The Powers Haven’s Secret by Melissa Benoist && Jessica Benoist with Mariko Tamaki

Author:Melissa Benoist && Jessica Benoist with Mariko Tamaki
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Amulet Books
Published: 2021-10-19T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

“I’m not sure who will want all this rhubarb,” Parker said doubtfully. She hauled another load into the back of the truck, her arms aching. The clouds overhead looked ominous. Every time she returned for a new load, it seemed the rhubarb they’d harvested had grown back, and then some.

“You’d be surprised by how excited people get about freebies,” George told her. “People will take anything that’s free. Even free manure for compost! But we never charge for anything Haven produces.”

All around them, Parker realized, Haven seemed to be springing to life. Sprouts were emerging from the soil with cute little minty green curls. The cow Ellie treated like a pet was standing up and limping around and mooing all the time.

Although maybe to Ellie the mooing was more than just a moo?

The chickens, according to George, were also doing well and plumping right up, although it was pretty clear they didn’t like Parker. Even when she’d scattered seed in front of their coop, they acted like she was a waiter or something. “You’re rude, OK?” Parker had snapped at the rooster that glared at her with its little yellow eyes as she tossed the last of the feed. Parker would have to ask Ellie whether her suspicions were correct, and the poultry was saying impolite things about her.

As they hauled rhubarb, George and Mabel chattered on about the sheep and the grass and whether or not to expand the paddock for more ailing animals. Parker was already hot and sticky and tired. She wanted to be playing Ultimate alongside Clara. She wanted someone to talk about something other than the farm and their mom and their gifts. It could be anything! Books! Basketball? Politics? Music? The joy of sugar? Ancient philosophers? The world? She wanted to be anywhere else.

“Hey, Mabel, what’s your favorite part of the world?” Parker tried, thinking of her mother’s map on the wall.

Mabel gave her a funny look. “One place is just as good as any other,” she said in a tone that implied Parker was daft. It wasn’t like Parker was trying to rate the countries on a scale of one to ten or anything. She wasn’t going to be judgmental about the left-out places. Jeez.

They harvested, hauled, and dumped until Parker was dripping with sweat. The weather vanes Ellie had plunked in the yard, she noticed, were going mental. They were spinning like crazy and stopping, spinning again, and stopping. The lion one was pointed toward the forest, and the one with the earth symbol pointed toward the main road to town. It was strange since there wasn’t any kind of breeze, but they’d always been broken. Parker stopped to drink from a jug full of filtered well water that Mabel had brought out. The air hung thick and damp around her. She swiped at her sweaty brow with her sweaty bare arm, which only made things worse.

She felt Mabel watching her and turned. Mabel’s features seemed to soften. “You’re a good little worker,” she said.

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