Let’s write a story – Chapter Seven
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CHAPTER SEVEN
SIERRA
“Aunt See? Mommy’s taking us shopping.” Noah bounced from foot to foot in Sierra’s bedroom.
“Shopping again?” Sylvia had taken Noah and their mom out every day this past week. Sometimes the activities were kid-friendly, but most involved some type of shopping. Noah brought home new toys each time, and Sierra had chewed a groove in her tongue to keep from reprimanding her sister about spoiling him.
“When’s Mr. Zach coming again?” Noah’s eyes were wide with hope.
The one bright spot in the turmoil Sylvia’s visit caused was Zach’s presence on the farm. He’d moved his equipment into the steel building and was proving to be a calming influence on Noah.
“I don’t know, but remember, Mr. Zach is here to work, so even when he comes, we can’t expect him to spend all his time with us.”
Noah frowned. Sierra could relate. She found herself hoping Zach would spend more time with them too.
“We’re ready to go. Noah, honey, Bibi could use your help finding her scarf. She said you were playing with it?” Sylvia’s multicolored bracelets jingled and clinked as she spoke with her hands.
Sierra placed a hand on Noah’s shoulder. “Weren’t you using that red scarf as a cape yesterday? Do you remember where you left it?”
Noah’s face scrunched as he appeared to search his memory. Then his expression cleared and he raced from the room. Sierra smiled at her sister. “I think that means he knows where it’s at.”
Sylvia sat on Sierra’s bed and stretched her legs in front of her. “You sure you don’t want to come with us?”
Sierra shook her head. “I’ve got some fiber orders I need to fill, and the fence repair guys are coming this afternoon.”
Zach, true to his word, had chopped up the fallen tree branch and helped her temporarily repair the fencing. He’d even gone a step further by enlisting men from his church to do permanent repairs.
“If you’re not careful, this farm will be your entire life.” Sylvia studied her fingernails.
“Sounds like you’ve been talking to Mom.”
“She’s concerned about you.”
“Is she? I think she’s more concerned about herself.”
“That’s unkind and unfair,” Sylvia chided.
Sierra tucked her head as her cheeks heated. “You’re right.” She sat on the bed. “But I don’t feel the same way about the farm as you two. This is my home.”
Sylvia stared at their reflections in the mirrored dresser across from them. “But there’s so much more out there. Don’t you feel like you’re missing something?”
“Sylvia, we spent our childhood traveling. I’ve seen what’s out there. What I missed was the stability I find here, with the alpacas.”
Sylvia covered Sierra’s hand with her own. “I know you have, and you’ve given Noah a loving home while I’ve been figuring out my life. How can I repay that?”
Sierra’s eyes welled at her sister’s sincerity.
“But look at yourself, Sis,” Sylvia continued. “You’re exhausted. The farm needs repairs, and you’re renting parts of it to strangers. Add to that, the daily care of Mom, Noah, and the alpacas—which you are doing all alone. Julian and I can take some of your burden by giving Noah the life he deserves.”
Sierra pulled her hand away. Sylvia’s words cut deep because there was some truth to them.
Noah called from the hallway. “Bibi says we need to go.”
Sylvia stood and pulled Sierra up, giving her a quick hug. “I just want you to be happy. If there’s one person who deserves that, it’s you.”
For a moment, Sierra felt like the child whose little sister was the one constant in their nomadic life.
“Sylvia?” she called as her sister turned to face her from the doorway. “Don’t you think Noah would benefit from the stability I craved?”
“With Julian, we won’t worry about money, and Noah will have a family. What’s more secure than that?”
The sweet nostalgia morphed into despair as Sylvia left the room. Sierra couldn’t stay in the house one more minute. She ignored the activity and went to the barn.
Loud voices and laughter, followed by the slam of car doors, floated into the barn where Sierra scooped food pellets into buckets.
She relaxed as the crunch of tires faded away, leaving her alone at last. After a very long week of Sylvia, she needed a vacation. Her sister’s presence threw off the whole atmosphere in the house, which trickled into the farm. Alpacas, like many animals, reacted to stress, and no matter how Sierra tried to keep her stress inside, she wasn’t successful. Reg, in particular, had become her shadow every time she was near. Thankfully, he hadn’t made any escape attempts.
Perhaps Sierra could have handled it if she were only dealing with Sylvia, but that hadn’t been the case. Julian stayed over the first night but spent most of the week popping in between his important flights. He seemed like a decent guy, but she had her concerns about what kind of parent he’d be to Noah with a job that required so much time away from home. She didn’t agree with Sylvia’s assessment that their new family would be better for her nephew.
Her stomach tightened at the thought of Noah leaving. Could she really stand in the way of him finally being with his mother? Even though Sylvia treated him like he were a toddler, she would get used to being a parent, wouldn’t she?
Sierra took the buckets into the pens. Warm breath on her neck alerted her to Reg’s presence. “Hey, buddy.”
