Follow the Leader

Thanksgiving at my great grandmothers’ house was an event my entire extended family looked forward to all year. I anticipated the rich food and beautiful gifts as much as anyone. However, being not yet included among the adults, and being so much older than my cousins, I always ended up playing the role of babysitter.
This year, trying to define and fill my new role as teenager, I was trying to find some peace and avoid my typical babysitting role after exhausting my use in the kitchen, by going out to the pond.
My great grandmother and aunt lived together on a small farm. On the very back of the property was a small pond, where the men sometimes caught catfish. The young ones were forbidden to go there without an adult, and rarely even then.
I made my way through the den, and after seeing that all the cousins were happily seating in front of the latest Disney movie, attempted to sneak out the back door.
This is when things began to fall apart. Leann, who always noticed everything, came after me. “Halie, Where are we going?” she inquired innocently.
I wanted to retort that I was going to the pond, and that she may not accompany me, but instead I said “Just the pond. We won’t stay long, but I haven’t been out there in a long time”
“Ok. I’ve never been to the pond.” she cooed contentedly.
As we went through the barn, which stood directly between the house and the pond, and supposedly marked the boundary between the two halves of the oversized yard, Jacob caught sight of us. “Were are you goin’, Leann?”
“To the pond!” She called back.
“Oh, cool! Can I come too!” Exclaimed Jacob
Before I could even open my mouth to speak, Leann had said “Yah, Halie’s Taking us!”
“Awesome! Hey, Rusty, we’re goin’ to the pond with Halie!” Called Jacob to our cousin who had been in the corner, petting the new kittens.”
“Sweet!” Replied Rusty, “I’ll get Levi and Andrew!”
Before I could blink, Rusty was dashing back to the house. I sighed. Maybe, if I was quick, I could lose Rusty and his posse, and still make it to the pond with only two shadows.
But, before I was out of the shadow of the barn, Rusty had emerged from the house and was running across the yard with at least five cousins behind him, and they, in turn, where calling more from various hidden corners of the barn, shed, and yard. Soon, there were about fifteen pairs of eager little eyes watching my every step and speaking in excited whispers about the pond. Needless to say, this was not going as planned.
Then someone piped up “Hey, let’s play follow-the-leader!”
“Halie’s the leader!” Shouted Rusty. Suddenly, everyone had lined up behind me, watching and imitating my every move. I did some silly stuff for them to copy. At least this way, I knew where everyone was.
I had promised the pond, so to the pond we were gonna go. I quickened my step, and led the entire troop Indian-style around the pond once, then started heading back toward the barn. “You mean that was it?” demanded Peggy.
“That wasn’t near as excitin’ as I thought it was gonna be. I don’t wanna play follow-the leader no more. How come grown-ups never take us anyplace fun.” pouted Rachael.
I was about to reply that I couldn’t do anything fun with so many, because I couldn’t watch them all and someone might get hurt, but Jacob saved me the trouble. “Hey, Austin, Rusty, let’s go look for chicken eggs, race you to the coop!” He challenged. In a stampede of little feet, and a cloud of dirt, the whole herd was off, toward the chicken coop. I took the opportunity to quietly slink back into the house. Thankful to Jacob for inadvertently getting me out of the mess he had helped get me into.
As I reentered the family room, aunt Nat came up to me, leading Morgan. “Excuse me, Halie, but all the other kids have gone outside, and I was wondering if you would take little Morgan out to the pond.”
Morgan put her thumb in her mouth and looked up at me expectantly. “I don’t really feel like going outside right now” I said. Morgan pouted. “But,” I quickly remedied “There’s a real good movie on TV. You want to come watch it with me?”
Morgan nodded vigorously, her thumb stuck firmly in her mouth. I picked her up and my Aunt mouthed “Thank You”, as I carried her daughter into the den, glad, for once, that I had the opportunity to sit down. Being a leader was harder than it looked.