Mary and Paul got up at 4am everyday. Today it was pouring down so hard, they both pretended to oversleep. Grandpa Joe came to the door and bammed on like thunder.
"Getty up now!! That work won't do itself!!" he hollered.
"Aww G-pa!! Five more minutes please?!!" Mary asked.
She batted her eyes for the sugar on top, but it was too dark so her G-pa couldn't see her. Her puppy dog eyes usually worked. Grandpa Joe leaned on the door post and sighed.
"When I was a kid ...shoot this weather was nothing!! I used to have to get outta bed to go out in 0 degrees.".
He looked at his grandson pretending to be sleep.
"Paul!! Get up son. You're a man now!!" Grandpa said sternly.
"I'm seven years old" Paul said rubbing his eyes.
"Yea well...when I was seven I used to get up on time. We had to or else!!"
The children stirred and flipped back the covers like they were getting up.
Grandpa left the room and they got back in the bed.
Grandpa joined his wife in the next room.
"Why do you work those kids so hard? Then tell these stories? You had the grid Allan. When you got up in the morning you had a heater."
She quieted her voice and said
"And you had to vacuum, turn on the dishwasher or else....you'd miss the basketaball game on tv."
She said "It's not fair"
Grandpa said defensively
"What? They need discipline Alice!! Without electricity we have to work them all day. I try to tell them stories so they can appreciate life.
You have your stories. What about that story about your chocolate deliveries?
We both know that's not true. Maybe back then.....". He looked at her. Maybe she was a little off like his mother often told him.
"Fancy chocolate. Ha." He said mockingly.
Ann looked at him and began to get ready for day.
The farm was small but it took all of the family to make things work. They had 3 cows, 4 chickens, a horse and a full fish pond. They also had a bird, two cats and four dogs. Trading with neighbors and the local market was ancient life. They made their own clothes and often heard stories of the famous sewing machine from Grandma Ann. With no grid, no electricity.
Without electricity all appliances did not work. Everything was done and made from scratch. It was hard work, but very rewarding in many ways. Neighbors were like family. Sharing and caring.
The days work was brutal because of the weather. They removed the manure in the barn, and it was mushy. All of the animals looked cold and sad.
The family couldn't wait to shower and eat. The food was a family favorite of fried fish, rice and cabbage with fried bread. Ann made lemonade and apple pie in the stone oven. Everyone ate and fell asleep straight away.
That night Grandpa Joe woke up after a few hours. He heard something downstairs. He put on his robe and house shoes and went to look. He quitely walked down the stairs and saw the kitchen light on. He tip toed to the kitchen and saw his wife just outside the back door. She bent down and took a package off a drone. It immediately flew off into the dark night sky.
Grandpa ran back upstairs and jumped in the bed. After 30 minutes of pleasure his wife returned to the bed.
Grandpa Joe sat up like he just had awakened with a thought.
"Hey honey...I heard there are places on the grid now...Jerry told me today at the market."
Grandma Ann looked at him and rolled her eyes. No way he was gonna start his sports and porn magazine deliveries again.
"Didn't he work as a news anchor back in the day?" she asked.
"Uhh yea..yea." he confirmed.
"Haha. Fake news." She declared. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and turned over.
Grandpa Joe laughed a little and drifted off to sleep with the sweet smell of fancy chocolate in the air.
The end.
If you are interested in this contest it is not too late. Here is the link: @mctiller/writers-win-5-steem-twenty-four-hour-short-story-contest-for-june-20-a-child-grows-up-amidst-lost-technology-with-their
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Until Next Time
Written & Pic by @sweetjoy