She poured his food, expecting him to eat right away, but the animal just studied her. “Go ahead, Reg.”
He tilted his head. She swallowed and stroked his neck. “I’m okay, I promise. You eat.”
Instead of eating, Reg turned and headed outside. Sierra shook her head as she pulled a burlap bag of raw fleece from the storage room. She spread the unwashed blanket fleece across a wire-mesh table and picked out bits of straw and clover, relishing the soft material.
A few alpacas, fascinated with the earthy and familiar scent, stretched their necks out from the gate, humming softly.
“Hey, Sierra, got a minute?” Zach stepped into the barn.
Her mood immediately lifted. “For my favorite tenant, you bet.”
“I thought the alpacas were your favorite tenants.”
She shrugged. “Okay, you’re second. What’s up?”
“I’ve been working on a design, and I’m not quite satisfied with it. I need a second opinion.” He handed her a delicate glass diamond. The swirls of orange, red, and yellow mesmerized her.
“This is beautiful. Why aren’t you satisfied?” She held the piece out to him, but he kept his hands in his pockets.
“I don’t know. The colors work, but there’s something missing—texturally.”
“I’m not sure what you can do to improve it.” She held the piece up to the light. “Did you say texture?”
“Yeah, the piece is colorful, but flat. I don’t want to put any twists in it, but I don’t know…”
“Too bad you can’t add alpaca fiber to it. There’s loads of texture in that.” She nodded at the white fleece on her table.
“That’s a great idea. I love it.” He took the piece from her hand, held it out, and studied it.
“I don’t understand…”
“Alpaca fiber. I’ll add some.”
“How can you do that? It’s fiber. It will burn.”
“Ordinarily, yes, but there is a way I can trap the fiber in its natural state between the glass.” Zach’s smile widened. “Trust me. It will be amazing. Do you have any spare fiber I can test with?”
“Do I have any spare fiber?” She laughed and pointed to her stash of fleece-filled bags. “How much do you need?”
ZACH
Zach guided the blue flame of his torch across the glass, alternating between blowing air into the glass and shaping it.
“Knock, knock, anyone home?”
Zach ignored the voice, concentrating on the heated liquid. Another moment of shaping, and the piece was finished.
He pulled the blow hose from his mouth. “Just a minute.”
When he got to the screen stretched across the overhead door, he was surprised to see Sierra’s sister.
She waved. “Can I come in?”
“Sure.” He stepped back to his workbench, placing himself in front of the equipment. “Sylvia, right? What can I do for you?”
She nodded, a tentative smile crossing her face. “I haven’t been in here in forever. You’ve really cleaned the place up.”
He watched her saunter around, leaning in curiously but not invading his workspace.
“Noah says you make glass stuff.”
“That’s about the size of it.”
Sylvia stepped to the workbench, looking at a piece in progress. “Wow, this is really beautiful. You’re talented.”
Zach’s chest puffed. He never tired of compliments about his work, especially from unbiased strangers.
“I’m glad to see Sierra getting some use out of the building.”
“I understand this was your grandfather’s space. You must have some good memories.”
Sylvia sniffed. “You’d think that, wouldn’t you? But Sierra was the one Grandpa loved.”
Zach stayed silent, not sure how to respond.
“They spent hours together, taking care of the farm, working on fiber projects. May I?” She gestured to a glass piece.
“No, not that one,” he handed her a similar piece. “You can hold this piece if you like; it’s finished.”
Sylvia held the piece to the light, and color streamed through, highlighting her thoughtful expression. When she turned the piece, a different color poured out, and she laughed. “I was not expecting that.”
“It’s all about perception, isn’t it?” She continued as she handed the piece to Zach. “A place can be somewhere we run to or run from.”
“Everyone needs a place where they are free to be themselves.”
“Mr. Zach!” Noah charged across the room.
“Noah!” Sierra called as Zach stepped forward to scoop the boy up into his arms. He set Noah down and kneeled, eye-to-eye with the boy. “Remember the rules?”
Noah’s eyes widened. “No running.”
“Yes, and no coming in here without permission. This can be a very dangerous place.”
“I’m sorry, Zach. I let him in. I heard voices and just assumed…” Sierra’s voice trailed off.
“Do I have to leave now?” Noah asked cautiously. Zach had told him if he didn’t follow the rules, he would have to leave and not come back.
Zach stood and stroked his chin. “Well, everyone deserves a second chance.”
Noah bounced. “Oh, thank you, Mr. Zach.”
“But,” Zach drew the word out, “second chances are only good if you learn your lesson. That means you have to be extra good about following the rules. Can you do that?”
“I can, I can.”
“All right then, you can stay.”
“Well, I’m waiting for Julian to call, so I’m going back to the house. Thanks for showing me around, Zach. Nice chatting with you.” Sylvia patted Noah on the head as she left the building.
