To Everything There Is A Season

July 11, Afternoon

            I watched the men devour lunch. Apparently, there would need to be a mid morning and afternoon snack. I started planning what to feed them all for supper. There were the potatoes that Gabriel and Luke picked that would be tasty and there were a couple of meat chickens that were ready. Maybe fried chicken and roasted new potatoes with a salad would feed them all. Oil would need to be pressed; walnut oil would be good for the salad. I would need to see if there were any peanuts left. Chicken fried in peanut oil was really tasty.

"Miss Sang what tasks need to be done this afternoon?" Mr. Blackbourne asked from the other end of the table.

"The garden needs to be weeded, the cheese will need to be pressed this afternoon, I need a full list of what is in the cellar and the house needs to be cleaned. I'm doing laundry tomorrow morning if I can get you all to label your clothing for me, I can throw it in with mine." I answered trying to think of what all needed to be done this afternoon. I had more chores but most of them were mine and I didn't want to pass my work off on them.

"Very well. Misters Taylor junior and Korba, I'm assuming you will be returning to the fence line." Mr. Blackbourne stated, he received a nod from each of the named men. "Misters Lee and Morgan are the turbine repairs complete or do you need more time?"

"We finished just before lunch. It should be back up to full power generation." Kota answered.

"Misters Taylor senior and Coleman, the roof?

"All done Mr. B." Luke answered around a mouthful of cheese and bread.

"Luke! That is fucking gross!" Gabriel exclaimed.

"Language Mr. Coleman!" Mr. Blackbourne retorted but he wasn't angry more like he was resigned to the continued reminder to not be vulgar. The dynamic of this group of men was fascinating to watch.

"To continue, Mr. Griffin did you complete your task?"

"I counted everything that walked in the pasture and orchard. I have a few things I'd like to discuss with you and miss Sang this evening." Nathan answered. I couldn't help but wonder what he wanted to talk to me about.

"Dr. Green and I assisted with cheese making this morning. It is not completed but we will move out to the garden to weed more. Mr. Taylor senior will assist miss Sang with her afternoon tasks. Mr. Lee in the house to catalogue and sort the cellar. Any question during that ask miss Sang, all items down there must be accessible to her not just Silas." The table snickered, Silas preened, and I just blushed. It wasn't my fault I needed a ladder to reach the top shelves but then Silas couldn't get into all the places that I could.

"The remaining three are on floater duty, you will see where miss Sang needs additional help. Misters Taylor junior and Korba you are excuse as soon as you are finished as you have the farthest to go. The rest of you will help clean up then head to you assigned afternoon task"

Excusing myself I headed in to make a snack for the two men heading back out. Some of the cookies from the pantry and maybe a sandwich should be enough to get them through to supper. The door closed in the kitchen alerting me to the entrance of one or more of the men.

"Cupcake, I brought in the leftovers from lunch. What are we doing with them?" Luke called.

I answered as I left the pantry with a cloth bag of cookies. "We can make sandwiches from them. I want to send a snack out with misters North and Silas. We'll also want a mid-afternoon snack for everyone in the yard."

"Sounds good. I'll get going on the sandwiches. You start on your afternoon activities." Luke directed.

I smiled at Luke. I ran outside to collect some of the nettles I'd been carefully nurturing all summer. I hated the sting, but they made a refreshing sweet tea. I set up a large jug to brew in the yard and made a smaller one to send with the two men heading back to check fences. I cleaned up my tea mess before heading out to select he chickens for supper. As I walked across the yard; I heard the voices of the men talking. It was a happy sound. They teased each other and laughed like long time friends. It made me wish I had friends growing up that were like that. Instead I learned new patterns for sewing and knitting and which of the marriageable men to avoid drawing the eye of. We were never allowed to be friends just associates who learned from each other.