Annie's Bad Day

By Marion

Annie Cartwright woke up one cold December morning. She had been 13 for more than a week now and somehow she thought things would be different. After all, she was practically a woman now and she thought Uncle Ben should treat her like the grown-up she really was. But, he still talked to her like she was a child, telling her what to eat and what to do and when to do it. It just wasn't fair.

She crawled out of bed and quickly dressed. She looked at her image critically in the mirror. Was her dress tighter than it was the last time she wore it? She studied her chest and frowned. Nothing different there. She brushed out her hair, and frowned again. Maybe she should start wearing it up? After all, she's practically a grown woman now. But Uncle Ben would probably object because he still thinks she's a little girl. Annie thought she would ask Tess what to do. Tess would know. After all, her mother treats her like an adult. Well, some of the time anyway. She braided her hair and put on her apron, ready for another day of school, chores and more chores.

She stomped into the main room and Hop Sing turned to her. "Good morning Annie. You are just in time to help with table." Annie sighed and trudged over to the dish cupboard. Hop Sing looked at her curiously but said nothing.

"What are we having?" Annie asked.

"Oatmeal and sausage."

"Again? Oatmeal, oatmeal, oatmeal. That's all we ever eat."

"Is good to fill stomach on cold day. Is also cheap." Annie scowled and grabbed the bowls from the cupboard. She slammed them on the table and started to throw the spoons next to them.

"Is there problem, Annie?" Hop Sing asked from his spot by the fireplace.

"No. I guess I'm just tired. Sorry, Hop Sing." Hop Sing nodded and turned back to the oatmeal cooking over the fire. Just then, the door banged open and Ben and his three sons came in, brushing snow off their jackets.

"Good morning, Annie. It's cold out ­ you and Joe will need to bundle up to go to school." Annie started to say something about knowing how to dress, but bit her tongue. She needed to convince Uncle Ben that she was growing up, and being childish wasn't going to do that. "Let me get you some coffee, Uncle Ben. That will help warm you up." Ben nodded his thanks as he sat down.

"Mmmm, that sounds good. I'd like a cup, too, Annie." Adam sat down and looked at her expectantly as she gave her uncle his cup. She started to speak, thought better of it and poured some coffee for Adam. Annie put the coffee cup down hard enough that some sloshed out of the cup. She started to turn away when Ben grabbed her arm. He gave her a hard stare and then gestured to the spilt coffee. She sighed, then went to get a cloth once he let go of her arm. Hoss looked at Annie's back, then decided it would just be easier to pour it himself. Joe just rolled his eyes and sat down next to his father.

When they were all sitting down, Hop Sing dished out the oatmeal. Annie looked at hers in disgust, then poked around the bowl with her spoon. "Is there a problem, Annie?" She looked up to see Uncle Ben looking at her curiously.

"Annie sick of oatmeal." Hop Sing answered for her.

"Ain't we all?" snorted Hoss.

Ben scowled at Hoss and gestured to Annie with his spoon. "It's what you need to keep you going on a cold winter's day. Now stop playing with your food and eat it."

"I'm not hungry."

"Eat your breakfast like a good girl."

"I said I'm not hungry!"

Ben frowned. When was this child going to learn that he wouldn't tolerate children who talked back? "And I said eat!"

Annie glared at her uncle, then looked at her bowl. She shoveled the food into her mouth and finished in record time. "May I be excused?"

"I think that would be a good idea. Go do your chores, then get ready for school." Annie shoved back her chair and started to stomp away from the table. Her uncle grabbed her arm again and turned her towards him. "I think a little more lady-like behavior would be nice."

Annie flushed, embarrassed to be reprimanded in front of everyone. "Yes, sir." What a rotten day, she wished she could stay in bed.

The day didn't get any better on the way to school. Joe and Annie were about halfway to school when a branch dumped its load of snow all over Annie.

"DAMNATION!"

"Oooo, wouldn't let Pa hear you say that. The soap tastes pretty bad. On second thought, maybe I'll just tell him you said something interesting on the way to school today."

