It was a cool Autumn day when the girls decided to bring their younger brothers on yet another adventure through the woods. Usually, like today it was to the waterfall. Not a real waterfall, but actually an old abandoned damn.
They packed a snack and something to drink for the four mile round trip.
Amy, as always asked if she could ride her bike, because she disliked having to walk all the way. Faith had to explain to her youngest sister once again how Link and Cam would never be able to keep up, being so much younger. Pru in the meantime busied herself with making sure that Cameron was all set and ready to go.
As all five children walked along the long dirt road, the girls sang their favorite songs as loud as they could, practising for what they all hoped would someday lead to the glamorous life as a successful all girl band. Unfortunately Faith could not carry a tune to save her life, and she knew it.
Link as always ran ahead, having to mark his territory in a small brook about a half mile into the journey. After many such trips, all of the children referred to this as Links brook.
Cameron holding tight to Pru's hand never ran ahead. He seemed almost frightened of the surrounding woods. In fact he almost always clung to Pru for dear life, no matter the situation.
When they finally arrived at their destination, they would all take a seat on the small plywood bridge over the rushing water and feast on their snack. The best treasure of all was the shared can of coca cola slyly stolen from their mother. Then after their feast they would spend hours at their favorite hide away. Faith and Pru rushing to climb the walls of the small damn, Amy throwing boulders into the pond above, and Link and Cam pretending to fence with small branches in the adjacent open field.
They all treasured this time dearly. They all had separate needs fulfilled by going out on their adventures.
Faith the oldest girl, and now the oldest child at home, got to express her tomboy side more than ever.
Prudence, the middle daughter stayed quiet at home, but got to express herself more, and also soak up her love of nature.
Amy, Ever the challenger, and leader, seemed to mellow out and find peace.
Lincoln, the older of the two younger brothers would finally leave his younger brother alone in order to seek his own adventure.
And Cameron, would, if even for a short while found his independence, and allowed himself to have fun and be worry free.
The journey back home always felt shorter than the journey there. As soon as they headed back, they all started to become their everyday selves again. Faith would take the lead with Amy trying to get ahead of her, Link would intentionally get on every ones nerves, and Pru would be carrying a very tired and worn out am on her back, always the last in line.
By the time they arrived home, life as they knew it would be back to normal. It was usually around twilight that they returned, and the girls would begin immediately to help their mother prepare dinner. After dinner and cleaning up, they would retire for a short while to watch television, everyone sitting around the living room in their usual places. Faith and Amy on the couch with their parents, Link on the floor directly in front of the television, and Cam snuggled in Pru's lap on the large comfortable chair.
All the girls would help get their brothers ready for bed, and often took turns reading to the, and then it was their turn to go to bed.
Their father, so as to not have any squabbles worked it out so that the three girls shared two bedrooms. One of these rooms had only their beds, and posters. The other contained their dressers and clothes, and all other possessions. They nicknamed the one with their clothes "the dressing room". Pru even made a sign for the door surrounded by large yellow circles made to look like light bulbs, she claimed it made the room look "official"
This room as I am sure you can imagine was always a disaster. What else can you expect from three teenage girls, with one room filled with clothes!
They constantly bickered over who took whose shirt, or who made which mess. Amy always insisted that she was a neat freak and so none of the mess was hers. Faith admitted that she was a slob, but that she was sure she was not responsible for all of the mess, and Pru just groaned about having to deal with it. Of course, all three girls procrastinated and the mess only was cleaned when their father walked down the hallway to inspect the bedrooms. He was a man who had a zero tolerance policy when it came to a mess.
