a moment, "I want straight rows! Do you know what that means? Straight not crooked! Your lines are all over the place, clean it up!" he released her and turned away before muttering, "It's a wonder you can make it to town on the rare occasions we send you, you don't even know what a straight line is."

Caroline held her breath and kept her eyes pinned to the ground as her father walked away, presumably back to the house. Taking short breaths she made her way back to the plow. The rest of her day was spent out plowing in the fields. She didn't let herself slip for one moment, constantly focused on making the rows as straight as possible. She would not disappoint her father. 

As the sun began to make its decent Caroline finished the field. Gazing out at it she couldn't help but be proud of how straight her lines were. Other than a few slight dips they appear almost entirely uniform. Disconnecting the plow she put away the equipment and brushed out Winifred before pouring his water and feed for the night. As she entered the house her father stood from his chair and walked past her out the front door. Apprehensive, she followed him to the field she had plowed and stood behind him as he surveyed it.

After a long moment of silence, he opened his mouth and spoke one word, "Worthless" before turning around and walking back to the house.

Shocked Caroline could do nothing but stand there. A gasp escaped her throat that she hoped he was too far away to hear. She wrapped her arms around her stomach and blinked back the tears. A moment or two later she wiped her eyes and headed in for dinner.

No one spoke throughout dinner and Caroline kept her eyes firmly on her plate. As soon as the meal ended Caroline stacked up the dishes and took them outside to wash. She took her time cleaning the dishes, not entirely enjoying the crisp breeze and dark clouds that promised rain but not entirely bothered by them either.

Thankfully when she reentered the house both of her parents had already retired to their room. She followed their example and made her way to her room. She changed into her nightdress and took comfort in the repetition of brushing out her hair. For a moment she gazed at her bed before changing her mind and grabbing the unfinished dress from where she had hidden it a few nights before. Outside her window rain fell. The darkness of the clouds nearly blocking out the light the moon provided but there was just enough for her to finish sewing the hem.

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