"Shut up, Joe. You deserved that. Come on, help me get this snow off me!" He started to bat the snow off her coat. "Ouch, that hurts. Stop it!"

"Make up your mind. Oh, forget it, get the snow off yourself!" Joe urged Paint forward leaving Annie to take care of herself.

Annie arrived at school almost 10 minutes after Joe. She was wet and cross and her day didn't get better when she entered the classroom. "You are tardy, Miss Cartwright." She started to ask if Joe explained where she was but Mr. Taylor interrupted her. "Please take your seat." Annie sighed dramatically, glared at Joe and slumped down in her seat.

"Miss Cartwright, please pass in your math homework. The other students have already turned theirs in." Annie opened her math book and looked for her homework. It wasn't there. She opened her tablet, but it wasn't there either. She started to look frantically through all her books when she suddenly pictured her math homework sitting on her dresser at home. "Is there a problem, Miss Cartwright?"

"No, sir, I mean, yes, sir. I mean, I did my homework but I left it at home." She looked at Mr. Taylor's frown. "Honest, I did it. I just forgot it."

"Then you will remain in at recess and redo the work. I hope your day improves or I shall be forced to send home a note to your uncle."

But, Annie's day did not improve. She stayed in at recess to redo her homework. Fortunately it wasn't hard math, and she was able to complete it quickly. Unfortunately, when she looked out the window she saw Joe's friend Mitch Devlin talking to her supposed best friend Peggy. Some friend! Peggy knew that Annie liked Mitch. The day just couldn't get any worse.

Then, during the afternoon geography lesson, Annie noticed the snowflakes that had started to fall. Even though she had seen several snowfalls since moving to Nevada, the falling snowflakes had the power to mesmerize her. She was startled out of her reverie by the sound of a ruler whacking her desk. "Miss Cartwright, you may go stand in the corner. I shall be sending a note home to your uncle after all." Annie wanted to cry. She was having a bad day and it just kept getting worse and worse.

The ride home went all too fast for Annie. As soon as they mounted their horses she asked Joe "Why didn't you Mr. Taylor why I'd be late? Thanks to you my day at school started badly and went downhill!"

"Don't blame me, Annie Bananie! It's your own fault. And you were havin' a bad day before you got to school. C'mon Paint."

"Shut up, Joe." After awhile, she rode along side her cousin. "Joe, what do ya think Uncle Ben's gonna do about the note?"

Joe snorted. "He's gonna pat you on the back and tell you 'good job, Annie.'" Joe regretted his words when he saw that Annie was about to cry. "Well, it'll depend on what kind of day he's having, and how Mr. Taylor wrote the note. You gotta give it to him first thing, though. He gets real mad if you give it to him after dinner. Trust me, I know."

Annie and Joe rode into the yard. As they led their horses into the barn, they could hear Adam and Hoss talking. "I don't know what Pa's all worked up about" said Hoss, "but he's sure got some bee up his bonnet!"

"He's doin' the books. We need to lay low and not cross him at all. I think he'd just as soon tan us as look at us if we made him mad today." Adam answered.

Joe looked over at Annie, who was biting her lip. "Here, let me take care of your horse. You'd better get it over with."

Hoss came out of the barn just then. "Get what over with?"

"Annie's got a note from Mr. Taylor." Hoss winced.

"Picked a bad day for that, Annie. He's already just 'bout ripped Adam's and my heads off for no good reason. Bad day to bring a teacher's note home. " He shook his head sympathetically as Adam came out of the barn.

"Who's got a note from the teacher?"

"Annie" both Hoss and Joe answered.

Adam shook his head. "Don¹t think you could have picked a worse day for that, Annie. Best get it over with. We'll wait out here."

Grateful at least for her cousins' sympathy, and for knowing they wouldn't hear what Uncle Ben said, or did, Annie trudged to the house. Sure enough, Uncle Ben was sitting at the kitchen table glowering at the books. Annie took off her coat, hanging it carefully on the hook and she walked slowly to the table.

