Fabian Ruins {D10 - Re-submission}

The Ruins family contradicts their title. Their house is not a ruin, and their ranch is anything but. The house - nestled at the top of a hill - is older than anyone can imagine, but the consistent upkeep of its exterior erases the chips of missing paint and cracks in the doors. It resembles a house from a fairy tale story, surrounded by green lands and grazing creatures, but inside you won't find princes and princesses. Instead you will find an aging couple with their five diligent children, all of whom participate in the grueling labor of running a successful cattle ranch.

The owner of the ranch is a man with graying hair and a bad limp. He can no longer perform the duties he once proudly repeated day after day, so the responsibilities have been passed down to his eldest son, Fabian. Between five siblings the division of labor is unequal due to age and experience, but the ranch's fate now rests on Fabian's shoulders. He will one day inherit the ranch and run it on his own, perhaps with a wife and children if he's lucky. His siblings will have the luxury of deciding their own fate once they turn eighteen, but until then their chores are assigned and mandatory.

It's a lot of pressure to place on one boy's shoulders. Some might not think him capable. He's the type of boy who is fussy with his hair when he isn't working, and chews on his pencil eraser when he's concentrating on a homework assignment. He's the type who doesn't notice when his shoelaces are untied, and laughs when he inevitably stumbles into the dirt. He's the type who actually cares about his own laugh because he sometimes snorts by accident, and it's embarrassing. He's the type who double checks to make sure each one of his siblings has an apple in their lunch bags. He's the type who will wear his favorite sweater even if it there are holes in the fabric.

He's a gentle, happy-go-lucky fella with a lot to lose. Friends of the family often wonder if the stress will be too much to handle. Fabian doesn't think so. At seventeen years he already considers himself a responsible adult. He is a second father figure of the family, always overseeing the work of his younger siblings. The only aspect he doesn't involve himself with is the business arrangements, since his father can organize that in the comforts of his chair. But his mother is teaching him everything he needs to know. When he isn't finishing chores or completing homework, his mother is passing down the secrets to maintaining the family business. When he inherits the ranch, he will have to utilize this knowledge and ensure that it doesn't fail. The last thing Fabian wants to do is disappoint himself and his family, not after generations of this ranch's survival.

It's not always easy. Fabian must attend school, care for his siblings, complete his chores, and take care of the ranch all in the same day. Weekends are easier; he can finish everything by noon, then spend the rest of the day with his siblings. A creek neighbors the ranch just beyond the line of trees between the pasture and the forest. Swimming and collecting pebbles is one of the family's favorite pastimes. The littlest ones - ages twelve and fourteen - always ask to play by the creek, and Fabian is the only one allowed to supervise. How could he ever say no? Watching their beaming faces is one of the finer blessings in life. He is known for being family-oriented. He cares for his two brothers and two sisters like they're his own children. He used to tuck the smallest ones in and read bedtime stories. Even now he leaves the door to his bedroom cracked open in case the youngest one - who suffers night terrors - needs the extra comfort.

As they grow older, he teaches them more and more about how to perform some of the more challenging duties. All of them receive allowance money for their labor, which they have the liberty of saving or spending as they please. Fabian usually does a bit of both; he'll spend some on treats then set the rest aside for when Ratmas comes around. They say money doesn't equal happiness, but he has always learned that the best gifts for his siblings are the most expensive. Because they sweat and pick up dirt from outside chores, they're always in need of new work clothes by the end of the year. The family is neither well off nor poor. They fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum, and it all depends on how well the cows are selling. Winters are the most difficult. Cold weather summons illness and death like a white plague, but they always end up scraping by no matter what.

It's the summer that puts a strain on the children. The heat can become unbearable, and Fabian has always been subject to fainting under stress. Several times he has been rushed to the medical center because of it. He is known for overworking himself. You can tell him to take a break and he will insist that he's just fine. The bags under his brown eyes could be the darkest circles you've ever seen, and he will still say "No, I'm fine, I just want to finish!" And then he will push his sweaty brown bangs out of his face and go straight back to working. He doesn't look it, but he's resilient. No pressure is too much pressure. The ridges in his back and the weight in his upper arms are proof of his physical strength, but people rarely expect his mental strength to match. He is just a boy, after all. A sweet boy with pinchable cheeks, funny shaped ears, and a small, inviting smile.