The Gift Read online

  After putting away her massage lotion and washing up, Leah went upstairs. She found Mom in the kitchen, peeling potatoes at the sink. “It’s only four o’clock,” Leah said, glancing at the clock on the far wall.

  “Are you starting supper already?”

  “Just thought I’d get the potatoes peeled and cut; then I’ll put them in a kettle with cold water till it’s time to start cooking.” Mom smiled at Leah. “How’d it go with Margaret? She looked quite relaxed when she came upstairs.”

  “She said her back felt better after I worked on her feet, so with less pain to deal with, I’m sure that’s why she was relaxed.” Leah took a pitcher of iced tea from the refrigerator and opened the cupboard where the glasses were kept. “Would you like some iced tea, Mom?”

  “Maybe later,” Mom replied. “Right now I just want to finish this.”

  “I was going outside to read awhile,” Leah said, “but if you need my help with supper, it can wait.”

  Mom shook her head. “You go ahead. I can manage. Besides, there aren’t many potatoes left to peel.”

  “Okay then, call me if you need anything.” Leah poured herself some tea and put the container back in the refrigerator. Taking her book from the drawer where she’d put it the other day, she went out the back door.

  Leah had just seated herself on the porch when a hummingbird zoomed in. At first it hovered above the book she held. Then it flew right over her head and found its way to the nearest feeder hanging from one of the shepherd’s hooks near the house.

  Glancing down at the book, Leah realized that the hummingbird had probably been attracted to the red in the cover. She grinned, watching the tiny bird at the feeder dip its beak in and out to get the sweet nectar. Leah never tired of watching the hummers and wished they could stay all year. Since that wasn’t possible, she would enjoy them for the few months they were in the area. And next month, when Alissa came to band the birds, Leah would make sure she was available not only to watch the procedure but also to offer Alissa assistance if needed.

  Pulling her gaze from the hummingbird, Leah set her drink on the table and opened the book. She’d only read a few pages when Priscilla rode up on her bike. Leah figured she was probably here for the foot treatment they had talked about working in.

  So much for getting any reading done, Leah thought. But then, she quickly corrected herself. Priscilla had complained of back pain, and if Leah could help, she would gladly set aside her free time to accommodate a friend.

  Sparky ran out to greet Priscilla, although he didn’t bark.

  “Hey, pup. How are you doing?” Priscilla bent down and scratched behind the dog’s ears.

  “Mom and I did some more weeding after lunch, and now my back hurts even worse than it did before,” she said, joining Leah on the porch. “Would you have time to give me a treatment?”

  Leah bobbed her head. “Of course; I told you I would.”

  “Jah, but I don’t want to take you away from your book. It looks like you’ve been enjoying having some time to relax.”

  “It’s fine, really.” Leah set the book aside. “Where’s your mamm? When you mentioned earlier that she was also sore from weeding, I figured she’d want a treatment, too.”

  “That’s what I thought, but Mom said that she had some other things she wanted to get done today. If she’s still hurting tomorrow, I’m sure she’ll make an appointment to come see you.”

  “Okay, let’s go down to the basement.”

  After Leah finished working on Priscilla’s feet, she asked her to sit in the straight-backed chair so she could massage her neck and relieve some tension. “Oh my, you have some knots in there, too.”

  “After all that yard work, I’m not surprised, but I’m feeling better already.”

  Leah smiled. She didn’t always get immediate results with those who came to her for help, but when she did, it gave her a sense of satisfaction. But the ability to help others was her gift, and she reminded herself once more that it came from God.

  “When we were outside, I couldn’t help noticing all the hummingbirds in your yard. They seemed to be flitting around everywhere. Some even went to the bee balm flowers you have near the porch,” Priscilla commented.

  “They do love that bee balm.” Leah laughed. “But I think the main reason we have so many hummers is because of all the feeders we have out. It’s a lot of fun to watch them chirping at one another as they zoom in and out all day. You should hear all the commotion they make.”

  “Makes me wish we had some feeders in our yard,” Priscilla said. “Is it too late in the season to hang them out?”

