The Private Scrapbook

by Cadabra

Chapter 29: The Circle Won’t Be Broken

Chapter 29: The Circle Won’t Be Broken

The Apple Grandchildren sat slack jawed with shock when they learned about Filthy Rich. Even with the photos in the scrapbook to prove it, just thinking about it made their heads hurt.

Apple Bloom was especially disturbed, cowering her head under her sister's arm for comfort. “It just can't be true!" she exclaimed, weeping into Applejack's coat.

Granny Smith raised an eyebrow at the ignorant display. "I just said it was," she explained flatly, showing another photo of the son she had never spoken of before.

Applejack held protectively onto her sobbing sister. “Granny Smith, yer talkin' crazy now," she said, not taking her eyes off of her grandmother as she rocked Apple Bloom. “Iffn he's an Apple, than why ain’t he ever come to a reunion? Or helped with the harvest? Or come on by fer supper? He just comes over fer money makin'! That ain’t a family way!"

Big Macintosh added his thoughts with a big 'eeyup,' standing by his sisters and staring down his grandmother suspiciously.

Standing her ground, Granny Smith held the photo of her daughter up next to a photo of Filthy Rich. "He ain’t done all them Apple Family things 'cause he ain’t an Apple," she explained. “Kizzy weren’t an Apple either iffn ya wanna know. He's a Rich just as much as she's a Seed. I didn't have mah first Apple child 'til I married yer granddad."

Big Macintosh gently approached his defensive grandmother, looking over her shoulder at the photos in the scrapbook. “It just don't make sense," he said, staring down at Granny Smith’s collection of memories pressed in the book.

Looking at the photos of her first two children side by side brought back a lot of unhappy memories that Granny Smith had spent a lifetime trying to either correct or forget. “I regret the decisions I made raisin' these two," she went on to say. “Iffn I made different choices, we might have been a right good family together. Still, I never would've ended up with y'all if that was the case, and I don't regret any one of ya."

Applejack knew that there were still questions that needed to be answered. “Care to explain the difference between an Apple and a Rich?" she said flatly, still clinging onto her traumatized looking sister.

Letting out a good natured smile, Granny Smith turned to a page with some family reunion photos. "This should do the trick," she said, showing a big family photo in front of the barn. “Me and Stinkin' Rich never did move outta Sweet Apple Acres, and after daddy died, mama was glad fer the company, 'specially with a grandson to spoil. I keep quiet 'bout her granddaughter slavin' outside, afraid of what would happen to Kizzy if word got out. The only time I got to take a proper picture of Kizzy was at this here reunion."

Granny Smith put the only photo she had of her daughter back in its spot in her scrapbook. "This was the last reunion we had at Sweet Apple Acres fer a long time before yer daddy was born,” she said as she gingerly set the photo back. “As far as I was concerned, Kizzy was a member of the family even if it weren’t recognized.”

Applejack looked over the photo, trying to guess which reunion it was taken from based on the quality of the photo. “Anythin’ excitin’ happen at the reunion?” she asked, hoping for a clue as to when it was taken.

With the photo now safely secured in the book, Granny Smithy thought on how stressful that reunion had been. “Iffn’ I gotta be honest, it weren’t one of mah favorites,” she said. “I know ya thought the one ya put on was a disaster waitin’ fer a place to happen, but this one really took the cake fer me...”

Daddy sang bass
Mama sang tenor
Me and the siblings would join right in
Singing seems to help a troubled soul

One of these days and it won’t be long
I’ll rejoin them in a song
I’m gonna join the family circle in the sky.

Oh the circle, won’t be broken
By and by, now, by and by.
Daddy sang bass
Mama sang tenor
Me and the siblings would join right in
In the sky, now, in the sky.

Prairie Tune and June were filling the air with music, their seven children helping the rest of the band make the back up music. It wasn’t studio grade quality, but with the love the husband and wife sang to each other nopony seemed to notice the difference. The yard was filled with wave after wave of dancing family members as more continued to arrive.

Smithy had to admit that it felt good to see family again, especially her favorite cousin, Apple Rose. She was smiling from ear to ear as she hugged her relatives, though the more time she spent with them the more that smile felt pasted on instead of genuine. Knowing that Kizzy couldn’t partake in the reunion in spite of actually being a member of the family was beginning to take its toll, especially when she caught sight of her son and his cousins harassing her.

To distract herself from how she was feeling, Smithy sat down with her mother and cousins to get working on the quilt. She hadn’t done much sewing in her life, so all she could do was sit back and watch before giving it a try for herself.

Her mother was a natural, though judging by her cutie mark it was obvious to see why. “One, two, three, four, pull it tight and go fer more!” Sew n’ Sow instructed as she pulled her stitches tight. Apple Rose and Apple Sauce applauded the demonstration before giving it a try themselves.