"Uncle Ben?"

"Annie, I need to finish these books. Hop Sing won't be here for dinner, so you need to cook tonight. Go on and get a snack like a good girl."

Annie stepped closer. "Uncle Ben?" Ben looked up impatiently and she held out the note. "Uncle Ben, I have a note from school." He grabbed the note from her hand and began to read it. He frowned and looked up at her.

"Uncle Ben, it's not as bad as the note makes it sound."

"You read the note that was addressed to me?" He stood up.

Annie's eyes widened. "No, no, sir, I didn't. It's just, well, it's been a bad day."

"Care to add anything to that explanation? According to this note, you were late, although you left home on time, you didn't bring in your math homework and you weren't paying attention in class."

Annie stomped her foot in frustration. "I knew he wouldn't explain it right." Ben took a step towards her and looked down at her.

" Don't add disrespect towards your teacher to this attitude you've developed."

"I'm trying to explain! If you would just listen! Oh, no, sir, I didn't mean that. Oh, what's the use, it won't make any difference." Annie looked totally defeated.

Ben crossed his arms. "It could mean the difference between sitting and not sitting comfortably at dinner tonight. I suggest you explain."

Annie sniffed and looked up. "I was late because a branchful of snow fell on me while I was riding. I had to stop to brush it off my horse and me. I did my homework; I just forgot it on my dresser. I can show it to you. Remember? I had Adam look at it last night. Then, something happened at recess and then I guess my mind wandered when I saw the snow falling. I didn't mean to, it's just been a bad day."

Ben looked at Annie and tried not to smile. She looked so pitiful that he didn't have the heart to punish her and it seemed like events really were just conspiring against her. "I think tomorrow you'd better do your best to make sure you have a better day. Now go make dinner." She smiled, gave him a hug and went to the kitchen area. He shook his head. Girls ­ one minute they were sad and in tears, the next minute they were laughing. Maybe he should ask Margaret if that's the way Tess was. On second thought, girls weren't really that different than grown women. Elizabeth was like that, and Marie's temper could swing wildly. Inger wasn't like that; she was very even-tempered, much like her son. Maybe Annie's just growing up.

Finally the day is getting better, Annie thought as she chopped the vegetables for dinner. Uncle Ben understood she was having a bad day and he didn't punish her. She was making stew and biscuits; stew was just about the only thing she could make over the fire. She never made biscuits in the fireplace before, but it looked easy when Hop Sing does it. How she wished Uncle Ben would get an oven soon. She hated cooking over the fire. She brought the cutting board to the pot that was already bubbling in the fireplace. The door flew open just as she was putting all the cut vegetables into the pot. She was so startled by the door that she dropped half the vegetables onto the hearth. "DAMNATION!"

Please tell me I didn't say that out loud, she thought desperately, eyes closed. The sound of her uncle's chair scraping on the floor made her open her eyes and she looked up to see him towering over her.

"What did you say?" was all Uncle Ben asked.

Annie looked at him, open-mouthed. She honestly didn't know how to answer. To tell him what she said would mean that she swore twice, but only a fool didn't answer Ben Cartwright when he looked that angry. Fortunately he didn't really expect an answer. He just reached down, dragged her up by the arm and marched her over to the work area. He looked around, found what he needed and turned back to her. "Open." Annie dutifully opened her mouth and Uncle Ben washed her mouth out with the foul tasting soap that Hop Sing made. Annie wondered if Hop Sing made it taste bad on purpose. Joe was right, it did taste awful!

Annie stood, trying hard not to gag, until Ben finished. He looked at her. "We do not use language like that in this house. Ladies do not use that language ever. I had best never hear you swear again, do you understand?" Annie nodded quickly, unable to speak because of the soap in her mouth. "Go rinse it out." She ran to the water bucket and tried to rinse the nasty taste out of her mouth. No matter how much she rinsed, she could still taste the soap. So much for the day getting better.

