The air was already hot and damp when I woke up.
I could feel my sweaty hair plastered to the back of my head as I turned to look at my bedroom window.
Not one single breeze came through the window, just the early morning sun, shining through the crystal bird that hung there and making rainbow splashes on the foot of my bed.
"Emmy. C'mon, Emmy, it's time to get up," Mama said, as she shook my shoulder gently.
"Breakfast is ready and Papa's got something he needs you to do for him today."
I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and brushed the hair out of my eyes.
What a perfect day to spend laying in the hammock under the old maple tree out back, but, I guess from what Mama said, that wasn't going to be the way I was going to spend today.
I pulled on my tee shirt and cut-off jean shorts and headed downstairs to the kitchen.
My brother Davey and Papa were already in from milking the cows and were eating the eggs and bacon Mama had sat in front of them.
I slid into my chair and rested my head against my hand.
"No elbows on the table, Emmy," said Papa quietly.
I sat up a little straighter and tried to look awake.
It was hot in the kitchen. Sweat ran down Mama's face as she stood at the stove and turned the eggs she was cooking for me.
I poured a glass of cold milk and took a sip.
Papa looked at me and said, "Emmy, I need your help today. I need you to start painting the board fence down by the barn. Davey got most of the old paint scraped off and it's ready for a new paint job. Doesn't look like it's going to rain, so now would be a good time to get started."
"Aw, Papa," I moaned.
"Now Emmy" said Mama, "Papa and Davey have to get the hay baled and put up in the barn and I've got to drive the tractor for them. We need that fence painted before the bare wood gets wet. That's your job today and probably tomorrow too."
I knew better than to argue. My next two days had been planned and decided for me and I had no choice.