The Very First Day

 

A "Cape Summerland" story

 

By Thelma Mary Caroline

 

 

 

I got up early that day.  Earlier than anyone else, but that was just what I always did.  I couldn't sleep while the sun was up.

 

I walked around the small town, stopping by the barn to see the animals.  I'd never been so close to a cow.  Or any of the animals.  Once, I'd lived really close to a farm, but I'd never really stood next to any of the animals we had.

 

There was a patch of dirt to one side of the barn.  Once, I figured, it had been a garden.  But I doubted that it'd faired well.  It was too hot during the day and too cold at night.  None of our vegetables would grow.  I guess the people who'd lived in Cape Summerland previously didn't have any common sense.  It would be better to figure out what native plants were edible and plant those seeds.

 

"Laken!   Where's the coffee?"

 

"What are you talking about?"

 

Danielle was standing behind me.  "You're the first up.  You were supposed to make coffee?"

 

"Says who?"

 

"That's the rule, Laken!  Duh!  Can't you do anything right?"

 

"I don't even know how to make coffee!"

 

"Shit, girl.  Don't bother playing innocent.  You just don't want to do what you're supposed to!"

 

The morning continued without further incident.  Wanda and Naomi ended up making the coffee, just like at work.  And true, they were usually the first ones at work, but I still didn't know how to make coffee.  I didn't even drink the stuff.

 

We met at the town hall after breakest (it was a "fend for yourself" type meal.  I had a granola bar from the storage shed).  At least, everyone refered to it as the "Town Hall" -- though I'm sure everyone thought of it secretly as "the building that looks like the roof will cave in."

 

"All right," Sam stood up on an upside down wooden crate.  "We're going to split into four teams."

 

"That's two teams of four and two teams of five," Uncle Ham said.

 

"Right.  We'll rotate jobs each day.  One team will cook, one will take care of the animals, one will do general cleaning and one will have the day off to do as they please."

 

"What is this, a dictatorship?" Jessica said.

 

"Yeah, really!" Danielle spoke up.  "I don't want to work with smelly animals!  I'll be on the team that does the cooking!"

 

"And I don't want to cook," I said softly.  "Listen, Sam.  Let's have everyone pick the job they want.  That way everyone's happy."

 

"They'll get bored, though.  We need variation."

 

"If they get bored, they can find someone to switch with."

 

"Three teams of six.  That's better because it's even," Ham said.

 

"All right," Patrick spoke up.  He's the manager of the local delivery department.  "I'll lead one, Ethan can lead on," (Ethan is the real shipping manager, though Sam really does it), "And Ham can lead one.  We'll take a moment to decide what team to be on, and hope that it works out evenly."

 

I talk to Casey while we recess.  He films me as another interview.

 

"I wouldn't want to lead, but if I could pick a team, it'd be me, Sam, and Zach.  Even though Zach doesn't do anything, he's still my friend.  Um, I'd also pick Archana.  And ... it's hard.  I don't really like the attitudes of the rest of the team.  I can't pick Jess, because she and Archana don't get along.  But ... Megan, definatly.  And ... Betty, I think.  She's got a great attitude, though I don't know her real well."

 

I'm on Uncle Ham's team, taking care of animals.  Danny and Danielle, both who live in the country are with us, as well as Amanda, who really likes animals, and Megan, who didn't care which team she was on.

 

I guess a good team.  But already I wonder who will take ad