To The Farm

"Are you coming too?" I asked her.

Our heads turned to the sound of the pick-up coming out of the garage.

"You are coming with us too Miss Dionna?" äke also asked her.

Otto circled around the fountain and pulled over at the front of the porch. He came out of the truck, a sheepish look on his face.

"I invited Ms. Dionna Sir," Otto answered äke instead.

"Well, we can huddle up inside the pick-up. It would be a bit cramped but it will be manageable," äke said.

"The three of us older men can sit in the back. Arystan and Miss Dionna can sit in the front. Let's go."

"Uh excuse me Sir but I can ride at the back."

Äke stopped walking and looked back to her. I raised a brow at her without realizing.

"I'm wearing a parka Sir so it's okay. I don't want to inconvenience Sir Arystan. It would be stuffy and uncomfortable for both of us in the front seat."

"You mean at the back outside? No. That would not do Miss. I would rather seat in there than you."

"I don't want to inconvenience anyone Sir. Please. If this is about courtesy because I'm a woman, I don't mind at all. I'm used to the outdoors and I will be fine with a mere winter wind."

Yeah. She hiked through the American states after all. But I can't let her sit back there alone. It's not right even if she thinks she can manage.

"Don't worry äke. I'll accompany her," I told my father.

"Are you sure? The wind is much colder today. Wear your mittens at least."

"I'll be fine. We are delayed long enough. It's nearly sundown."

"Okay, okay. Please be careful the both of you."

Äke climbed on the front seat while the uncles sat on the back. I covered my head with my parka's hood and walked off to the back of the truck. Miss McCrae followed after me.

"You will be cold Sir," she told me.

I lend her a hand to help her climb up to the pick-up bed.

"I'll be fine."

I sat at the corner, leaning against the back of the pick-up. She chose her seat on the opposite corner and the car started on the road. My teeth clenched against each other when the wind started blowing on my face. I kept my hands on the pockets of my jacket, enclosing them with my folded knees and stomach. Riding back here is a very bad idea.

"Are you okay Sir?" I heard Ms. McCrae ask.

I can only nod in response with my eyes closed. A few seconds later, I felt a bit warm. I opened my eyes to see Ms. McCrae sitting close, her body leaning against me.

"We will be sitting at the front when we go back home Sir," she told me.

My heart thumped loudly and I felt the blood rush to my face. She is so close.

I can only nod at her again, too stunned to say a word.

"Are you warm enough?"

Another nod.

"Getting mittens could have taken only a minute Sir if you ran for it."

I smiled to myself. Well, not getting them doesn't seem so bad now. I just hope that she won't hear my heart beating loud.

"Are you used to harsh weather?" I asked her to divert my attention.

"Not really Sir. But I like to think that I am."

I frowned at her.

"What do you mean?"

"Well... I almost died because of frostbite. Having survived that, I like to think that I am already a tough weather cookie."

I smiled. Tough weather cookie?

"Why? What happened?"

"It was during one of my hikes. I fell off the top of a snowy ridge and sprained my ankle. I couldn't move for hours. Thankfully someone came along and helped me out."

"When was that?"

"A few months ago."

During her long hike across America??

"How's your ankle now?"

"It's okay Sir. A little painful but only when it's strained."

"Hm," I responded absentmindedly. She even worked so hard the other day, cleaning rooms.

"You shouldn't have cleaned," I told her after a moment.

"It's fine Sir."

I want to say it's not but I'm not in the mood to argue. The cold is killing me.

We cozied up against each other until we entered the gate to the farm. She stood up and grabbed onto the roof of the hood.

"Wow! It has been ages since I saw a real farm," I heard her say against the wind.

I also stood up beside her.

"You've been to a farm before?" I asked.

"I used to live in a farm back in the Philippines Sir. We had horses and cows and goats and chickens."

Really? Can she be weirder than how I already think she is? Do billionaires raise chickens and goats?

"I love horses especially. I used to own one. Her name was Elira."

I looked away from the scenery to her face, surprised.

"I have a horse too! Her name is Ademi."

"Ademi as in 'beautiful'?" she said the word in English.

I nodded in response.

The pickup stopped in front of the barn where we had the sheep and chickens. She got down on her own and I followed after her. We approached äke and the uncles.

"Alinur will be here shortly and he will show us around," äke addressed to Ms. McCrae.

"I'm wondering if I can show Ademi to Miss McCrae myself äke. She loves horses," I said to him.

Äke glanced at Ms. McCrae in pleasant surprise.

"She does? Then you two go ahead. . You know your way around here son. I have something to discuss with Alinur so it's better if you two explore on your own."

"Thank you äke."

"We will go ahead Sir," Ms. McCrae said to him.

I led the way and we climbed a small hill. Up ahead are the stables.

"I'm so excited to see the horses. Ever since I came to Australia, I haven't rode or seen one. My life was my four- wall room and school, nothing more," she said, huffing a little.

We entered the stables with me leading the way.

"That's dismal," I responded.

I walked on ahead, passing the other horses in their stalls.

"I used to ride Ademi every day before winter came," I told her.

She didn't respond so I looked back. She was holding out a carrot to the first horse near the entrance, a big smile stretching her face.

"You're a pretty horse, you," she coaxed.

I walked back to her. The horse ate the carrot she handed out.

"We'll take forever if you're going to feed all the horses here. I want you to see Ademi first," I told her.

She looked at me with a sheepish smile.

"Okay Sir."

We walked to the end of the stable and there stood Ademi, a stunning white horse.

Ms. McCrae looked at her with mouth half-open.

"Wow! I uh- I've never seen such a magnificent white horse before."

"A good friend gave her to me as a birthday gift," I said, smiling at her reaction.

"She is so so beautiful. She reminds me so much of Elira. Elira was black though. She was my favorite horse."

"Elira is as tall as her?" I asked.

"She was. I had her when I was 15. I was pretty tall for a 15 year old. My mom gave her to me as a graduation gift."

She pursed her lips together.

"I never knew what happened to her after I left for Australia. We used to be best friends, closer than any friend I had then."

"I'm sorry."

A smile appeared on her lips.

"So.. even though I knew we all can't fit comfortably in the car, I had to come along. I miss horses so much. They had been a big part of my life."

"I'm sorry though. We can't take her out for a ride because the snow is deep."

"It's alright Sir. I'm well satisfied with just seeing them."

She also fed Ademi some carrots and petted her. She is good with handling horses.

I smiled with the thought of riding through the steppe with her.

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