Look Out, Lancaster County Page 28

  Maybe I won’t go outside for recess, Rachel decided. While others are playing in the snow, I’ll look through everyone’s desk for my valentines.

  After the children’s papers were collected, Elizabeth said it was time for recess.

  Everyone scurried to the back of the room to get their coats, gloves, and hats, but Rachel stayed at her desk.

  “Aren’t you going outside?” Mary asked, coming to stand beside Rachel.

  Rachel shook her head. “I’d rather stay in here, where it’s warm.”

  “Are you feeling all right? You’re not still feeling grank, are you?”

  “I’m not sick. I just want to stay inside.”

  Mary shrugged and rushed out the door.

  Rachel waited until Elizabeth and Sharon went outside; then she hurried to the first desk on the right side of the room and lifted the lid. There were several books, a shriveled apple, and two pencils, but no sign of her valentine cards.

  Rachel moved on. She found no valentines in the next desk, either. She went up the row, lifting lids and looking inside every desk. She was ready to move to the next row, when the door swung open.

  “Rachel, what are you doing?”

  Bam! Rachel slammed the lid on the desk and faced her teacher. “I—I was looking for my valentines.”

  “In someone else’s desk?”

  Rachel nodded. “When I didn’t find the valentines in my desk, I thought maybe someone had taken the valentines and hidden them.”

  Elizabeth shook her head. “I put your valentines in my desk.”

  “That’s good to hear,” Rachel said with a smile. “Can I please have them?”

  “Sorry, Rachel,” Elizabeth said, “but I won’t give them to you until school ends this afternoon.”

  Rachel’s smile turned to a frown. “How come?”

  “For one thing, there’s some candy in your sack of cards. I don’t want you to be tempted to eat any now and spoil your lunch.”

  Rachel smiled. She hadn’t even realized she might get candy with her valentines. “I won’t eat too many,” she said.

  Elizabeth shook her head. “You’ll have to wait until after school.”

  Rachel knew better than to argue. She didn’t want to stay after school or have to take another note home to Mom and Pap. “Guess I’ll go outside and play,” she said with a sigh.

  Elizabeth pointed to the clock. “We only have a few minutes left of recess—not enough time for you to go outside.” She started to walk away, but turned back around. “One more thing, Rachel … no more snooping in other people’s desks.”

  “I won’t, Teacher; I promise.”

  As Rachel and Jacob walked home from school, Rachel stopped every few feet, reached into her sack of valentines, and pulled out a piece of candy.

  “You’re gonna be too full for supper if you keep eating like that,” Jacob said.

  “No, I won’t.” Rachel popped a piece of taffy into her mouth. “Ouch! I bit my tongue!”

  “That’s what you get for trying to eat so much candy at once.” Jacob shook his finger at her. “Why don’t you slow down and quit being so ungeduldich?”

  “I’m not impatient.”

  “Jah, you are.”

  Rachel decided not to argue. It was more fun to eat her candy.

  By the time they reached home, most of Rachel’s candy was gone. “I don’t feel well,” she complained as they stepped onto the porch.

  “What’s wrong?” Jacob asked.

  She held her stomach and groaned. “I’ve got a bauchweh [stomachache].”

  The skin around Jacob’s blue eyes crinkled when he frowned at her. “After all that candy you ate, I’m not surprised that your stomach hurts.”

  “You don’t have to be mean.”

  “I’m not. I’m just stating facts.”

  Rachel was getting ready to respond, when—zip!—her cat raced past. Zip! Zip! Jacob’s dog was on the cat’s tail.

  “Buddy, stop!” Rachel shouted. “Leave my cat alone!”

  Whoof! Buddy lunged for Cuddles. Whish!—Cuddles scurried up the nearest tree.

  Buddy pawed at the trunk of the tree. Woof! Woof!

  “Get your dumm [dumb] dog!” Rachel shouted. She’d forgotten all about her stomachache. Her only concern was for Cuddles.

  “Buddy’s not dumb. He’s a very schmaert dog.” Jacob reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the whistle. “Maybe he’ll respond this time.” He blew on the whistle. “Come here, Buddy!”

  Buddy tipped his head back and howled. Aw-oo-oo!

