Mystery Solved

Mystery Solved

The tent is unzipped, again.

“Kids! Get over here!”

Luke, Rosabelle, Aspen and Levi came running.

“How many times do I have to tell you? Zip up the tent when you leave.”

“We do.”

“Look at it. It’s unzipped. Again. Now the blankets and bags have wheat straw all over them. Again. It’s a mess. So you’ll have to pull out everything. Sweep it out. Again.”

My four children dutifully got brooms and cleaned up the mess. We live in that tent while we build shelter. Living in Montana was a dream James and I had for years. This summer we had a few months to get a house under cover before the weather changed.

I went over to the chicken coop while the kids worked. The chickens gathered near the door, anxious to be free for a time.

After checking on the progress of the cleaning, I then turned attention to construction. James had the little house almost completed. While he was at work, I was to start on the drywall mud. I turned on the shop light, the children gathered round me, just like the chickens. We worked until suppertime.

“Back to the tent guys. Let’s get clean clothes.” I led my chicks back to the tent.

A hen was at the tent door with the zipper in her beak. Slowly she slid it up, then stepped inside. She carefully stepped around sleeping bags then settled on top of Luke’s backpack.

I walked in behind her, gently went to that hen. She let me lift her to reveal her nest on the backpack. She’d laid a few eggs already.

“Tell me you recorded that on the phone, Luke,” I whispered. “Because Dad will never believe this.”

His sheepish look told me otherwise.

W/C 294

Note: ▼

This is inspired by a friend's true story.