Look Out, Lancaster County Page 23

“He chased my cat, stole my history book, and licked my face with his germy tongue.” Rachel motioned to the pile of straw behind Buddy. “I think he buried the book in there.”

  Henry left the stall and grabbed Buddy’s collar. “I’ll hold the dog while you search for your book.”

  Rachel knelt in front of the straw and felt all around. “Here it is!” She withdrew the book, dusted it off with her hand, and turned it over. “There are no teeth marks.” She glared at Buddy. “It’s lucky for you that my book’s not ruined.”

  “I’m glad you found it,” Henry said. “I’ll put Buddy back in his stall so he won’t cause you any more trouble.”

  “Good idea.” Rachel scrambled to her feet. She was almost to the door when she whirled around. “If you see Jacob, would you give him a message?”

  “Jah, sure. What would you like me to tell him?”

  “Tell him he’d better keep his promise and teach his dog to be nice to my cat!”

  The following day when Rachel entered the barn, she was pleased to discover that the bales of hay that usually sat there had been removed. The floor was clean, too. It was ready for the backless wooden benches they would use for church tomorrow. She noticed that the benches were stacked along one wall. They would probably be set in place sometime later today. In the meantime, Rachel thought the barn was the perfect place to skateboard.

  She glanced around. She saw no sign of Cuddles. No sign of Buddy, either. He must be in the empty horse stall where Jacob put him during the night.

  Rachel cupped her hands around her mouth and called, “Here, Cuddles! Come kitty, kitty!”

  All Rachel heard was the soft nicker of the buggy horses in their stalls at the other end of the barn.

  “Cuddles! Where are you, Cuddles?” Rachel moved slowly around the barn, looking in every nook and cranny.

  She was ready to give up and return to the house when she heard a faint, meow.

  Rachel tipped her head and listened.

  Meow! Meow! The sound grew louder.

  Rachel followed the meowing sound, until she came to the ladder leading to the hayloft. She looked up. Cuddles sat in the hayloft, staring down at her.

  Meow!

  Rachel clapped her hands. “Here, kitty, kitty.”

  Cuddles didn’t budge.

  Rachel started up the ladder. “What a boppli you are, Cuddles.” As she picked up Cuddles, the cat dug her claws into Rachel’s jacket and meowed louder.

  “You’re okay,” Rachel whispered. “We’re almost down.”

  When Rachel stepped off the ladder, she placed Cuddles on the floor and hurried to the shelf where she kept her skateboard. When she returned, Cuddles was lying on a straw bale, licking her paws.

  Rachel picked up the cat and stepped onto the skateboard, holding Cuddles against her chest. “Here we go, now. This will be fun.”

  She pushed off with one foot, and the skateboard glided across the barn. She was about to turn and start for the other side of the barn, when Jacob’s dog bounded in—Woof! Woof! Cuddles shrieked and tried to wriggle free, but Rachel held on tightly.

  Woof! Buddy’s tail flipped the hem of Rachel’s long dress. With another loud bark, Buddy jumped up and swiped his big red tongue across Cuddles’s head.

  Yeow! Cuddles stuck out her claws and scratched Buddy’s nose.

  Woof! Woof! Buddy barked, and Cuddles leaped into the air. The skateboard wobbled, and Rachel toppled to the floor. “Trouble seems to follow everywhere I go,” she muttered as she clambered to her feet.

  Yeow!

  Woof!

  Rachel turned in time to see Cuddles race out through the barn door with Buddy right behind her. Rachel rushed after them, hollering and waving her arms.

  Cuddles and Buddy darted across the yard, zipped around trees, leaped over piles of snow, and slid across the icy lawn.

  “Come back here, you two!” Rachel shouted. “Enough is enough!”

  Cuddles’s hair stood on the back of her neck. Buddy’s tail swished. They both kept running.

  Since Jacob wasn’t there to blow the whistle Orlie had given him, Rachel knew she must do something to stop Jacob’s dog from chasing her cat. Cuddles might get hurt!

  When the animals raced past again, Rachel grabbed Buddy’s collar. Cuddles meowed and leaped over the fence. Buddy let out a howl and tore across the yard, dragging Rachel facedown in the snow.