  “I don’t think so, but the peak of the season for hummers in our area is just a month away, so if you’re going to try luring them into your yard, I’d suggest you get some feeders hung out soon. When I was talking to my neighbor the other day, she explained how the hummingbirds start migrating down here around mid-July, and that’s why it gets extra busy at the feeders. With our local hummers sticking around, as well as the migrating ones from up north, it’s like watching a swarm of bees.”

  “Think I’m gonna get a feeder or two right away.”

  As Leah started massaging the other side of Priscilla’s neck, Priscilla screamed and jumped onto the seat of her chair.

  “What’s wrong, Priscilla? Was I massaging your neck too hard?”

  “No, it wasn’t that.” Priscilla pointed. “Look, there’s a maus! It’s nibbling on the laces of my sneaker!”

  Leah grabbed a broom and chased after the mouse. It zipped across the room and disappeared behind a stack of boxes.

  “You can come down now. The maus is gone.” Leah extended her hand to Priscilla.

  Priscilla looked a bit hesitant but finally stepped down. Quickly grabbing up her shoes, she took a seat in the chair and slipped them on her feet.

  “I wonder why that little mouse was so interested in your shoelace.” Leah snickered. “It’s certainly not covered in peanut butter or cheese.”

  Priscilla’s fingers touched her parted lips. “No, but I spilled some chicken soup during lunch, and a little of it ended up on my shoes. Guess I didn’t get it all cleaned off.”

  Leah looked at Priscilla’s shoes and giggled. Priscilla did the same. Soon, Leah was laughing so hard she had to sit down. It felt good to find some humor in such a small thing. With all the horrible things that went on in the world, a little bit of laughter was good medicine.

  When Adam secured his horse to the hitching rack outside his house that afternoon, he was surprised to see the black Lab that had come into his store, prancing up the driveway. “Oh no,” he moaned. “Not you again! What’d you do, boy, follow me home?”

  Woof! Woof! The dog raced up to Adam and pawed at the leg of his pants.

  “I can’t believe this. Why me, of all people? I don’t even like dogs that well.” Adam clapped his hands and pointed toward the road. “Go home, boy! Go back to where you belong!”

  After Adam brushed his horse down, he went into the kitchen so he could get his Thermos and lunch pail ready for the next day. Cleaning the Thermos, Adam watched out the window and rolled his eyes. The dog had made himself comfortable lying near the wheel of Adam’s buggy.

  “That crazy mutt has a mind of his own,” Adam muttered. “Maybe if I stay inside awhile longer, he’ll leave.” Adam took a few celery stalks from the refrigerator and snipped off the ends. After rinsing the pieces, he got the peanut butter and spread it on the celery. He munched on one and wrapped the others to put in his lunch pail for the following day. After placing the rest of the celery back in the fridge, he paused a minute, making sure he had enough bread, lunch meat, and cheese to make a sandwich in the morning to take to work. Satisfied that there was plenty, he shut the refrigerator door. He looked out the window but didn’t see the dog.

  “Oh, good.” Adam grabbed the peanut butter and went to the pantry. After putting the jar away, he took out a pack of crackers and a few cookies to add to his lunch box. Now
all he’d have to do in the morning before heading to work was make a sandwich.

  “Guess it’s safe to go back outside.” Grabbing his hat, Adam went out the door but halted when he approached the barn and saw the mutt lying there, looking up at him.

  “Are you still here?”

  The dog wagged his tail but didn’t budge.

  Adam wondered if the critter might be lost or abandoned. He’d heard of people driving to an area outside their neighborhood and dropping off their unwanted pet. Even though Adam didn’t care much for dogs, he thought it was terrible if someone had deserted the Lab.

  Flash nickered when Adam drew near and ran a hand down the horse’s neck. “What do you think of that pesky dog?”

  Flash snorted and shook his head.

  “I feel the same way.” Adam chuckled as he unhooked the horse, leading him past the dog and into the barn.

  Before leaving for work, Adam had raked out the stall and put fresh bedding inside for his horse. At least that was one chore he wouldn’t have to do this evening. Adam led Flash into the stall and started brushing him down. When that was done, he gave the horse fresh water and put oats in the feeding bin. While Flash ate, Adam ran a curry comb through the horse’s mane. Taking care of Flash was relaxing, especially after the way today had turned out.

