MermaidsTail

Country Cluck

Added 2021-03-13 13:51:20 +0000 UTC

Another image from the old archive combined with a recovered story

Mickey was not exactly pretty. Years of work in the sun had baked her face and hands to rough wrinkled prunes. Not that she was sorry for her life or anything like that. She was what she was - a farmer's wife and a farm accountant. Still, when Deirdre had invited her to spend a few weeks on a "girl's retreat" at her city digs, she jumped at the chance. Her husband, bless him, didn't protest and even arranged the train ticket.

Of course, there wasn't any greater contrast than that the two sisters presented at the station. Mickey, in a clean, serviceable travelling dress, waited in the outer station until her svelte, bejewelled sister found her. She swept her up in a hug with very little real contact. The hug seemed all show for the crowds. Mickey had never understood Deirdre's need to perform but shrugged it off.

Deirdre's little "city digs" were huge ... the barn back home would just about fit inside this mansion. Mickey stared from one obviously valuable thing to another almost afraid to move lest she break something.

"Don't stand on ceremony, sister darling," Deirdre drawled. She waved for one of her staff. "To the guest's room," she ordered imperiously.

Mickey followed her things and had soon unpacked. She put on her best dress - nothing like the wonder Deirdre had met her wearing. She slipped on one of the Persian rugs and pushed a black glass sculpture off the bed table. It cracked and Mickey felt terrible. It was probably some valuable antique and worth a fortune. Deirdre's response was startling. Not anger, sadness or anything like those understandable emotions. She began to laugh.

"That thing? Tim brought it back from somewhere in the Far East on a business trip. It's supposed to bring luck or grant wishes or some foolish thing like that."
"But ... it's a gift from your husband. Isn't it important?"
"My little country cluck," smiled Deirdre. "Tim's always bringing back those stupid trinkets. They end up stashed in guest rooms or where ever I can stash them. Don't worry your silly rural head. It's just not that important." Her tone said "to sophisticated city people".

The next few days were okay. The staff made sure that they had everything they wanted or needed - sometimes even before they knew what it was. It was a great vacation. It would have been a perfect vacation except for Deirdre's continual quips about her country manners (imagine thanking a staff member for doing something), her work ethic (she wanted to help out but was quickly and firmly vetoed), her poor wardrobe (Deirdre was promising her a care package of old dresses and such) and her total lack of street savvy (she tried to ask a small group of boys for directions and was only stopped by the butler at her side).

Mickey didn't want to confront Deirdre. That wouldn't be polite. She was sure she could take it two more days. Besides, it was a good vacation. That night, she noticed the sculpture on her bed table again. She was sure Deirdre had said she'd thrown it away. Even broken it was beautiful. Maybe she'd ask Deirdre to have it. It would look good on the coffee table back home. A tear escaped her eye and landed on the statue.

"I do wish you could grant wishes," she said. "Deirdre really doesn't know anything other than this gilded cage existence." The statue felt strangely warm. "She would learn a lot having to actually work for a living instead of lying about here." The statue seemed to have a reddish glow in its belly - but that was impossible. "I wish -" Mickey sniffed. "I wish - oh - I wish she could live the life of a country cluck for a year. To actually work and live and feel. I wish -" The statue flared a brilliant white and in her amazement she dropped it. Instead of dropping it floated back to the bedside table. A voice in her head whispered "It is done" and the statue stopped glowing. Mickey looked at it half in terror, half in amazement. The statue was whole again, not a crack or scratch on it. Mickey felt herself become strangely sleepy.

The next morning there was a big row as the staff turned out. Deirdre was missing - nowhere in the mansion, on the grounds or at any of her favourite haunts. They searched all day and were joined in the evening by the local police. No vehicle had come up the road in days, radar had detected no aircraft and no cars from the vast garage were missing save the one in the airport parking lot where Tim had left it. Deirdre would never walk anywhere so she had to be somewhere about the mansion but wasn't.

Mickey was escorted to the train station when it was very apparent she'd not done anything. Of course, they'd asked for her address and phone number. Mickey had volunteered her e-mail address as well. This had startled the police detective who noted it nonetheless in his pocket notebook.

The train ride was boring as she was more interested in what happened than in the scenery. She was met by her husband in the 10 tonne truck. He'd obviously dropped a load of grain at the elevator before picking her up.

"Good to have you back," he hugged her (real contact this time and hang what the other people around though). Mickey smiled back.
"You have no idea how good it is to be back," she kissed him for a long time.
"If this is the response I get when you take a bit of a vacation, I'll have to send you on them more often."
"Now what did I ever do to you?" she grumbled good-naturedly.
"So how was your sister's place?" he asked curiously.
"Beautiful! Exquisite! Sterile as a hospital operating room. She has an army of staff who treat her like a queen. She has things from all over the world. Antiques from ancient Egypt, Rome, Britain, you name it. It was relaxing but I didn't completely enjoy it. Still there were moments ..." she shook her head and then told him about the statue.
"Two days ago, y'say" he mused. "That's when the crate arrived. Thought you'd found a new laying hen. Large thing it is too. Lays the best extra large eggs you'd ever want. One every day, sometimes two."

Mickey was puzzled but made small talk all the way back to their farm. Once there, she went to the barn to see this new hen.

"Did you notice anything strange about the hen?" asked Mickey when she saw the creature.
"Touch larger than most - size of a small turkey maybe. Other than that, not really. Why?" Mickey stared somewhat shocked at the creature she saw. His answer told her that neither he nor anyone else could see the truth behind this laying hen. Only she knew how the statue had granted her wish by adding Deirdre to their brood hens.