A Learning Experience
Settling at the dinner table everyone noticed a small scrap of paper on their plate along with a notebook and pencil. Exchanging looks they glanced at the woman currently sitting at the table.
“Uh Rachel what’s this?” Cody asked.
“A lesson,” Rachel replied firmly. “I’m tired of you bickering like crazy. Ain’t had a minute’s peace in the past week and frankly I am sick of it!”
“Okay so what’s that got to do with this?”
“Open the scrap of paper in front of you,” Rachel declared waving at their plates. “If you don’t you don’t eat.”
Quickly the boys and Lou unfolded the notes and began muttering and looking at each other.
“Uh Rachel you mixed up the table settings,” Jimmy said already handing his note to Buck.
“No I did not,” Rachel replied.
“Uh I’m not Ike!” Noah declared.
“For the next three days you will be,” she replied firmly. “Now this is how this is going to work. First thing in the morning you’re going to get up and act like the person whose name is on the paper in front of you. You’re going to do exactly what he or she does every day. Basically you’re about to become that person.”
*But I can’t talk Rachel. Not like Cody.*
“You’re the exception to the rule. Being unable to speak doesn’t mean anything. Everyone understands you, and sign language is acceptable.”
“But..” Cody protested. “I don’t want to..”
“Cody shut up,” Lou snapped staring at Rachel as she stared at the name on the list. “So we’re living as this person for three days huh?”
“Yes. Each day you’ll make an entry in the journal before you and on the fourth morning we’re going to sit down and discuss what we’ve learned.”
“So you’re taking part in this as well?” Buck asked softly.
“Yes, I’ll be doing my share. I’ve already spoken to Teaspoon and we’re going to be exchanging places. As for the rest of you I’d suggest you start thinking of how the other person lives. Now then, eat. You’re going to be doing some things you haven’t done before in the next few days.”
Exchanging glances the boys eyed Lou who merely glared back and tucked her name into her pocket. Whoever she was trading places with was going to suffer that was for sure.
Blinking at the ringing of the triangle the boys all groaned and rolled over to see Teaspoon standing in the middle of the bunkhouse. “Good morning boys. Glad to see you’re up and about. Now did you all figure out whose place you were taking last night?”
“All but Kid and Lou,” Jimmy pointed to the pair who typically weren’t speaking to each other. The last fight they’d had was a doozy, and they hadn’t spoken a word to each other in a week.
“Seems to me they’re gonna change places then,” Teaspoon stated and glanced around, “Breakfast will be ready in ten minutes.”
“We’ll never survive this,” Cody groaned and hunkered in his bunk.
“Sure you will,” Teaspoon chuckled, “And since you’re Ike for the next three days I’d suggest getting up and dressed. It’s Ike’s turn to work on that roof.”
Laughing at Cody’s dismayed look the others quickly dressed and got ready for the day. None of them were confident they’d survive the coming days, but at least they’d make the attempt.
Groaning at the ache in his back Cody sank onto his bunk and stared at the ceiling, “God I’m glad this is over tomorrow!”
“Cody shut up,” Lou griped as she sat on the edge of ‘her’ bunk. “You’re supposed to be calm, cool, and QUIET!”
“And you’re supposed to act like Kid, not…”
“Uh she is,” Jimmy pointed out. “He’s told you to shut up three times today alone!”
“Cody shut up!” Kid snapped barely even glancing up from where he was sitting writing in his journal. “You’re giving us all a headache.
Stepping out on to the porch Rachel breathed in the evening air and smirked to herself. It had been interesting to say the least to see Kid and Lou’s exchange of places. They’d still fought like cats and dogs but there’d been something in their eyes something Rachel had wanted to see.
Ike was enjoying half the workload he normally did, Buck, Noah, and Jimmy were all acting like it was no big deal. Cody on the other had been complaining no end. If they were all lucky perhaps this little exercise would help Kid and Lou see things from the others perspective.
The morning would tell!
Nursing coffee Rachel sat at the table as the riders began waking up. “Good morning,” she chirruped. “Glad to see everyone had a good sleep.”
“Speak for yourself,” Cody grumbled slamming a pillow over his head.
“Uh huh,” Rachel chuckled. “I do hope y’all been writing in your journals.”
“Well some of us have,” Lou grumbled setting at the table next to Kid and yawning. Cody’s incessant chatter had kept her up longer than she would have liked and she was beyond tired.
“Good. Because this morning we’re going to discuss what’s in those journals!”