  “Jah, Buddy’s schmaert all right—schmaert and dumm at the same time. He’s smart enough to chase my cat up a tree and too dumb to know what to do when you blow that whistle.” Rachel frowned. “If Cuddles gets stuck up there, it’ll be your fault, Jacob!”

  “She’s not going to get stuck.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because she’s a cat, and cats climb trees.”

  “I don’t see what that proves.”

  Jacob grunted. “If the cat went up the tree, she’ll come back down.”

  Rachel looked up. Cuddles sat on one of the highest branches. The poor thing looked so pathetic.

  Woof! Woof! Woof! Buddy continued to bark while he pawed at the tree.

  “Get down, Buddy! Go away!” Rachel scolded.

  “I’ll take him to the barn,” Jacob said. He grabbed Buddy’s collar and led him away.

  “Here, Cuddles. Come, kitty, kitty,” Rachel begged her frightened cat. “That mean old dog is gone now. It’s safe for you to come down.”

  Meow! Cuddles trembled.

  Rachel shivered. It was cold outside and she wanted to go into the house where it was toasty. She thought Cuddles needed to go inside, too. “Please, Cuddles, come to me.”

  Meow! Meow!

  “I know what I’ll do!” Rachel set her backpack and sack full of valentines on the porch. Then she hurried to the barn.

  “Did your cat come out of the tree?” Jacob asked as he closed the door to the stall where he kept Buddy.

  She shook her head. “Not yet. I came in here to get Cuddles’s food dish.”

  “Why?”

  “To coax her down.”

  Jacob frowned. “If you leave her alone, she’ll come down on her own.”

  “What if she doesn’t?”

  “She will.”

  “But she may not, so I’m going to help her.” Rachel picked up Cuddles’s dish and started for the barn door.

  “Why do you have to be so impatient?” Jacob called. “You can’t control every situation, you know!”

  Rachel ignored Jacob and kept walking. When she came to the tree where Buddy had chased Cuddles, she looked up. The cat still sat there, looking more frightened than before.

  “This is my worst day ever,” Rachel mumbled.

  “You say that every day,” Jacob said, joining her in front of the tree.

  “Do not.”

  “Do so.”

  Rachel didn’t feel like arguing. She had more important things on her mind. “Maybe I should climb the tree and bring Cuddles down,” she said.

  Jacob shook his head. “Don’t be silly. That tree is too high for you to climb, and it could be dangerous.”

  “I’m not afraid.”

  “You should be.”

  Mom came out of the house. “I thought I heard voices.” She looked at Rachel. “What’s going on?”

  “Jacob’s dog chased my cat up the tree.” Rachel pointed upwards. “Now Cuddles can’t get down.”

  “She can get down,” Jacob said.

  “No, she can’t.”

  “Can, too.”

  “I’m sure Cuddles will come down when she’s ready.” Mom stepped off the porch and touched Rachel’s shoulder. “Why don’t you and Jacob come inside and have hot chocolate and cookies?”

  “That sounds good,” Jacob quickly replied.

  “What about you, Rachel?” Mom asked. “Are you hungry for peanut bu
tter cookies?”

  “Rachel’s not hungry for anything,” Jacob said. “She’s got a bauchweh from eating too much candy.”

  Rachel squinted at Jacob. “Blappermaul [blabbermouth].”

  “Where did you get candy, Rachel?” Mom questioned.

  “From school. It was in the sack with my valentines Jacob kept forgetting to bring home.”

  “She got so impatient that she ate all the candy on the walk home,” Jacob said.

  “I didn’t eat it all.” Rachel pointed to the sack on the porch. “I still have a few pieces left.”

  Mom clucked her tongue. “You know better than to eat too much candy, Rachel.”

  “I tried not to, Mom, but it tasted so good.”

  “If you’ve got a bauchweh, then you don’t need any cookies,” Mom said. “But you should get inside out of this cold.”

  “I’ll be there in a few minutes.” Rachel lifted the bowl of cat food and pointed to the tree. “I’m hoping Cuddles will get hungry. I want to see if she’ll come down when she sees this food.”

  Mom nodded. “All right, but don’t stay out here too long.”

  Jacob nudged Rachel with his elbow. “Only a little bensel would stand out here in the cold, staring at a cat in a tree.” He snickered and followed Mom into the house.