The girls were already doing quite well on their own squares before Smithy decided to give it a try. “I can do it!” she declared, smiling as broadly as she could to hide her doubts on whether she really could do it. Taking the needle in her teeth, Smithy began to stitch. ‘One, two, three, four,’ she thought to herself as the needle pierced the fabric. ‘Pull it tight and go fer more!’

With a good hard tug, the thread slid out of the fabric. “Oh… Fingle fangle!” she cursed as she threw down her needle, the girls giggling at the silly mistake of not tying a knot. Smithy’s face was flushed with embarrassment as soon as she realized that somepony had photographed the whole thing. “I’m gonna go check on the jam stand,” she said as she rose to her feet, a chorus of her family’s giggles erupting behind her.

At the jam stand stood Sunflower, surrounded by hungry customers. She was doing her best to be the perfect sales pony while her littlest baby tugged at her tail. Smithy could tell that her sister-in-law was getting overwhelmed as she watched her duck below the stand to grab a jam jar. “Need a helpin' hoof?” she offered.

Sunflower perked up at her sister-in-law’s offer. “Do I ever!” she declared as a transaction was being made. “This line just goes on forever! How do you keep up?”

Smithy couldn’t help noticing at how relieved Sunflower looked as she stepped up to help. “Take a rest on that there stump, why don’t ya,” Smithy offered. “Ya gotta pace yerself better iffn ya wanna last here at the stand.”

Sunflower watched transaction after transaction go by, glad to have a chance to sit down with her newborn. The peace was short lived as her son, Dandelion, ran up at full speed with Filthy Rich. “Mama!” Dandelion shouted as he jumped up on his mother’s lap. “They’ve got the fritters started! You should see it! They’re so good!”

Filthy Rich laughed at his cousin bouncing on his mother’s knee. “I’m surprised ya can taste anythin’ since ya burned yer tongue,” he teased.

Dandelion stuck his burned tongue out at his cousin, which just made Filthy Rich laugh all the more. "At least I got one!" he replied angrily to his chuckling cousin.

Rolling his eyes at his cousin, Filthy Rich decided to turn his attention to his aunt. “Say, Auntie Sunflower,” he said innocently. “Where’s Uncle Happy? He’s supposed to help me put together the big bon fire fer tonight.”

Trying to stifle the bouncing boys, Sunflower handed them an open jar of jam. “He’s out with your father doing some odd jobs, Filthy Rich,” she said as she spread the jam on two slices of bread for the boys to snack on. “They should be back by tonight, so don’t worry. Now take your snacks and have a good time.”

Still holding onto the jar of jam, Filthy Rich looked around for something to do with it. “Let’s go spread this on that ziggler with the yella stripes!” he suggested, getting an enthusiastic ‘Yeah!’ from Dandelion.

Smithy dropped a jar in mid-transaction at the mention of the idea, ignoring it shattering at her customer's feet. “Boys! Don’t!” she hollered vainly as they ran off to cause mischief.

Sunflower giggled at the attempt at discipline while the customer eyeballed the broken jar. “Let them have their fun,” she said with a casual smile that Smithy did not return. “You’re so lucky you can afford zigglers anyway. I wish we could afford one to help take care of the kids. That half breed one must have come at a good price.”

Smithy had to hold her breath to keep from what she wanted to say, especially at the half breed comment. She couldn’t let her sister-in-law know the emotional price she had to pay to have Kizzy.

Laying the baby down to sleep in the shade, Sunflower stretched before sitting down next to it. “You are so lucky to have a husband like Stinking Rich,” she smiled naively. “I don’t know Happy Trails and I would feed our kids without him. He’s been giving Happy Trails so much delivery work that I barely see him. Of course, when I do see him, whoa boy do I see him! That’s why we have eight kids!”

Smithy turned to see the baby yawning, lowering her eyes as she thought of Kizzy at that age. “She’s a cutie,” she said, ducking under the jam stand for fear of any emotion showing. The moment was broken by an impatient customer banging on the top of the stand and demanding service.

Sunflower nuzzled her dozing baby, listening to the gentle gurgling of the newborn. “There’s nothing like the smell of a newborn, is there?” she swooned. “It’s hard to believe we’re on eight now with little Petunia here. Speaking of which, when are you two having another?”

Smithy set a jam jar down much harder than needed at the mention of children. ‘Why that question again?’ Smithy thought to herself, trying to push the thought out of her head and move onto something more pleasant to talk about. “So, how’s business at mah brother’s company been lately?” she said with a forced smile that intimidated the next customer in line.

Sunflower let out a sarcastic chuckle at the mention of her husband’s work. “Slow and steadily dying,” she joked. “We had to add delivery services on top of moving services just to stay afloat. I keep telling Happy Trails to sell it to your husband since they do so much business together, but you know Happy Trails. He’s too proud of that place to let it go, even if it’s doing nothing but stressing him out. I think the smartest thing he ever did was make Stinking Rich a business partner, or else we’d never have anything to feed our children with. I wish they’d work together full time, but your husband says he’s got other work to do. What is it your husband does again?”