“NO!” Jimmy shook his head firmly. “I don’t think that’s fair. I mean some of us have done the work and others are just annoying!”
“James, this is not open for debate. Now who wants to go first?” Rachel glanced at them and sighed, “Alright Ike. You’re first.”
Retrieving his journal Ike passed it to her, *I do not want to be Cody again. Sure he does half the work that the rest of us do but, he also gets in to trouble. I didn’t really like having to act all showy and…*
“Hey!”
“What else did you learn?”
*He might be annoying and all but he’s good at what he does,* Ike signed quickly. *He’s also pretty fair!*
“So do you think you’ve been too hard on him?”
*No,* Ike smiled. *He may be good but doesn’t mean he should slack off! Still I suppose we could be a bit nicer.*
“Alright, very good. Buck your turn.”
“I don’t see too much difference,” Buck shrugged, “I mean Noah and I both face a lot of prejudice and hatred from everyone. Still being Noah showed me that he has to face a form of hate I don’t. I’m an Indian – worthless, he’s black and therefore he’s worth more in shackles than free.”
“Very astute,” Rachel declared. “Noah?”
“Pretty much what Buck said. I did however learn that it’s more acceptable to publicly accept an Indian than it is to speak to a black man. That and him and I are closer than most brothers!”
Chuckling at the statement everyone glanced at Rachel who smiled and nodded, before turning to look at Jimmy. “Jimmy?”
“What? I didn’t switch with anyone remember? I had that special run to do.”
“Still you must have found something out about yourself that you had to think of.”
“I’m temperamental?” Jimmy replied. “I don’t see things sometimes because I’m too mired in my anger. For example having to watch Kid and Lou switch places and act like the other made me really watch them. They love each other – they’re just too damn proud to admit it!”
“Thanks,” Lou grumbled.
“Any time!”
“Lou?” Rachel smiled at the young woman.
“I didn’t learn anything other than to be a nosy, control freak!”
“Ha, like you could possibly have tried less!” Kid shot back.
“Enough!” Rachel snapped. “Hand me your journals.”
Glaring at each other the pair slid their journals down the table toward her.
Snatching them up Rachel opened them and glanced at the pair. “I said write a diary not a pair of novels.”
Kid shrugged, “Are we finished?”
“Well I think everyone else is,” Rachel smiled. “You two aren’t. Now, if the rest of you will excuse us?”
A few minutes later with the bunkhouse empty Rachel glanced at the pair. “I can respect you not wanting to air your differences in public but…”
“Look,” Lou sighed and glanced at Kid with a hint of a smile. “I know we’ve been out of sorts lately but do you really think…?”
“Yes I do. Now what did you learn?”
“Kid isn’t trying to control me,” Lou muttered softly, “He’s just doing what his heart tells him. Granted it’s not always the right thing but still. He hovers and smothers because he loves me.”
“Kid?”
“Lou can stand on her own two feet. Every time she hovered, or said something that hinted at doubt in my ability or what I felt things just got out of hand. It felt like she didn’t trust me to make a safe choice.”
“What did you learn about this?” Rachel stared at him.
“That her impression is wrong. I do trust her, I trust what she feels it’s just I’m scared.”
“Of what?” Lou hissed. “I can do this job just as well as you can!”
“I know that! It’s just that if anything happened to you it would kill me.”
“But nothing is going to happen!”
“You don’t know that!”
Lou rolled her eyes, “Look I know it’s not easy to have to hide things but please just try.”
“Alright. I tell you what, it sure was interesting being you for a few days,” Kid leaned back in his seat. “Made me really think of how much I love you!”
“So you two aren’t planning on continuing this silent treatment?”
“No,” Lou smirked at Kid. “Come on, let’s go see what else the boys have figured out!”
Shaking her head Rachel watched them go. Glancing at Teaspoon who’d entered the room silently she shrugged, “Remind me never to do this again! I’m not entirely sure I could survive it!”
Laughing Teaspoon nodded and patted her on the shoulder, “I’m sure you’ll survive it!”
The end.
* * * * * *
< style="font-style: italic;">Characters : All
Setting : Rock Creek < style="font-style: italic;">
Situation : When things get a little tense around the station Rachel thinks three days of roll playing will teach everyone what it feels like to fill another man's (or woman's) shoe. She participates as well, being the good sport she is.
Mood : Humble
< style="font-style: italic;">Reference : Understanding
Required : The boys and Lou each have to pretend to be someone of course can be great fun at first, but make sure each one of them learns a valuable lesson and let us know what that lesson is.