  Rachel ground her teeth together. A lot Jacob knows. He can’t even train his dog. I’ll show him I’m not a silly child!

  Rachel set the cat food on the ground and rushed back to the barn. From behind Buddy’s stall she heard, Arf! Arf!

  Rachel held her hands over her ears. “Be quiet, Buddy!” She was glad the door to the stall was closed. The last thing she needed was Buddy jumping on her.

  Buddy kept barking and scratched the stall door.

  “You’re not coming out,” Rachel shouted as she spotted the small stepladder.

  With a joyous bark, Buddy leaped over the stall door and bounded up to Rachel. “Bad dog! I hope Pap builds a doghouse and pen for you soon.” She grunted. “Better yet, I hope Jacob decides to find you another home!”

  Buddy wriggled and wagged his tail. Apparently he didn’t realize she was irritated with him.

  Rachel grabbed Buddy’s collar and led him back to the stall. “Stay in here!” She slammed the door. Then she left the barn, dragging the ladder behind her.

  When Rachel reached the tree, she positioned the ladder below one of the branches and put her foot on the first rung. One … two … three steps … she began to climb the ladder. When she reached the top rung, she stepped onto the branch. “I’m coming, Cuddles!”

  Chapter 12

  Self-Control

  The wind whistled through the tree as Rachel stepped from one branch to the other, until she was right under Cuddles. She reached out her hand. “Here, Cuddles. Come, kitty, kitty.”

  “Rachel Yoder, what do you think you’re doing?”

  Rachel jumped at the sound of Pap’s deep voice.

  Meow! Rachel’s cat shrieked and leaped from the tree.

  “Cuddles!” Quickly, Rachel started back down the tree. As she took her first step, her dress snagged on a branch. She reached down to pull it loose, but lost her footing.

  Rachel wobbled back and forth and grabbed the branch overhead, her heart pounding so hard she could hear it roar in her ears. Her fingers were cold and stiff, and it was hard to hold the branch. Suddenly, her hand slipped and her knees buckled. “Heeelp!” Rachel tumbled toward the ground.

  Oomph! Rachel’s arm smacked into the wooden ladder. Her lungs felt like all the air had been squeezed out as she dropped into a mound of snow.

  Pap rushed to Rachel’s side and knelt beside her. “Rachel, are you hurt?”

  When Rachel tried to stand a searing pain shot through her right arm. “My arm—it hurts so much!”

  “Let’s get inside where it’s warm.” Pap scooped Rachel into his arms and started up the porch steps.

  “What about Cuddles?” Rachel’s eyes had teared up so much she couldn’t see a thing. “Is—is Cuddles hurt?”

  “Your cat’s fine,” Pap said. “When she fell from the tree, she landed on her feet. Then she took off for the barn.”

  Mom greeted them at the door. “What happened to Rachel?”

  “She fell from the maple tree. I think she may have broken her arm,” Pap said as he placed Rachel on the living room sofa.

  Mom gasped. “What were you doing in the tree, Rachel?”

  “I—I was trying to get Cuddles, but then she jumped, and—” Rachel’s voice broke on a sob.

  When Pap examined Rachel’s arm, she tried not to cry. It wasn’t easy to be brave when she hurt so badly.

  “It’s starting to swell, and I’m pretty sure Rachel’s arm is broken,” Pap said, looking up at Mom. “We’ll need to call one of our English neighbors for a ride to the hospital.”

  Mom nodded.

  “I don’t want to go to the hospital!” Rachel wailed. She didn’t care about being brave anymore. She was worried about what they might do to her at the hospital.

  Mom put her hand on Rachel’s shoulder. “Calm down, daughter. If your arm is broken, you’ll need to have it set and put in a cast.”

  Grandpa stepped into the room, followed by Jacob and Henry. They all crowded around the sofa and stared at Rachel.

  “What happened?” Henry asked.

  “She fell from the maple tree,” Pap explained.

  Jacob grunted. “I told you not to climb up there, Rachel.”

  Rachel cried harder. She felt bad enough; did Jacob have to make her feel worse?

  “Henry, run to the Johnsons’ and see if they can take us to the hospital,” Pap said. “Rachel will need her arm X-rayed to see if it’s broken.”

