The Great Price of Responsibility (ages 13-17)

 by Alexis P.

prompt #20. Andi has found a new pet. What is it? And what adventure (or trouble) does this new pet bring?

“Andi, would you please hurry?! We’re gonna be late for church.” Chad yelled impatiently at his 12-year-old sister Andrea “Andi” Carter.

Inside the family’s spacious ranch house, Andi tugged on the sleeve of her itchy dress and made a face at her reflection in the mirror. Oh well, Andi thought. At least I only have to wear it on Sundays. The rest of Andi’s family, except Chad, Mother, and her, were out of town at Aunt Rebecca’s, so that left the impatient Chad, who was always ready for church way too early and thought everyone else should be too. She sighed and raced downstairs to meet her family. “Just let me say goodbye to Taffy,” she called as she raced past her mother and brother and into the barn. 

Andi gave her horse a quick pat on the head and a sugarcube from her pocket, and began to head out the barn door.

“Snort, Snort!” She heard a faint noise coming from the empty stall next to Taffy. She quietly tiptoed over to the stall and peered inside….

“SNOOOORT!!!” 

“AHHHH!” 

Andi leaped backwards as a tiny pig lunged at her, snorting angrily. She stood up, vainly attempting to brush off her soiled church dress. After getting her bearings, she boldly reached into the stall and retrieved a tiny pink pig. It struggled to escape from her arms, but she firmly held on, observing the smooth creature.

“You’re kinda cute! I’m gonna name you Porkchop!”

The pig responded by rubbing its slimy nose on her arm.

Andi laughed. “At least my dress was already soiled,” she sighed, making a face at Porkchop.

Andi sat on the barn floor with the pig in her lap, contemplating what to do with it. Maybe I’ll put it back in the stall and decide what to do with it after church. With her decision made, she gently lowered the pig back into the empty stall and bolted away to change her dress.

On her way, she nearly trampled Chad, who was about to give her a lecture about being on time and considering others.

Andi’s brother gave her an incredulous look. “What happened to you?!”

Andi looked down at her muddy dress and gulped. “Well, there’s a pig in the barn,” she began. Andi grabbed Chad’s arm and pulled him over to the stall where the pig was running in circles, chasing its own tail. “Porkchop -that's what I named the pig- tried to jump at me, so I fell backwards and got all muddy and slimy, but it’s sooo cute! Can we keep it? Please!?”

Chad tried to keep a straight face, even though she looked pretty ridiculous covered in mud, and the little pig was kinda cute. “Slow down, Andi! There’s no way we can keep a pig. You know we don’t have time for that right now. Go put the pig in the outskirts of the ranch, and maybe it’ll wander back to its home. Right now just go change your dress before Mother sees it.”

Andi's face dropped. “That’s not fair! The pig can’t be put out there all by itself. I’ll just leave Porkchop there until we get home from church."

Chad frowned. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, but I guess you’ll learn your lesson.”

Andi smiled triumphantly. “Alrighty!” She ran around to the back door to change. “Tell Mother I’ll be right out!”

While Andi changed into a different dress, a million thoughts ran through her mind. I wonder where Porkchop came from. How old is he? It’ll be so much fun to have a pig, if Mother lets me keep it! Andi hurried down the stairs, eager to get going so she could spend the evening with the pig.

But, little did she know, Andi would learn a lesson later that day that would show her that she should have listened to her brother and gotten rid of Porkchop….

                                                         ***

All the way home from church, Andi chattered about the pig. Her mother said she could keep the pig, if she took care of it. Andi was elated and shouted, “I can keep Porkchop!”

Mother just smiled and Chad frowned. When their buggy approached her home, she jumped out and ran into the barn. “Piggy? Piggy! Where are you!?” Andi gazed into the stall, and her blood ran cold.

The pig was gone!

What had happened to it? Did another animal take it? Did it escape? She hurried out of the barn and ran to Chad and Mother. “The pig is gone,” she wailed.

Mother gave Andi a hug. “Andrea, I’m sorry the pig is gone, but you should have secured it better. Well, come with me, and we’ll make lunch.”

Andi sighed in frustration and trudged into the house behind her mother.

“Mother, could we go look for the pig after we eat? I just couldn't sleep at night not knowing where—umph!”

Mother came to a sudden stop at the door, causing Andi to run directly into her. “What’s wrong?” Mother held a finger to her lips to silence her and pointed to the house. Andi listened for a moment, and heard faint footsteps coming from inside.

Chad came up from behind them, slowly turned the knob, and walked inside. 

There was silence for a few moments, but soon Andi heard a faint noise. ”Snort!”

Andi laughed and ran inside to retrieve her pig. “You silly pig! How did you get in—” The sight that met her eyes stopped her short.

The house was a disaster! Eggs were smashed on the floor, pillows looked like they were attacked with a knife, and some of the Carter family’s precious possessions were broken or ruined.

Mother came in behind Andi and gasped at the sight of her home.

Andi sheepishly looked up at Chad. His face was bright red, what it always looked like when he was angry beyond words. He snatched up the squirmy Porkchop and thrust it into Andi’s arms. “Andi, go put the pig out in the barn NOW, and we’ll decide what to do with it later.”

Andi huffed and marched outside. 

She sat under a tree out in the ranch and looked down at the pig. “You were very naughty, but you didn’t mean it, did you?”

Porkchop responded by pushing his wet nose on her face.

And laughed, and thought about what to do. The pig had caused more trouble than fun. She knew the responsible thing to do would be to give the pig to a neighboring ranch who had the space and time for a pig, but she really wanted to keep it! Suddenly a Bible verse popped up in her mind, Proverbs 16:9.

Andi said it out loud. “A man’s heart deviseth his way, but the Lord directeth his steps.” She knew that her heart was telling her to keep it, but God was telling her to get rid of it. She decided she needed to make the right choice.

Andi slowly walked back to her house, pig in hand. She opened the door to find Mother and Chad cleaning up the house.

Chad saw her and glared. “I thought I told you to put the pig outside!”

Andi nodded. “I did. I decided that the best thing to do would be to get rid of Porkchop. Chad, you were right. I should have gotten rid of  it in the first place when you told me to. Then maybe we wouldn’t have had this big mess in the first place.”

Chad’s face softened. “Thank you, Andi. Maybe next time you’ll listen the first time.”

Andi laughed. Leave it to Chad to take any opportunity to be bossy! 

Chad and Andi gave the pig to some friends who were always looking for another animal. Even though she didn’t get to keep Porkchop, she knew the pig would be happy in its new home, maybe even happier than it would’ve been with her. 

                                                           ***

Andi went to bed that night with a light heart, knowing she had made the right decision. She thanked the Lord for helping her make the right choice, and resolved to listen to other people before deciding something next time!