Part 5 of 7

Chapter 11
"All right, you rapscallions, quiet down! We are here to make a joyful noise and not a cantankerous cacophony."

Mr Persis Vehar, music instructor and leader of the school chorus, called the group to order. To a red-blooded Texas teenager and wanna-be bad-ass, the name Persis would seem to be an irresistible target, but the wanna-be bad-asses soon learned that Mister Vehar could slice great, bloody gobbets from their ego using his voice alone.

"Hey Mr V! Can you quote scripture in school like that? You could get into big trouble!"

"Mr Mason, sadly it does not surprise me that you are still displaying your abysmal ignorance of American History. If you had been listening in class instead of trying to attract the attention of Miss Wright, you would have learned that in 1962 the Supreme Court ruled in Engel v. Vitale - that's case 370 U.S. 421 for you classroom lawyers - that the government was prohibited from forcing students to recite government-composed payers. Since then numerous ignorant rabble-rousers have attempted to distort that simple ruling for their own benefit.

"At no time has prayer in public schools been illegal, else the entire student body would be incarcerated within minutes of starting an examination. However, Mr Mason, you have succeeded in using five precious minutes of my greatly limited time to assuage your ignorance. Should you choose to try such a gambit again I would warn you that you will need the intervention of your chosen deity to save your soul, if not your corporate person. Having succeeded in your ploy, we will now attempt to turn our efforts to making music.

"I can see by your smiling faces that… Oh Great Ghu! Do my eyes deceive me? Could there once again be three Jordan clones in this august body? I distinctly recall Miss Roxy Jordan walking across the stage at graduation last year. Is there an inexhaustible supply of Miss Jordans in a warehouse somewhere ready to be thawed and reanimated at need to confound my perceptions?"

"I'm Rose, Mr Vehar. Relax, I'm the last one," answered Rose. "Dad got fixed when he realized they had reached perfection when I was born."

"In the vernacular, Miss Jordan, I would say 'TMI.' However, it is reassuring to know that all things must end at some point. Now, having wasted a further five minutes, we shall begin. Since you have been brought to my attention, Rose, I would like to hear a scale in A…"
 

"Uh… Hi Rose."

"Hi yourself, Luke."

"You have a very nice voice."

"Thank you, you nailed your scales, too."

"I was sweating, though."

"Me too!"

"Even after all the singing you do with your sisters?"

"I don't like being singled out, y'know."

"I guess. Uh, Rose?"

"Yes?"

"Has anyone asked you to Homecoming yet?"

"They'd have to be an awfully fast worker, Luke. I've only been in school for less than a week."

"I suppose so. Then could I maybe… uh…"

"Yes, I'd go with you."

"Awww jeez. You would?"

"Why not? Besides, my sisters would be there if you decided to get fresh,"

"I wouldn't… I mean… Uh…"

"Relax, Luke. Sometimes my mouth gets ahead of my brain. I'm good at saying stupid stuff."

"I know it's short notice, but with the game so soon after classes start it's hard on us freshmen."

"Well, now you don't have to worry. I suppose I should meet you at the game since I live so far away. Sometimes I think Texas is just too big for comfort."

"You guys live on a ranch, right?"

"Yup. Yee-haw, git along little dogie and all that crap."

"Is it true one of your sisters hog-tied a guy who got smart?"

"Sure was! Still game to date me?"

"Will that sister be at the game?"

"You're safe, Luke. She's in college now. 'Course I could always wear my spurs if I needed to."

"I think I can behave."

"You do realize you'll have to come out to the ranch and meet my folks? I'll hide Dad's horsewhip first, just for you."

"Gee, thanks. I knew you were a sweet girl."

"Let me give you the house phone number since cells don't work at home."

"Jeez - you are far out!"

You sound like my grandpa - he still thinks he's a hippie sometimes. 'Far-out, man!' "

"Sounds like an interesting family."

"You don't know the half of it, Luke. I might just tell you about it someday, though. Not until after homecoming, though. I don't want to scare you off."
 

"You've got a what?" exclaimed Travis.

"I've got a date for homecoming."

"Oh my aching back. How did that happen? You've only been in school for a few days!"

"They kind of rush Homecoming and Luke asked me to go to the game with him. You couldn't have forgotten Homecoming, after all my sisters had dates for the game."

"Yeah, but not as a freshman."

"I'm a fast worker, Daddy. What can I say?"

"Thank the Lord you're the last one. I'm getting too old for daughters with first dates. Especially this daughter."

"C'mon Daddy! Nobody has a clue I'm a special girl and nobody is ever going to find out. Ever since Raina hog-tied that jock the boys at the school don't take chances with us Jordan girls. Luke even talked about it when he asked me for the date."

"Seems my daughters' legend just keeps on growing. That leaves me with a problem, though."

"Oh-oh. Problem, Daddy?"

"Yeah, problem. As your father I have a duty to deliver the Dating Lecture before letting you go out on a date. It's in the rules, you know."

"Oh please! As you just reminded me, I'm the last of seven. I've heard that lecture six times, complete with the color commentary. I could probably deliver it myself by now."

"That's not the problem, Rosie."

"Oh?"

"I could give the girl's Dating Lecture in my sleep by now, but for you I wonder if I have to come up with a boy's version just to cover all the bases."

"Really, Daddy! I can't get anyone pregnant because of the hormones and I can't get pregnant myself. Besides, I'm not stupid enough to get involved with sex until I get my operation. Anything else you need to know?"

"How do I cope with such a smart-alecky daughter, maybe?"

"With resignation? Can I invite Luke out this weekend to meet you and Mom? I told him he had to pass inspection before we could go out together."

"Good girl! OK, go and make your call, but don't tie up the phone all night, darlin'."
 