  “I—I don’t want to go,” Rachel cried.

  “It’ll be all right,” Mom quietly said. “The doctors and nurses will take care of you. Everything will be just fine.”

  Later that day, Rachel and her parents returned from the hospital. Rachel wore a pink cast on her arm, and Mom and Pap wore relief on their faces.

  “How’d things go at the hospital?” Jacob asked as he sat on the sofa beside Rachel.

  “Everything went fine, but I’ll have to wear my cast for six whole weeks,” she replied. “I also have to be careful not to get it wet.”

  Jacob patted Rachel’s left arm. “Six weeks isn’t so bad. The time will go quicker than you think.”

  “There are so many things I can’t do with only one arm—especially since I’m right-handed.” Rachel frowned. “If I had to break an arm, why couldn’t it have been the left one?”

  “There are still many things you can do.” Mom handed Rachel a pain pill the doctor had given her. “The more you use your left hand, the better you’ll get at it.”

  Rachel popped the pill in her mouth and gulped some water. Then she turned to Jacob and said, “If that mupsich [stupid] dog of yours hadn’t chased my cat up the tree, I wouldn’t have a broken arm.”

  Jacob grunted. “Buddy’s not stupid, and if you hadn’t climbed the tree, you wouldn’t have fallen. And if you hadn’t fallen, you wouldn’t have—”

  “Your brother’s right, Rachel,” Pap interrupted. “You should have waited for Cuddles to come down on her own.”

  Rachel sniffed. “I never seem to do anything right.”

  “That’s not true, Rachel,” Grandpa said as he sat in the rocking chair and propped his feet on a footstool near the fireplace. “You do lots of good things, but you need to learn to have more patience and self-control.”

  She nodded as tears filled her eyes.

  Mom handed Rachel a tissue. “Now dry your eyes and get ready for a surprise.”

  “Surprise?” Rachel loved surprises. “What’s the surprise, Mom?”

  Mom smiled and motioned to Pap. “Your daed’s decided to make homemade ice cream for dessert tonight.”

  Rachel’s eyebrows shot up. “Homemade ice cream in the middle of winter?”

  “Jah, su
re,” Pap said with a chuckle. “Cold, creamy, vanilla ice cream tastes wunderbaar any time of the year.”

  Rachel nodded. “I love homemade ice cream!”

  “And eating ice cream is something you can do with one arm,” Henry added as he entered the room from the kitchen.

  “While you and your mamm were in seeing the doctor, I called Esther and Rudy and told them what happened,” Pap said. “I also invited them to join us for ice cream tonight.”

  “I’m glad you did. It’s always nice to see Esther and Rudy,” Rachel said with a smile. “Will Grandma and Grandpa Yoder come over, too?”

  Pap shook his head. “Grandma came down with a bad cold yesterday, so she doesn’t feel like going anywhere.”

  “I’m sure they’ll come visit you as soon as Grandma feels better.” Mom motioned to the sofa. “Do you want to stretch out here and rest until supper? Or would you rather go to your room?”

  “If I stay here, can I have Cuddles with me?”

  Mom hesitated but nodded. “I’ll have Jacob bring her in.”

  Jacob frowned. “Why do I have to do it?”

  “Because Rachel’s not going out to the barn to look for the cat,” Pap said.

  “She might slip and fall on the ice,” Grandpa added. “You wouldn’t want that to happen, would you, Jacob?”

  “No, of course not.” Jacob started for the door, but turned back around. “Can I bring Buddy in the house, too?”

  “No!” everyone shouted.

  “Just thought I’d ask.” Jacob shrugged and hurried out the door.

  “I think Henry and I had better head outside, too,” Pap said. “We have some chores to do.” He smiled at Mom. “We’ll be back in plenty of time for supper.”

  Mom smiled. “Since we got home from the hospital so late, we’ll just have soup and sandwiches for supper.”

  When Pap and Henry headed outside, Grandpa left his rocking chair and picked up a paper sack that had been lying on the table near the sofa. “After you left for the hospital, I found this on the porch.” He placed the sack in Rachel’s lap. “I believe your valentine cards from school are inside.”

  Rachel peered into the sack and nodded. She’d forgotten about her valentine cards. “Can I have a piece of candy?” she asked.