  When Adam finished combing Flash’s mane, he noticed that his shoulders actually felt somewhat better. He put the brush and comb away then came back to scratch Flash’s ears. “You’re good therapy for me, you know that Flash? Who needs reflexology anyways?”

  Flash nuzzled his nose into Adam’s hand and nickered softly.

  Adam brushed off some wet oats from his horse’s mouth that had stuck to his hands. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw that the dog was still there, watching from the barn’s entrance. Closing the door to the stall, he hung the horse’s bridle, along with the blinders, on the hook next to the stall door.

  Suddenly, Flash started snorting and blowing air through his nostrils. Because he knew his horse so well, Adam was sure something was wrong. He looked around but didn’t see anything unusual. Then he noticed that Flash appeared to be looking toward the back corner of the barn. Adam moved cautiously in that direction. Backed into the corner was a portly groundhog, baring his teeth and snarling. The groundhog ran past Adam’s feet, toward the open barn door.

  Adam ran outside in time to see the barking Lab disappear as he chased the varmint behind the barn. “Good, let him take care of the groundhog.” Adam closed the barn door. “I don’t need any more hassles today.”

  Just as he reached the porch steps, Adam heard a distressed-sounding yip! Groundhogs had large front teeth and could probably deliver a nasty bite. Without thinking twice, he ran to the back of the barn, but all was quiet, and neither the dog nor the groundhog was anywhere to be seen. Looking closer, Adam noticed a chewed-out hole that went through the wall of the barn. In the dirt in front of the hole was a spot of blood. Adam scanned the area again but saw no sign of the dog or groundhog. Taking off his hat, he ran his fingers through his hair. Did that groundhog bite him? Or did the Lab bite the groundhog? Either way, he’d have to get rid of the pest, because he couldn’t have a groundhog getting into the barn again, alarming, or even biting his horse.

  He hoped the mutt was okay and would find his family, because that dog would never have a home with Adam.

  CHAPTER 10

  Entering the kitchen, Adam paused to yawn and stretch his arms over his head. Then he rolled his head from side to side, hoping to get the kinks out. For some reason, he’d had a hard time sleeping last night, and now he had a stiff neck. Probably from all that went on yesterday, he decided. Well, today is bound to be better.

  Before leaving for work, Adam fixed himself a cup of coffee, ate a banana, and then headed outside to the phone shack to check for messages, which he’d neglected to do last night. Opening the back door and stepping onto the porch, he nearly tripped over something. Looking down, he realized that the determined mutt was lying on his porch.

  Disgusted, he stepped around the dog and sprinted down the driveway. Maybe if I ignore the critter he’ll go away. Guess that’s wishful thinking, ’cause it hasn’t worked yet.

  Inside the phone shack Adam took a seat and checked his messages. The first one was from his neighbor, Clarence Lambright, saying they had some extra eggs and asking if Adam wanted a dozen. Adam dialed Clarence’s number and left a message, thanking him for the offer and letting him know that he would pick up the eggs on his way home from work.

  The next message was from Adam’s sister telling him that she and her family planned to hire a driver next week and come to Arthur to celebrate Adam’s birthday. As much as Adam looked forward to their visit, he didn’t really care about celebrating his birthday. Turning thirty was no big deal. Adam wouldn’t discourage her from coming, though. He hadn’t seen Mary, Amos, and their girls since Christmas, and it would be good to see them again.

  After returning Mary’s call and leaving a message saying he looked forward to their visit, Adam stepped out of the phone shack.

  Woof! Woof! The Lab looked up at Adam with sorrowful brown eyes.

  Adam gritted his teeth. He couldn’t believe the mutt had followed him here. Didn’t this dog ever give up?

  Adam headed back to the house, and as he opened the door, the dog leaped forward. Adam grabbed the Lab’s collar to pull him back, stepped inside, and quickly shut the door. The persistent animal remained on the porch and whined. Adam remembered the dog’s encounter with the groundhog and figured he’d better check to see if he had been bitten.

