Snippet #1758934

Jenny kept her pace slow and casual as her and her brother Gene made their way into town for the day’s work. It was never much of a long walk, living just a field past the town’s church, and it was what their parent’s had wanted; to raise a family without living near a saloon or boarding house. And what better way to guarantee that than to live next to a church? Yet it was ironic how things ended; the two siblings walking into town every day after a simple breakfast, their parents seeing them solemnly off from their resting place in the church’s cemetery. A sad thought at first to walk by and remember daily; but life goes on, and today was just like any other. There’s always work to be done.

Rounding the bend that showed the straight shot through their small town of Eagle Bend, Jenny had to slow her walking a few more steps to stay beside Gene. From the slight knit of his brow to his lack of conversation, the young girl could only let out a sigh; not quiet of annoyance, but of preparation. It was going to be one of those day’s that dear big brother needed an extra push for the morning. And push she did.

“C’mon Gene! We’re gonna be late if you keep hobbling around like Granny’s ole’ mule! And I mean after she lost her sight!” A slight hop to add to her height led Jenny to hit the backside of her brother’s hat and topple it off his head along with the insult. “If you’re going to be this slow ‘bout it, guess you won’t mind letting me borrow this?” she said with a coyote grin slipping across her face. Grabbing Gene’s walking stick from beneath his arm and giving the boy one last good pop on the behind with it, Jenny kept her ears open for insults as she took off down the street.

Grasp firm around the wooden leg of the stick Jenny grinned while the wind wiped her hair behind her as she relished the freedom of running. Passing the bank and post office, the moment quickly ended as she bounded up onto the front porch of Mrs. Potter’s store; quickly leaning the walking stick against the outside wall and sitting next to it while tipping her own hat forward just above her eyes. Taking the moment to see if there were any familiar faces up and down the road, she couldn’t help but be a bit surprised to see a new horse. Sure they had passer-throughs even in a small town like this, but usually you saw them tethered out by one of the saloons. If she didn’t already have other business to attend to, she would have had to say high to the beauty of a horse.

Ear’s catching a familiar sound she grew up with her whole life, Jenny quickly dipped her head down into what appeared like a sleeping state as her hat hid the grin still breaking through on her face. “Dang, he’s getting faster each morning.” She mumbled beneath her breath, that small glint of joy for her brother already making it a good day.