Chapter 8
The date with Barrick was perfect. I’m still on cloud nine when I wake on Monday.
I feed the cows and check on Daisy before school. When I get there, Jade and I discuss our dance schedule for the next two months – it’s going to be killer. And we notice that Maddie is no longer bothering us, which is a big relief. We don’t need her crap on top of our dance schedule.
As we drive to the dance studio together after school, I tell Jade I’ve got a new idea for our duet. I even admit that Barrick may have helped me come up with it. She gives me a smirk and starts singing, “Cadence and Barrick sitting in a tree, d-a-n-c-i-n-g.” I know he told her. I’m going to get him for that one, but all I can do is smile at her.
Ms. Lyndsay greets us at the door. “Hey girls! How was break?” she asks in a bubbly voice.
“Mine was awesome!” Jade says.
“Cadence?” she questions.
“It was okay,” I say, not really wanting to elaborate.
“Okay? Come on now. You’ve got to have more than that?” I notice Jade looking at her and shaking her head. Oh why not just lay it out there.
“It pretty much sucked except for New Year’s Eve.”
“Cadence, I’m going to let that one slide but that’s not a word we use in this studio. I’m sorry it wasn’t what you hoped it would be. If you need to talk, I’m here for you.”
“I’m sorry Ms. Lyndsay, it really was bad but there is good news. I think I might have something new to add to our duet.” She looks at us both with confusion.
“Well then, I’m happy to hear there is some good news. I can’t wait to see it. You have five minutes before we get started.” We put our stuff away and I can’t wait to show her the new combination.
We have to condition and it’s brutal. I swear I don’t want to do another crunch, plank, or jumping jack. I forgot how not doing those types of exercises for a few days can hurt you.
By the end of practice, I’m ticked off that she didn’t let us work on our duet and I’m sure it’s obvious. She calls me over and informs me to drop the attitude and we will get to it later this week. I shake it off, grab my bag, and wait for Jade at the door.
“What’s the deal?” Jade says as we get in the car.
“What kind of practice was that? I could have done that at home,” I state.
“True, but would you?” she laughs. She has a point. I would not have.
The next few days all I do is visit Daisy, see Barrick in passing, go to school, and dance my ass off. I swear I should move to the studio. It would save so much time.
By the end of the week, we are finally working on cleaning up our routines and I show her what I choreographed. Ms. Lyndsay is impressed, but asks me to make a few changes. The biggest change is the music, and it throws me off.
“Alright girls, let’s try this song. Just follow the counts.” It’s nothing I’d dance to and I’m about to tell her but I keep my mouth shut when I look over at Jade, who is counting the beats. She gives me a look that tells me we got this and I’m amazed by how well it works. This is it. Ms. Lyndsay’s ideas are unique and that’s just what Jade and I need to stand out. I may have a newfound respect for her.
“Y’all like it?” she questions.
“I love it!” I say and Jade is beaming from ear to ear.
Barrick
Ms. Mae and I have been replacing the old milking lines all afternoon. I swear this woman never stops. As we finish up, she tells me to go and check on Daisy and the other cows.
When I finish and walk back into the barn, there’s an eerie silence. I survey the barn for Ms. Mae and my heart stops when I see her lying on the ground. Hurrying to her side, I take her in my arms and shake her. “Ms. Mae, are you okay? Ms. Mae?” She doesn’t respond. Please Lord, no! This can’t be happening. I grab my phone and call 911.
“Nine-one-one, what’s your emergency?”
“My boss is unconscious. I don’t know what happened. I just found her lying on the ground. She’s not responding.” After giving the operator the address, I lay Ms. Mae down and slide open the door and stay with her until I see headlights coming up the drive.
“Regina!” I yell from the barn, praying that she can hear me. When I don’t see her, I run to the door and yell as she’s about to enter the house. “Regina, come quick, it’s Ms. Mae!” She turns and sprints toward the barn.
“Mama! Don’t you do this to me!” she cries as she holds her mother in her arms. I take a step back and stand by the door to watch for the ambulance. When the paramedics arrive, I tell them all that I know as they load Ms. Mae into the back. As Regina gets in the ambulance, she tells me to get Cadence and bring her to the hospital. Once they leave, I rush to the studio.
Cadence
Just as I’m about to say something, I see Barrick standing in the doorway. Ms. Lyndsay looks up and walks to the door.
“Barrick? Class isn’t over yet, is something wrong?”
Seeing the fear in his eyes, I know something is wrong and rush over to stand behind Ms. Lyndsay. “What’s wrong?” I ask him when I notice his eyes are glassy.
“It’s Ms. Mae.” Gran. My heart begins to break. “Ms. Lyndsay, I need to get Cadence to the hospital. Jade, take her stuff and I’ll call you once we get there,” he says with authority.
“Yes, of course,” Jade says.
“Cadence, I’ll say a prayer for your gran. Be careful,” Ms. Lyndsay says, but I barely register it as I rush out the door.
