April Rose In Charge

One summer evening, when her mother is going to a town meeting and her sister is out babysitting, twelve-year-old April Rose is left to bring in the sheep from the upper pasture by herself.

- Barbara Sinopoli

With her trusty little Icelandic dogs Lucky and Loki, the big guard dogs Tasha and Rufus, and Mom on speed dial, April is ready to prove she can take care of the farm without help. Although she assured her worried mother that she’s brought in the sheep many times, a “ little voice in her head” reminds April Rose that always before someone else had been home if something went wrong.

When she notices storm clouds gathering in the distance, April Rose decides to bring the sheep down early—then scolds herself for wasting time as the storm breaks loose. She puts away the blind ewe, Old Ma, and her twins, then dashes down the gravel farm road and across the bridge, leaving the gate open behind her so the sheep can go straight into the barn when the dogs drive them home. When she reaches the hill, the herding dogs, Loki and Lucky, are confused by the storm until April Rose takes charge and orders them to get the sheep. One ewe, Big Mae, at first gives her trouble, but April Rose realizes that the ewe was waiting for her lamb who had been left behind. Finally, the dogs seem to have gathered all the sheep and to be driving them down to the barn. As she starts down the hill in the soaking rain, April Rose stops suddenly and wonders, did she really have everybody?

I SQUINTED INTO the driving rain, mentally ticking off my fingers. Loki had run in with the flock, I just saw Lucky bring down Big Mae and her lamb, and Tasha was on the hillside looking back at me, wondering why I wasn’t coming.

Rufus! Where was Rufus? As our senior guard dog, he was always the last one in.

“Rufus!” I called into the wind.

CRACK! I jumped a mile as a bolt of lightning jagged across the sky, flashing against the underside of the black, roiling clouds.