She picked up the spilled vegetables, rinsed them off and put them in the stew. She set the table, taking care to set the dishes down gently. No use pushing her luck with Uncle Ben. He didn't seem to be too understanding today after all.

Everyone sat down and Ben said grace. Annie spooned the stew into the bowls and passed them around. Hoss looked at the bowl. "Mmm, smells good." He grabbed a biscuit and tried to take a bite.

"Oww! Are these biscuits or rocks, Annie?" Annie turned bright red. "I think I nearly broke a tooth!"

"Hoss!" Adam and Joe both winced at their father's reprimand.

"Well, Pa, you try one!"

Annie stood up and threw a biscuit at Hoss, who ducked before it could hit him. "Fine. You think you can do better, you can make it yourself." She stormed from the table, not even pausing when her uncle told her to sit down, and slammed her bedroom door.

Ben stood up. "Good work, Hoss." Hoss just laughed. "C'mon, Pa, the biscuits are pretty awful."

"Annie's having a bad day, and you aren't making it better."

"Well, Pa, I haven't tasted anything like this since Ma first started cooking over the fire when we moved out west." Adam tapped the table with his biscuit.

"You boys didn't carry on like that then."

Hoss shook his head. "No, sir. Reckon if we did we wouldn't have lived long enough to be poisoned by Annie's cookin'!"

Ben was just about out of patience with the lot of them. "Eric, just be quiet and eat." He walked over to Annie's door and knocked softly.

"Go away!" Ben's eyebrows rose and he opened the door.

"Annie, don't tell me to go away in my own house."

Annie jumped up from the bed. Her eyes were red and her face was blotchy. "Sorry, sir. I didn't realize it was you." Ben nodded and closed the door behind him.

"Wash your face and come back to dinner. I didn't excuse you from the table."

"I'm not hungry." Ben sighed. Didn't they have this conversation this morning?

"The family eats dinner together. Come on. Hoss didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"Telling me my biscuits are rocks isn't exactly a compliment. They're just stupid boys. All boys are stupid."

"I'm a boy." Ben almost laughed at the look on Annie's face when he said that.

"I didn't mean to be disrespectful, honest Uncle Ben." He reached out and pulled her braid.

"I know. Come on and eat with the stupid boys." He handed her a handkerchief. "Dry your eyes."

They went back to the table. Hoss stood up when Annie sat down. "I'm sorry, Annie, I was only teasin' you. I didn't mean ta make you cry."

Annie gave Hoss a little smile. "I'm sorry, too, Hoss. I guess I overreacted. I didn't hurt you with the biscuit did I?"

"Nah, you throw like a girl."

Ben jumped in, anxious to change the subject. "Joe, didn't you tell me there was a new family in your school?"

Joe looked up from his bowl of stew. "Yeah. The Devlins. They bought the old Wilbur place. They got 3 kids in school. Mitch is my age."

"He's older." Annie quickly corrected. Ben looked at her curiously.

"Yeah, I think he's sweet on Annie's friend Peggy. He was talkin' to her at recess." No one but Ben heard Annie mutter "some friend." Ut-oh he thought. Now Annie's bad mood was starting to make sense. He wasn't sure he was ready for this yet.

After dinner Hoss and Adam went out to the barn. They were working on some kind of surprise and wouldn't let Annie or Joe come into the barn while they were working. Annie cleaned the dishes while Joe and Ben pulled out their books.

"Doin' homework with us, Pa?" Joe laughed at the idea of his father doing the books.

"Yes, I am, and I need you to be quiet, Joseph. I'm having trouble balancing these numbers."

"I can look at it if you want, Uncle Ben. Pa used to let me help him, and you know I'm good in math." Annie finished wiping the last dish and came to look over her uncle's shoulder.

"Usually Adam would help, but he's busy, so I guess it can't hurt. I sure could use another set of eyes on these."