I run to the truck and hop in. Barrick is right behind me and peels out of the parking lot.
“Barrick, I need to know, is she dead?” I ask as tears form in my eyes. He shakes his head no. Thank the Lord! I take a deep breath. He starts to ramble. “Barrick, slow down so I can understand you.”
He takes a deep breath. “I went to check on the cows and when I came back, I found her on the ground. Cadence, she wasn’t moving. I don’t know what happened to her. When the paramedics came to get her, they didn’t say anything. They just loaded her in the ambulance and took off. Cadence, I’m so worried.” Barrick’s concern fills me with fear.
We park by the emergency room entrance and hurry inside. We don’t see Mom anywhere so Barrick quickly asks the lady at the desk where she might be. After making a phone call, she lets us know Mom will be right out. Within a minute, Mom comes through the door with a smile on her face.
Barrick looks at me and I look at Mom. “Mom, what’s going on?”
“She’s going to be okay. She tripped over something and knocked herself unconscious. She woke up halfway to the hospital and gave me hell about wasting money on an ambulance.”
As I start to giggle, I see Barrick turn and walk out the front door. I look at Mom and she motions for me to follow him. When I find him, he’s standing at the edge of the sidewalk completely still. I walk up to him and slide my arm around him. “Are you okay?” I question.
“I don’t know,” he states honestly.
“But, she’s going to be okay,” I state.
He quickly turns to face me. “You didn’t see her. Cadence, I thought she was dead. She wouldn’t move, talk, smile, laugh, make a rude comment or anything. I’ve never been so scared in my life. What would have happened if I hadn’t been there?”
“I guess she would have woken up on her own?” I say, unsure as to why he’s not relieved.
“What if it would have been serious like a broken bone, stoke or even a heart attack? What if no one was there?”
“Barrick, you can’t think that way. I’m glad you were there, and I’m sorry you had to see that. Now, come on, let’s go check on that old woman,” I say, trying to make a joke.
Taking him by the hand I try to pull him toward the door, but when he doesn’t budge I turn and see him crying. I take him in my arms, “What’s really wrong?” I ask as I pull him closer.
“My papa died in his barn. He had a heart attack and no one was there. My memaw found him when she went looking for him because he was late for lunch. What if I wouldn’t have been there? It could have happened to Ms. Mae. What would happen to the farm? Memaw almost lost hers.”
It breaks my heart to see him this way, but now I know why he’s been so emotional. I can’t imagine losing Gran but losing Gran and the family farm would rip me apart. “I’m so sorry,” I say as I hold him. Once he has calmed down and is relieved it wasn’t something serious, we go check on Gran.
Gran’s lips are already flapping when we walk into her room. “I’m okay. I tripped over the hose. I could have sworn I put it up,” she states like it’s no big deal.
“It is a big deal. They think you might have broken something,” Mom says pointing toward her hip.
“Oh hogwash. I’m fine,” she says as she grits her teeth in pain.
“Mother, listen to me. You are going to let them take X-rays and you are going to stay put. Do you understand me?”
“Fine,” she says in defeat and I catch Barrick looking at me, trying not to laugh. Yes, I know there is more of her in me than I’d like to admit. Thank goodness he’s back to himself.
I walk over to Gran and give her a hug. Mom tells Barrick to take me home so I can get ready for school. I want to stay with Gran, but I know that I can’t. I give her a kiss on her forehead and she grabs my hand.
“Cadence, you take care of my Daisy,” she says with a smile.
“You got it,” I state while hugging Mom goodbye.
The entire ride to the farm, Barrick hardly speaks. I can’t stand it. It’s my gran, not his.
“Please talk to me,” I whisper.
He keeps his eyes on the road when he finally speaks, “Cadence, how could you be so calm?”
“Honestly, I have no idea. Maybe it’s because I’m accustomed to bad shit happening?” I say, trying to make light of the situation.
“You can’t be serious?” he says as he pulls up to the farm.
“Maybe?” I say with a shrug because I don’t know what else to say.
“That’s ridiculous. You should have been thankful. Instead, you acted like it was a walk in the park. Do you know what will happen if her hip is broken?”
Actually I have no idea. “What?”
“She could have to have surgery and be out of work. She’s not going to take that well. And there is a lot more to running the farm than you know.”
“I hadn’t thought about that,” I state. “I’m sorry if I seemed insensitive. I didn’t mean to be. I was just so relieved when Mom came out with a smile on her face. I was so worried up until then that I couldn’t do anything but laugh when I knew she was okay.”
He gets quiet as he turns off the ignition. “Look, I’m sorry. I guess because I was here and found her it’s affecting me more than I had thought. I don’t have a right to tell you how you should be feeling.”
“You’re right, you don’t,” I say as I hop out of the truck. “Thank you for the ride.” And with that, I slam the door and walk into the house.