Familiar Faces
Kashi wiped her face again with the bandanna in her pocket. Her Uncle wasn’t lying about the workload. It had been a week and half, and she still hadn’t returned home. Her brother and dad had placed bets on how long she’d last at the ranch. She’d heard them when she was in the other room. Felix said ten minutes. Her dad said three weeks. She rolled her eyes. Well, she wasn’t going to quit no matter what they said.
“Hey, be careful with that!” Someone shouted behind her.
“I was here first, watch yourself.” Kashi shouted back, throwing another shovel full of horse refuse in his direction.
“Kash!”
She turned in the direction of her uncle’s voice. “Sorry, he was shouting at me first.” She smirked a little. “Didn’t mean no harm.”
He smiled despite himself. “Well, the man you almost hit is my old pal, Jeremy Hughes. Remember him?”
Kashi squinted at him for a sec before it hit her. “He came to my birthday party when I was little.” She turned to him. “Nice to see you again.”
He raised an eyebrow, staring at the mess before him. “I can see that.”
“Don’t mind her!” Her Uncle said, smacking his friend on the back. “Kashi’s normally a doll, but lunch is about twenty minutes away. She’s probably just hungry.” He winked at her.
Jeremy glanced down at his suede shoes, impeccably clean. “Right. Well, it was nice to see you again.” He turned to Hudson, “Can we continue on the survey of the land?”
“What a killjoy…” Kashi muttered to the horse nearby as they walked out.
“Couldn’t agree more.”
Kashi whipped around to see a tanned middle aged man sauntering in. “Who are you?” Kashi asked. Leaning on the handle of her shovel.
“I’ve worked here for a few years. I break the horses and train em’ up. I was just heading in to get some lunch, checking out he stables to make sure everyone knew the time.” He pulled off his work gloves, setting them on the top shelf above some neatly coiled roped hanging below.
“Sure thing. I’ll finish up this stall here and follow you.” Kashi said, turning her gaze away. He didn’t move. “You don’t have to wait for me.” She threw another shovel full. The man didn’t move. Slightly off-put, she continued her task, finishing in a matter of a few minutes. She turned around to find him gone without having made a sound.
She made her way to her aunt and uncle’s house to find one plate left waiting for her. “We were about to send someone after you!” her aunt chuckled as she approached. “We’re proud of you, your uncle and I. You’ve been working hard, girl.”
Kashi grabbed the plate of food and a glass of water from the table. “Thanks Auntie C. But I thought you did send someone after me?” She took a seat in a folding chair by Aunt C. “That man there.” She pointed to the man from earlier who was sitting alone, facing the fields.
“You’re funny Kashi. Markus doesn’t talk to anyone. I’ve never heard the man more than grunt before in my life. Your Uncle said he spoke three words when he was hired.” Her Aunt chuckled.
Her hand bumped her glass of lemonade. It tipped and sloshed onto the table. “Ack!” She shouted. “I’ve been clumsy all day today. I’ll be right back, honey.”
Kashi watched her aunt amble off into the house before turning back to Markus. He wasn’t paying the slightest bit of attention to the other ranch hands and hired help who were mingling and laughing with one another. Strange. Maybe he just didn’t like large groups. Or people that talked a lot. Auntie C. was known for being able to talk ears off. Kashi was about to brush it off, but something looked strangely familiar. Something she just couldn’t place.
Lunch ended and Kashi lost sight of him. He didn’t live on the property, she knew that. She’d have to wait until tomorrow, then she’d try to talk to him again.