Sisters Forever
Tess rolled over and cracked open one eye. Quickly she snapped it shut again blocking out the morning sunlight that was streaming in through the open door. Mornings were not her favorite time of day. Mom said she was a lazy girl, not like her sister at all.
Mia was always up early, even when it was bitter cold like this morning. Tess could see her sister’s breath puffing out in little clouds around her face as she stood in the open doorway, alert and watchful.
Heaving a noisy sigh, Tess flopped over and snuggled down tighter in the bedding. She just couldn’t see any reason to be awake so early. It’s not like they could expect a hot breakfast this morning. A few months ago, Mom had cut back to only one meal a day which was served in the late afternoon so that they would have a full tummy to go to sleep on. She said they needed to be thrifty with what they had and besides, it’s not like they were babies anymore. They were both big girls now and wouldn’t starve by eating one less meal a day. Mom even had the audacity to suggest that Tess might even drop a few pounds, like that would be a good thing!
Grrhmph. Tess wasn’t so sure about that. She sure felt like she was starving and thought about food constantly. If things didn’t get better soon she would most certainly starve. Yesterday she had gone out into the garden and dug around until she found a few sweet potatoes that had been overlooked. She didn’t mind eating them raw and couldn’t understand why Mom got so angry. Sheesh, she was HUNGRY. Dad just laughed and said she was a growing girl.
Maybe, just maybe, she would be able to talk Mia into going hunting today. Tess was bigger and stronger than her sister but when it came to planning a successful hunt, Mia was definitely the brains of the bunch. Besides, Tess didn’t like going into the woods by herself. Dad said coyotes had moved in back there and everybody needed to be careful.
One time she had over heard Dad tell Mom that she was as dumb as a box of rocks. Maybe that should have hurt her feelings, but it didn’t because the words didn’t matter to her. It was the playful tone of voice and the laughter in his eyes that told her he loved her anyway. She knew that she wasn’t as smart as Mia. But that didn’t bother her, she was a very good natured girl and loved her sister more than anything in the world. And Mom always hugged her and told her how beautiful she was and then ... sometimes ... if she had been really, really good she would give her a cookie
Grunting and sighing loudly as she wiggled around trying to find a softer, warmer spot she finally drew her sister’s attention. Glancing over her shoulder, Mia refused her sister’s silent plea to come back to bed and share her body warmth.
Mia had been standing statue still and staring at the edge of the woods the whole time Tess was flouncing and fretting about food. She sighed quietly to herself. Tess could be such a drama queen, but she was her sister and she loved her dearly. They were inseparable.
She turned her attention back to the woods, just beyond the chicken pen. Something had moved, she was sure of it. She lifted her nose and a delicious kaleidoscope of smells filled her nostrils.
Turkey! And not just one turkey but a whole dang turkey family.
Mia exploded off of the covered porch, a hundred pound missile whose mission was to seek out and destroy as many turkeys as she could, as quickly as possible.
Huhmph? Scrambling to her feet, Tess galloped out of the dog house at top speed, her oversized lips flapping in the breeze like a sail, catching up as Mia clamped her jaws down on a second turkey, giving it a good shake and holding it firmly until it stopped struggling. Another turkey lay dead on the ground close by, it’s neck efficiently snapped during Mia’s charge through the flock.
Tess walked up to the carcass and sniffed it, ropes of drool hanging all the way to the frosty ground. Pausing, she looked at her sister with a big, goofy grin. Then without further hesitation she ripped into the bird with enthusiasm, devouring feathers, feet and meat.
Mia looked on for a minute in slight disgust. She carried her own breakfast a ways off and settled down to start ripping feathers to get to the good stuff underneath. Tess was such a pig. And a slob, too. But she was her sister and she loved her more than anything in the world, even until forever.
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