Smithy sighed as she thought about what lie she would have to tell Sunflower. “He’s a private consultant,” Smithy fibbed as she dropped a stack of bits into a half full jar. She knew the truth was that her husband was a thief and a con man, and that Happy Trails had joined in with the Faction of the Stud just to keep his business afloat, but she had to keep up the small talk.

Granny Smith turned to a page with her brother’s company logos, both old and new. “He switched it over after he joined the Faction of the Stud,” she explained. “It was a perfect cover fer money launderin'. Happy Trails could smuggle all kinds of stuff ‘round Equestria with that business of his, and nopony suspected a thing since mah brother was such a nice fella. I don’t know if he knew half the stuff he was shippin’ out, but he did it to feed his family. If he didn’t do what Stinkin’ Rich told him to, he’d end up losin’ his business. At that point Stinkin’ Rich practically owned him fer himself, makin’ mah brother a slave to his debt. Still, he kept up that happy go lucky act with everypony, most of all his kids. None of 'em knew what their daddy did, and he was right determined to keep it that way...”

As promised, Happy Trails had returned by sunset with Stinking Rich. Though he was exhausted from doing gang work all day, Happy Trails still summoned the energy to build up a bon fire with his kids and his nephew. He nuzzled down next to his wife as they watched the children roasting marshmallows, falling asleep shortly after he’d gotten comfortable.

Filthy Rich stood next to his father as they made and ate s’mores together, laughing as they made a mess together as father and son. Smithy barely paid attention to them, instead watching Lizza wash zap apple jam out of Kizzy’s mane under the water pump. She was hoping that none of the zebras would find it offensive when they found a smuggled basket of bread and jam waiting for them in the slave quarters.

The reunion was beginning to wind down, and Smithy was grateful for it. She was exhausted after a long day of running around, and knew that she would have to wake up early the next morning to sell more jam at the stand. The fire had burned down to embers as the last few family members headed out for the evening.

Smithy yawned as she wrapped an arm around her groggy son, who fidgeted at being held and protested that he wasn’t tired. “Settle down now, Filthy Rich,” she said exhaustedly, trying to ease the fussy pony. “I know ya had yer fun today, and ya had enough sugar to power a steam engine, but we got more jam to sell in the mornin’. It’s time fer bed.”

Filthy Rich shook his tired little head as he tried to suppress a yawn. “I ain’t tired, mama!” he bickered. “I still wanna roast marshmallas with daddy!”

Stinking Rich lifted his son high onto his shoulders, getting an eruption of laughter from the colt. “Come on, lil’ buddy,” he said tenderly as his son rested his head on his own. “Yer mama’s right. Ya got a big day ahead of ya tomorrow, only ya ain’t sellin’ jam. We’re takin’ all the rest of it with us to Baltimare tomorrow. Got us a fine transaction in the works up there, and we can make a family vacation out of it!”

Smithy hated when her husband sprang things like this on her, especially when he could make her look like the bad guy in front of their son. Worse yet, she knew this had something to do with the Faction of the Stud, and the last thing she wanted was for her son to get involved in some kind of illegal doings. “Hold it right there,” she retorted in hopes of discouraging the trip. “Ain’t this gonna interfere with his first day of school in a couple weeks? Last thing we wanna do is get him all hopped up on stayin’ up late to concentrate in school. It’s important we keep him consistent.”

She was expecting to hear her son protest her orders. “But mama!” Filthy Rich whined. “I wanna go to Baltimare! Why won’t ya let me do anythin’ fun?”

Stinking Rich cooed as he held his son, trying to encourage the little boy to smile. “Don’t listen to yer mama,” he said with a fatherly smile. “We’ll only be gone 'bout a week anyways, so y’ll have plenty of time to get yerself ready fer school. We’ll just let yer mama miss out on all the fun we’re gonna have, just the two of us. Why, I’ll even let ya pick out a new ziggler fer yerself after we sell off that one with the yella stripes.”

Smithy couldn’t believe her ears. “Yer gonna what?!?” she hollered, causing lingering family members to turn around to look at them.

Stinking Rich held up his hoof to try to stifle his wife. “Ya knew this day was comin’,” he said in a condescending tone. “That lil’ monster’s nothin’ but a slave, and I got a good chance to sell her off with some zap apple jam so we can make a mighty fine profit. Besides, it’ll be a good chance fer our boy to learn somethin’ ‘bout runnin’ a business. That’s somethin’ he ain’t learnin’ in school, what with all them ABC’s and 123’s.”

Watching the father and son laugh and joke about selling another living being like a vegetable at market made Smithy furious. Having to hold her tongue during the whole thing was a nightmare. “Sure, why not take the whole family then,” she muttered more to the glowing embers than to her own family. "Guess a lil' pre-schoolin' educatin' ain't that bad an idea now. Celestia knows he could mind to learn a thing or two from his folks."

She felt horrible as her husband and son hugged her, knowing that the only reason she was agreeing to the trip was so she could try finding a way to sabotage her husband's plans. Now, she just had to figure out how.