“Are we bothering you? Noah insisted on coming here.” Sierra twisted her hands together as if not sure Zach had given her a second chance as well.
“As a matter of fact, your sister gave me the break I needed. I did promise Noah a lesson in glassblowing, right, buddy?”
Noah beamed.
“Are you sure it’s safe?” Sierra glanced at the workbench.
“It’s going to be safe because Noah and I will respect the fire.” He looked at the boy, who nodded.
“First we need to put on our protective gear. Glasses, apron, and gloves.” He pulled child-sized versions of each from a box and suited Noah up.
Then Zach pulled out a step stool for Noah to stand on. He showed the boy all the tools they were going to use and gave him more safety rules.
“What do you do when I say ‘freeze’?”
Noah stopped moving, still as a statue.
“Good job, unfreeze. And we don’t go past this line.” Zach pointed to a tape boundary on the table.
“No, sir.”
Sierra took pictures with her phone, then settled in the corner.
Zach guided Noah’s hands as they gently molded a piece of glass. The yellow, then blue flame heated their faces, and Zach give Noah steady instructions with each movement—blowing air, pulling the rod, and keeping their faces away from the flame. Zach had expected Noah to need more reigning in, but Noah’s normal exuberance was tempered by his fascination with the process.
“Let’s pull this gently here. We’ll make a leg.”
“Like this?” Noah breathed.
“Exactly. Now let’s make another leg.” Zach guided Noah’s hands, keeping the glass moving.
Snap-pop!
Noah gasped and pulled back. Zach tightened his hold on Noah’s hands, locking his elbows against the child’s body.
“Freeze, Noah. It’s okay, just a little pocket of air.”
Zach moved the glass away from the flame, waiting for Noah to be ready again.
The tension eased in the boy’s shoulders. “This leg is too long.”
“Well, let’s see if we can fix it.” They moved as one once again.
“Okay, now the neck.” From the round body of their tiny project, they formed another ball and stretched it away from the first one.
Sweat dripped down Noah’s face, and he pulled a shoulder up.
“You doing okay?” Zach tightened his hold, honestly very impressed with Noah’s determination. “We’re just about done. Do you want me to finish it?”
Noah shook his head, sweat drops flying. “No. I want to finish it.”
“Okay, if you’re sure. Let’s put an ear here.”
Finally, the piece was done. Zach turned off the torch and gave a towel to Noah.
The boy wiped the sweat off his face and grinned. “Did you see me, Aunt See? I blowed glass.”
Sierra clapped from her seat. “You bet I did. You were great.”
The look of appreciation she shot Zach made the room seem warmer. He held up a rod holding their work. “Want to see the finished product?”
She stepped closer and inspected it. “Is that an alpaca?”
Noah straightened. “It’s Reg. Right, Mr. Zach?”
“Maybe it can be one of the other alpacas. Reg has too many black spots.” Zach studied the all-white glass alpaca with its four uneven legs and lopsided head. He felt like a proud dad. “You did a great job.”
“Can I show it to my mom?” Noah’s hair stuck up in the front from his vigorous towel rubbing.
“First it needs to cool down. Maybe we can show it to her tomorrow.”
Noah hopped off the stool. “Hey, what’s Reg doing here?” He pointed to the overhead door.
Zach and Sierra looked. Sure enough, Reg stood on the other side of the screening, tilting his head inquisitively.
“Reg, what are you doing out?” Sierra strode across the room. “He hasn’t done this for a bit, so I thought we fixed this problem.”
She stepped outside and put her arms out to keep Reg corralled. “Noah, will you run to the barn and get me a halter?”
Noah took two running steps, stopped, looked at Zach, and then walked to the door before running away.
Zach laughed. While he put the glass alpaca into the annealer to cool down, he could hear Sierra’s murmurs to Reg.
He went to the screen. “You’re one of the reasons I need this screening.”
Reginald lifted his chin, clearly unbothered.
“And also for little boys,” Sierra added. “I’m really sorry about barging into your space like that.”
Zach shrugged. “Just don’t let it happen again.” His smile took the bite out of the statement.
Reg shifted, and Sierra moved with him, glancing over her shoulder toward the barn. Zach stepped outside and stood on the other side of the alpaca.
“Were you able to use the alpaca fiber in your project?” Sierra stroked Reg’s neck.
Zach held her gaze. “I was just creating the vessel for the fiber when your sister stopped by. But if you’re interested, I’ll show it to you when it’s finished.”
“I’d like that.”
After Sierra and Noah left with Reg, Zach went back to the workbench. Moving into a building without a landline had forced him to give in and get a cellphone. His brother should be happy. The phone buzzed, and he glanced at the caller ID.
It was his father.
Zach’s stomach clenched, and the peace he’d found at Sierra’s melted.
Okay, readers, what happens next? Comment below.
Just when things are looking up for Zach…
What is Zach’s father calling about?
Chapter Six