"Come in, come in! Greeted Ruth.

"Mrs Jordan?"

"Please, I'm Ruth. Please come in, Rose has practically been bouncing off the ceiling waiting."

"If they time it right she could probably meet Luke on the way down. He's been flying ever since your daughter told him yes."

"Rose, why don't you show Luke the horses while I talk to his mother?"

"Sure! Come with me, Luke!"

"I have to admit I was amazed that it only took a couple of weeks in the school for someone to ask her out. Of course I went through it with her sisters, but she set a new speed record."

"I suppose that's because Luke set some speed records of his own. He's usually pretty shy around the girls; I think it was her singing that caught him."

"Runs in the family, we all love to sing together."

"So I've heard. Magnificent Seven?"

"Sometimes I wish my girls hadn't gotten tagged with that name. It sounds too boastful."

"Pretty catchy, though? How did it happen?"

"My oldest has no sense of shame and when she had to come up with a name for the act at the county fair open mike; she just thought it was cute. She had never seen the movie and practically died laughing when I made her watch it. Couldn't find seven more opposite types if you tried."

"I have this picture of what The Magnificent Seven would be like as a musical with seven girls in mangy buckskins and cute little hats!"

"You just had to plant that image in my brain, didn't you?"

"Maybe it will keep your mind off what our children are getting into?"

"If I know my daughter she's got Luke up in the saddle and is teaching him to ride. That girl is besotted with horses."

"Luke isn't exactly ready for the rodeo, but he does know how to ride."

"I hope you have plenty of time available - those two may be halfway to Austin by now!"
 

"His name's Golly. He's used to lots of different people riding him."

"Wow! This is great, Rose!" exclaimed Luke.

"I love riding! We could go check on a couple of the watering stations and find Dad so you can meet him. He's only part ogre so you should be safe."

"You must take after your mother then. Your skin doesn't look knobbly or green."

"Lots of makeup. It's a gift to be able to hide it so well."

"You're a strange cookie."

"Hold on, let me find out were the Ogre is laired up." Plucking the walkie-talkie from her saddle, Rose keyed the send and spoke, "

"Hello Papa Bear, this is your ever-lovin' Little Rose of Texas. Where are you hiding, Dad?"

A few seconds later the answer came.

"I'm out by the South gate to the Northwest pasture."

"Luke and I are going to head out so you can meet him, but I want to show him one of the watering stations on the way."

"Good idea, Thornbush. Check out number six and then I won't have to do it."

"You got it, Dad. See you in a few."

"I'm looking forward to it. Out."

"Thornbush?" asked Luke.

"All roses have thorns, but when Daddy would tickle me with his day-old beard when I was a kid I told him that I was the one who was supposed to have thorns, not him. The name stuck, but please don't spread it around the school."

"Who? Me?"

Good boy! Let's ride!"
 

Meanwhile, back at the house.
Hello Papa Bear, this is your ever-lovin' Little Rose of Texas. Where are you hiding, Dad?

The conversation from the base radio rather surprised Luke's mother, Laura.

"I just wish it were as easy to track down my brood," she observed.

"It was either that or ankle monitors, and you know how fussy girls can get about the proper jewelry."

"You're bad!"

"We have a lot of acres out there, the radios make it much easier to find the people when you need them."

"And how many times have you heard 'I must have been in a dead spot' when someone doesn't want to be found?"

"You must have daughters, too."

"Doesn't matter son or daughter, if they're doing something they shouldn't there is a certain lack of communication involved."

"You've got that right."

"It must be a challenge living so far out in the country. It seems like I'm spending half my time ferrying kids around to one activity or another. How do your children amuse themselves without movie theaters and malls and all that stuff?"

"Travis and I keep them busy with chores, which isn't such a hardship since they all love riding and working with the animals. There are the chickens and goats and horses and gardens to tend. They sometimes help with the cattle, although Travis and the hands do most of that work. We spend a lot of time cooking to feed us all, as you can imagine. I have to say that when the girls got old enough to drive it did make our lives easier.

"I couldn't imagine this brood without Internet access, though. I grew up without even a phone and managed to make it through, but I have to wonder how my mother stayed sane. I'm not sure I could have done a good job homeschooling without the 'net. It's not cheap out here, but when you figure the cost of gas and time to go into a library for research, it pays for itself."

"Interesting. I never thought of homeschooling, but then the school is only a mile or so from our home. Obviously, dating has got to be a problem for the girls."

"So it is, and I'm glad you were willing to come out for a visit. Rose has been practically jumping out of her skin to have someone want to take her to homecoming."

"I had to laugh at Luke, he was so thrilled that Rose wanted to go with him. It's really the first time he has been interested in dating."

"It's old hat for us, having had six sisters go through the first date stage, but Rose doesn't care what her sisters did, it's her turn now."

"Luke's our oldest, so it's new to us. You can be sure we've set some limits and given him the talk about how to be a gentleman."

"And it looks like it worked. He seems to be a very nice boy. If he likes riding then Rose will be his friend for life. That poor girl was so torn - she wanted to wear a skirt to be high fashion and impress Luke but wanted to go riding with him and had to wear jeans. Practicality finally won, but it was a battle!"

"Kids!"

"Rose wasn't all that thrilled that she has to go with her sisters after the game, but no solo dating until she's sixteen."

"Same with Luke, but once they get interested…"

"No keeping them down on the farm…eh?"

"Or the ranch, I take it."

"Unless they can pay for the gas to get to town."

"You're wicked!"

"Just passing on what I learned as a teen, myself. I thought my folks were just so mean to make me pay for the gas if I took the car!"

"Different point of view, these days."

"You betcha!"