The usually calm Nebraskan night was broken by the distant rumble of the loud rock band that was playing a few miles up the road in downtown West Point, Nebraska. Lucy Hamilton sat on her farmhouse’s deck in her grandmother’s rocking chair watching as the moonlight turned the empty fields in front of her into marble carvings. The lightening bugs glowed like little candles getting suddenly snuffed out by invisible hands and the cicada bugs hummed almost louder than the bass that was pounding against her skull. She wished that the band up the road would just shut-up. The awful suicidal lyrics that that annoyingly cute lead singer screamed out into the crowd weren’t lightening her mood. She came out here to think not to listen to the thumping of a bass. All of my friends are at that concert, Lucy thought, almost in a jealous matter though she hated that kind of music. It was where the whole town was come to think of it! What were the chances of a rock band coming to West Point, Nebraska? Sure, George Strait had come to Freemont a few years back, but a group called Dead Matter? In West Point?! Rolling her eyes she thought of Kayla, her one good friend, screaming her head off when Kyle Stone looked in her direction and taking pictures of his every move. Lucy probably had about ten-thousand texts in her inbox right now. Even from the porch she could hear her phone vibrating like crazy.
But, unlike Kayla, Lucy had bigger things on her mind. Like the fact that Dad’s accident two months ago had rendered his legs useless and without treatment (treatment they couldn’t afford) he would never be able to walk again, much less work on the farm. For the last few weeks Lucy and her brother had been helping out around the farm as much as they could but Ethan would be going away to college on his scholarship in the fall. That was only a few months away! How would they keep the farm going with just herself, her crippled father, her five year old sister Emma, and her elderly grandfather? There definitely wouldn’t be any crops this year; that was for sure. They had been nothing but a hassle lately anyway… The cows would be their source of income now, and she, Lucy would be the one supporting the family.
Ugh Lucy thought and began to push all of those awful thoughts out of her head. Escaping into her happy place; soon responsibility and sickness were the buried in thoughts of Henry Genison… and that one time he had asked to borrow her pen in class a few weeks back. The thought of him looking at her, talking to her was more than she could manage without swooning. The conversation had gone something like this:
Henry: hey Luna
Lucy: Lucy
Henry: Lucy then,
Can I borrow a pen?
Lucy: s-sure
The most romantic moment of my life, She thought, her lovesick mind overriding the part that told her she was being silly. But those laughing blue eyes of his fixed on her own, and the smile that he had paid her with when she handed that 0.07 blue ink Bic pen to him were almost always in her dreams. She remembered that he was wearing blue jeans that accentuated some parts of his body that made her giggle and his old scuffed up cowboy boots that only he wore. He wasn’t the most handsome boy in the school but just the way he laughed and acted excited her. If only he would look in her direction she could-
“Luceeeee?” called her little sister from inside the house. “Can you tuck me in?” looking up at the constellations in the sky she sighed and went to Emma’s whiny voice, away from the rumbling bass. Something her mother had said a lot crept into her mind as she grabbed her sister’s hand and slowly went up the old creaky stairs: A woman’s work is never done.
I’m not a woman yet, mom Lucy thought to herself as she and her sister arrived in the bedroom they shared. I’m not ready to take care of a family, you’re supposed to take care of me…
“Why are you sad Lu?” the little voice caught her off guard. “You look like you’re going to cry!” exclaimed Emma, whimpering a bit herself.
“I was just thinking about Mommy, but I’m alright,” replied Lucy suddenly feeling very tired.
“Go to sleep now, it’s late Emma,” She said, pulling the patchwork quilt up to her sister’s chin and kissing her on her forehead. Then Lucy stumbled over clothes and books and baby toys, going back out the door to listen to what she was missing.