  Jacob stepped into the yard, “Stop, Buddy! Stop!” He skidded across the yard and helped Rachel to her feet. “Are you all right? Why were you hanging onto Buddy’s collar?”

  “I was trying to save my cat!”

  Jacob shook his head. “Don’t you think you’re overreacting? Buddy may like to chase Cuddles, but he hasn’t hurt her, has he?”

  “Well, no, but—”

  “I think he only chases her because he wants to play.”

  “I don’t think so.” Rachel swiped her hand across her face, sending powdery snow all over Jacob.

  He jumped back. “Watch what you’re doing! I had a bath last night; I don’t need a snow shower today!”

  “Very funny.” Rachel motioned to Buddy, who was across the yard, digging in the snow. “I thought you were going to teach him to behave. Where’s that whistle Orlie gave you?”

  “It’s right here in my jacket.” Jacob reached into his pocket, but pulled out an empty hand. “Oh no,” he mumbled.

  “What?”

  “There’s a hole in my pocket.” Jacob’s face turned red as a tomato. “I’m afraid I’ve lost the whistle.”

  “You lost it?” Rachel stared at Buddy, who was wagging his tail. “How can you train that mutt not to chase my cat if you don’t have the whistle?”

  Jacob rubbed his chin. “I don’t know when the whistle fell out of my pocket, so I don’t know where to look.”

  Rachel frowned. “I think the dog needs to go back to Orlie. He’s out of control.”

  Jacob’s eyes started to water. Rachel didn’t know if it was due to the cold or if Jacob was getting teary-eyed because he didn’t want to get rid of Buddy.

  “I know what I’ll do.” Jacob moved to Buddy and patted his head. “The next time I go to town, I’ll buy Buddy a new whistle!”

  Chapter 6

  Lots of Snow

  Rachel pressed her nose against the living room window. Huge snowflakes drifted past the glass, whirling, swirling, spiraling toward the ground. More snowflakes piled on top of them. In some places the heavy snow had already made snowdrifts.

  “I think we might be in for a blizzard,” Mom said, stepping beside Rachel.

  A few months ago, Rachel remembered seeing a wooly worm, more brown than black, crawling on the fence. Grandpa had said seeing a worm that color meant heavy snow would come soon. Rachel had never heard that about a wooly worm before, but she figured Grandpa must know what he was talking about because he had lived many years.

  “Do you really think we’ll have a blizzard?” Rachel asked her mother.

  Mom nodded. “The way the snow’s falling so fast, and the wind’s blowing with such powerful gusts, I’d say we’re in for a good winter storm.” She moved away from the window and stood with her back to the stone fireplace, where a cozy fire lapped at the logs and spilled warmth into the room. “If the weather gets bad enough, school might close until it improves.”

  Rachel joined Mom in front of the fireplace. If school closed, she wouldn’t have any homework to do. Maybe she could sleep in every morning and spend her days playing with Cuddles or painting animal bodies on some of the rocks she found last summer.

  “We can’t do anything about the weather right now,” Mom said, squeezing Rachel’s shoulder. “Rudy and Esther are joining us for supper tonight, so I need your help in the kitchen.”

  Rachel sighed. It seemed like all she did was work, work, work. But she was glad to hear that Esther and her husband would come over tonight. Esther had missed their last church service because she was sick, and Rachel looked forward to spending t
ime with her older sister. Esther had always listened to Rachel. She didn’t call her “little bensel” the way Jacob often did, either.

  “Wash your hands and set the table while I start cooking the noodles,” Mom said when she and Rachel entered the kitchen.

  Rachel went to the sink. “What else are we having besides noodles?”

  “There’s a ham in the oven, and we’ll have boiled peas, tossed green salad, and hot rolls,” Mom replied.

  Rachel licked her lips as she lathered her hands with soap and water. “Just thinking about all that good food makes my stomach hungry.”

  Mom chuckled. “It seems you’re always hungry, Rachel.”

  “Not when I’m grank [sick].”

  “That’s true,” Mom agreed. “Most people aren’t in the mood for food when they feel sick.”

  Rachel remembered when Mom first found out she was going to have a baby. Mom had often felt sick to her stomach. She’d called it “the morning sickness,” and said she wasn’t in the mood for food.