  “The critter’s probably hungry and thirsty, too,” Adam mumbled under his breath. “Guess it wouldn’t hurt if I gave him a little something to eat and drink.”

  Adam found a plastic bowl and filled it with water. Then he went to the refrigerator and grabbed a couple leftover hot dogs. While the dog ate hungrily and lapped up the water, Adam checked for wounds. Seeing none, he figured the Lab must have been the victor or at least chased the groundhog off.

  Adam patted the dog’s matted coat. “What you need is a good bath and thorough combing.” He thumped the side of his head. I must be getting soft in the noggin. If I do all that, I’ll never get rid of the mutt.

  “I’m heading to Elaine’s now,” Leah called to her mother after she’d finished drying the breakfast dishes.

  Mom had been gathering up the living-room throw rugs to shake outside, and she poked her head into the kitchen. “Oh, that’s right. I had forgotten you were going over there to help her clean. Will you be back in time for lunch, or will you stay and eat with Elaine?”

  “I’ll stay there. Priscilla is coming over around noon to eat lunch with us. We three haven’t gotten together in a while, and it’ll give us a chance to catch up with one another’s lives.”

  “Well, have a good time, and don’t work too hard.”

  “Same goes for you, Mom. I know you said during breakfast that your back feels better, but try not to overdo it.”

  Mom smiled. “I’m not going to do any heavy cleaning—just touch things up a bit.”

  “I’d stay and help if I hadn’t already promised Elaine.”

  Mom waved her hand. “That’s okay. Go and enjoy your day.”

  Leah took her black outer bonnet down from the wall peg and put it on over her white head covering. “See you later, Mom.”

  As Leah headed down the road on her bike, she passed Adam’s house and noticed a black Lab sitting at the end of his driveway.

  I wonder where that dog came from. As far as Leah knew, Adam didn’t have a dog. Well, it’s none of my business, she told herself. If it’s a stray or one of his neighbor’s dogs, it probably wandered onto his property looking for food, or maybe it was chasing a cat or some other critter.

  Thinking about Adam, Leah reflected on how he’d fixed her bicycle chain. She’d definitely seen a kinder side of him yesterday. Maybe they could set their differences aside and be friends. Of
course, Adam might not be interested in being Leah’s friend. He seemed content to be by himself when he wasn’t working in his store, so she wouldn’t pursue a friendship with him. If Adam wanted to be Leah’s friend, he’d have to do the pursuing.

  When Adam arrived at his store a few minutes later than usual, he was glad to see Ben already waiting on a customer, Leah’s father. There was no sign of his other employee, so Adam figured Henry’s shoulder was still giving him problems. He probably wouldn’t be in again today, but hopefully by Monday, Henry would be back to work.

  Adam stepped up to the counter. “Guder mariye, Ben. Same to you, Alton.”

  Ben nodded, but Alton barely squeaked out a “good morning” in response. Wrinkling his nose, he turned from the counter. “Guess I’ll go look again for that blade I need,” he called over his shoulder.

  “Whew… what’s that spicy smell?” Ben asked, leaning away from Adam.

  Adam’s face flushed. “Well, I did use some new aftershave lotion this morning. Guess that could be what you smell.”

  “What’d ya do, take a bath in it?” Ben plugged his nose.

  “Course not.” Adam grunted. “Thanks to the time I took to take care of the mutt that followed me home yesterday, I was in a hurry this morning. Guess I must’ve put on a little too much balm after I shaved.”

  “What mutt was that?” Ben asked.

  “The black Lab that was hanging around here yesterday. The critter followed me home, and I couldn’t get rid of him.” Adam turned toward the back room. “I’ll fill you in later. Right now I need to go to the washroom and try to get some of this lotion off my face so I don’t chase away all our customers today. After that, I’ll be in my office, going over some paperwork. If you need me, just give a holler.”

  “No problem. It doesn’t look like Henry will be working again today, but I’m sure I can manage on my own unless it gets really busy.”

  Adam nodded, thankful once again that he’d hired Ben.

  A bit later, as Adam was heading toward his office, a teenage boy wearing a baseball cap stepped up to him. It was the shoplifter.