Annie sat down next to her uncle and he passed the books to her. She worked for a half hour and then looked up triumphantly. "See, here's where the problem started. You switched these numbers." Ben looked over and saw she was right.

"Thank you, sweetheart. Now finish your own homework, it's almost time for bed."

"You know, Uncle Ben, I was thinking, now that I'm older I think I should get to stay up a little later." He looked at her from the corner of his eyes. How many times had he heard the "now that I'm older so I should be able to do something you don't think I should do" argument before, first from Adam, then Hoss? Sometimes even Joseph tried it.

"I think you still need your sleep. You're not that easy to wake in the morning."

"Uncle Ben, I promise I'll get up when you call me the first time. Please? Just a little bit later, that's all I'm asking." Annie looked at him, using her best "you can't refuse me this one little favor" face.

"No. You can go to bed at the same time as Joe."

"But I'm older than him!" Annie was starting to get mad. From across the table, Joe laughed. "By four months. Big deal!"

"Shut up, Joe."

"Annie! We do not tell each other to shut up! I've already told you, the answer is no." Now Ben was getting mad.

"Uncle Ben, you're not being fair!"

"Annie, I think you should go get ready for bed and finish your homework in your room. I'll come check it in a half hour, it'd best be done." Annie slammed her book closed.

"Fine." She stood up and stuck her tongue out at her uncle. Fortunately for her, he was looking down. Joe saw it, though and he just shook his head. Girls could be so stupid. Annie went into her room and caught herself just as she was about to slam the door.

Annie changed into her nightgown, sulked for a few minutes, then realized she'd better get started with her homework. Uncle Ben would be in to check on her and if the work wasn't done, he'd be mad. Sure enough, Uncle Ben was true to his word. Annie was just finishing the last sum when he opened the door. She handed him the work without saying a word. He looked it over and handed it back. Then, he sat on the side of her bed.

"Come here" he said, patting the spot next to him. Annie looked at him warily. Was he mad enough to spank her? "Come on, I'm not going to spank you. I just want to talk to you." She sat down and looked up at him.

"How'd you know?"

"How'd I know what?"

"That I was wondering about a spanking."

Ben nodded. "Experience." He lifted up her chin. "What's wrong, Annie?"

She shrugged. "I dunno. Everything. Nothing." She paused. "You're always telling me what to do."

Ben looked surprised. "I'm your uncle. That's what I do."

"You treat me like a kid."

Ben tried not to smile. "You are a kid."

She shook her head from his hand. "No, I'm not. I'm 13!" He put his arm around her and pulled her close. Her body remained rigid against his. "Annie, honey, 13 is still a kid. Enjoy it while you can." She looked unconvinced.

"Annie, being a father ­ or an uncle- means that I have a responsibility to raise you right. Part of that responsibility means I have to tell you what to do. I have to give you limits, I have to teach you discipline, I have to teach you to do the right thing. I don't tell you what to do because I like being bossy, despite what you and Joe may think." Here Ben paused to pull her braid. "Until you are old enough to take care of yourself, I'm afraid you're stuck listening to me.

"Annie, all too soon you're going to be an adult. You're going to have to worry about taking care of a family, you'll have to worry about money and the weather and the world outside your home. For now, you don't have to worry about those things; you have me to do that for you."

Annie looked puzzled. "I don't want to worry about anything, Uncle Ben. I just don't want to be treated like a child."

"You want the rights of being an adult, but none of the responsibilities, is that right? Sorry, but it doesn't work that way. You can't have one without the other. Do you understand?"

Annie's shoulders sagged. "Yes, sir, I guess I do." She looked up at him. "But, Uncle Ben, couldn't I just stay up a little later?"

"Ask me again when you get up on time for a few days in a row." Ben knew that wouldn't happen until spring at the earliest. Annie hated getting up in the cold. "Now, come on, under the covers like a good girl." He tucked her in and kissed her.

"Uncle Ben?"

"Hmmm?"

"Do you think tomorrow will be a better day?"

"I hope so, Annie, I sure hope so!"