  Mom stirred the boiling noodles on the stove then faced Rachel. “When your grandpa went to take a nap earlier this afternoon, he said I should wake him before Rudy and Esther arrive.” She handed the wooden spoon to Rachel. “Would you please watch the noodles while I see if he’s awake?”

  “How about if I wake Grandpa?” Rachel didn’t want to watch the noodles. What if she did something wrong? She didn’t look forward to more of Jacob’s teasing.

  “When I was making the salad earlier, I smeared some tomato juice on my dress,” Mom said. “I need to change before our company arrives, and since Grandpa’s room is just down the hall from mine, it’s easy for me to stop and wake him up.”

  “Okay, but what should I do if the noodles get done before you get back?” Rachel asked.

  “Do you remember how I told you to tell if the noodles are done?”

  Rachel nodded. “If I can cut them easily with the spoon, they’re tender enough.”

  “That’s right,” said Mom. “If they get done before I come back, drain the water into the sink, put the noodles into a bowl, and mix them with a little butter and cheese.”

  “I think I can do that.” Rachel decided the procedure didn’t sound too hard. Besides, it shouldn’t take Mom long to change her dress and wake Grandpa. She was sure Mom would return before the noodles were done.

  “You’ll do fine, Rachel.” Mom said as she hurried from the room.

  Rachel moved to the stove and watched the boiling noodles. Every few seconds she poked the spoon inside and stirred the noodles to keep them from sticking. Mom still wasn’t back, so when the noodles felt tender, Rachel removed the kettle from the stove. Then she took out the strainer, placed it in the sink, and poured the noodles in.

  “Oops!” Most of the noodles missed the strainer and landed in the sink.

  “Sis nau futsch! [It’s all ruined now!]” Rachel muttered as she stared at the noodles. “What should I do?”

  Suddenly, an idea popped into Rachel’s head. She scooped up the noodles, put them back into the strainer, and turned on the faucet and rinsed them. Next, she took a clean bowl from the cupboard, and poured the noodles into it.

  Rachel didn’t want anyone to know what had happened. The sink was clean, she had rinsed the noodles—they shouldn’t have any germs on them now.

  When Rachel and her family gathered around the kitchen table that evening, Rudy commented on how good everything smelled.

  “I agree,” Esther put in. “It looks and smells appeditlich [delicious]. Mom outdid herself on this meal.”

  Mom smiled at Rachel. “I can’t take all the credit. Rachel cooked the noodles.”

  “I love hot buttered noodles with plenty of cheese,” Rudy said as he forked some into his mouth. He chewed the noodles a couple of times, and a strange expression crossed his face.

  “Rudy, what’s wrong?” Esther asked. “I thought you liked noodles.”

  Rudy opened his mouth and pulled out something that didn’t look anything like a noodle. It was yellow and square.

  “What in all the world?” Mom’s glasses slipped to the end of her nose as she studied the small object in Rudy’s hand. “Why, that looks like part of the sponge I use for washing dishes!”

  Grandpa nodded. “That’s what it looks like to me.”

  Pap turned to Rachel and frowned. “Do you know how part of a sponge got in with the noodles?”

  Rachel’s face heated. She wished she could crawl under the table and hide. “Well, I—”

  “I’ll bet she dumped the noodles on the floor and was trying to wash them with the sponge,” Jacob said.

  “Please say that’s not what happened.” Mom’s forehead wrinkled as she stared at Rachel. “If you dropped the noodles on the floor, then you should have thrown them out and started over with a new batch.”

  Rachel shook her head. “I didn’t drop them on the floor.”

  “Then what happened?” Henry wanted to know.

  “I was draining the water from the noodles into the strainer.” Rachel drew in a quick breath. “But the noodles fell into the sink instead.”

  “Then what did you do?” Pap questioned.

  “I scooped up the noodles, put them back in the strainer, and rinsed them off. Then I took a clean bowl from the cupboard and poured the noodles in.” Rachel’s ears burned with embarrassment, and her throat felt so tight she could barely swallow. Why was it that every time she tried to do something grownup she made a mess of things?

  “I guess you didn’t rinse the noodles well enough. Maybe you should have thrown them out and started over,” Esther said gently.

  “I didn’t want to waste them or cause dinner to be late.” Rachel shrugged. “I was afraid Mom would be mad if I threw them out.”

  Grandpa’s bushy gray eyebrows lifted high on his forehead. “Maybe you should have waited until your mamm came back to the kitchen to tell you what to do.”

  Rachel lowered her head and mumbled, “Jah.”

  Jacob nudged Rachel’s arm with his elbow. “And you wonder why I call you a little bensel?”

  “Jacob, that’s all we need to hear from you on the subject,” Pap said. “Rachel feels bad enough about Rudy nearly eating a piece of sponge. You don’t have to make her feel any worse.”

  “If she didn’t think she had to be in control of everything …”

  “Jacob …” Pap leaned closer to Jacob and squinted his eyes. “Do you want extra chores to do?”

  “No, Pap.”

  “Then eat your meal and be quiet.”

  Any other time, Rachel might have found satisfaction in Jacob being scolded for teasing her. Not this time, though. She only wanted to find a place to hide and forget she’d ever been asked to watch the boiling noodles.

  “May I be excused?” she asked.

  “If you don’t finish your supper, you can have no dessert,” Mom said.

  Rachel shrugged. “I don’t care. I’m not hungry.”

  “Suit yourself; but remember, breakfast is a long time off,” Pap said.

  Rachel pushed back her chair and stood. Then she turned to Rudy. “I–I’m sorry about the sponge you almost ate.” Without waiting for a reply, Rachel rushed out of the room. When she reached the hallway she grabbed her jacket and hurried out the back door.

  As Rachel stepped into the snowy yard, her feet went numb from the cold. She should have put on her boots.

  “I’ll be okay if I hurry,” Rachel muttered as she crunched through the snow and headed for the barn. If she found Cuddles there, maybe the two of them could stay warm together by burrowing in a clump of hay.

  But she didn’t see Cuddles—just Jacob’s sleeping dog in the empty horse stall where Jacob was told to keep him until Pap found the time to build a dog house. Rachel was glad Buddy was sleeping. She didn’t want to deal with him barking, jumping, or licking her face.

  She sat on a bale of hay and closed her jacket tightly. “Sometimes I wish I wasn’t me,” she mumbled
. “Sometimes I wish—”

  The barn door swung open, and Esther stepped in. “I thought I might find you here.”

  Rachel only nodded.

  “I came to tell you good-bye,” Esther said.

  “You’re leaving already?”

  “Jah. It’s snowing much harder now, and Rudy thinks we should head for home before the roads get too bad.”

  “That’s probably a good idea,” Rachel agreed. Esther sat beside Rachel. “I wanted to tell you one more thing.”

  “What’s that?” Rachel asked.

  “Don’t let Jacob get under your skin. He just likes to tease.”

  “Jah, I know.”

  Esther slipped her arm around Rachel’s shoulders. “I love you, little sister.”

  “I love you, too.”

  When Rachel woke up the following morning, she hurried to the window and lifted the shade. Everything in the yard was white, and the heavy swirling snowflakes kept her from seeing the barn.

  Rachel rushed from her room and scrambled down the stairs in her bare feet. “It looks like we got that blizzard you said was coming!” she hollered as she darted into the kitchen and found Mom scrambling some eggs.

  “Quiet down, Rachel.” Mom put a finger to her lips. “Grandpa’s still sleeping.”

  “Sorry.” Rachel peered out the kitchen window.

  “The snow is so deep I can’t even see the path leading from the house to the barn.”

  “I know,” said Mom. “Deacon Byler stopped by a few minutes ago and said they’ve decided to close the school until the weather improves.”

  Rachel jumped up and down; then she did a halfspin. “Yippee! That means I have the whole day to play in the snow!”

  Mom shook her head. “It’s much too cold to play outside.”

  “But what will I do all day?” Rachel hoped Mom didn’t give her more chores. She’d had enough of those.

  “Maybe after breakfast you and Jacob can play table games,” Mom suggested.

  “Let’s play checkers,” Jacob said as he stepped into the room.

  Rachel frowned. “I don’t like playing checkers.”

  “That’s because you always lose.” Rachel squinted at Jacob. “I do not.” Jacob folded his arms. “Okay then. Prove it, right after breakfast!”