Dear to Me (4 page)

 “That’s not true.” He reached under his straw hat to scratch the side of his head. “I just came from the kitchen, where I helped your mamm bake another pie. I don’t get to bake as often as I used to, what with having so many other things to do, so it was kind of nice to spend some time in the kitchen.”

 Melinda smiled. She wasn’t sure if Papa Noah had really enjoyed making the pie or if he was merely trying to make her feel better. “Mind if I ask you something?” she asked.

 “What’s that?”

 “What will happen if Grandpa Hertzler’s memory loss gets any worse? Will he have to move into our side of the house?”

 “Maybe so.”

 “I wish there was something we could do to make him feel better.”

 Papa Noah’s dark eyes clouded over. “We need to remember to pray for Grandpa and be there whenever he needs us.”

 “I agree.”

 “So, how’s that little kid doing?” he asked, motioning to the baby goat. “Is she getting along all right?”

 “I think so. I thought at first she might need me to bottle-feed her, but her mamm seems to be taking care of her now.”

 “Glad to hear it.”

 Melinda swatted at a bothersome fly. That was the only bad part about being in the barn—too many bugs that liked to buzz and bite. “Say, Papa Noah, I was wondering if—”

 “What’s that?”

 “Do you think you might have time to build a few more animal cages so I can take care of more orphaned animals?”

 “I’m not sure I’d have the time for that right now, but I’ll bet Gabe Swartz would.”

 “Should I ask him?”

 “Don’t see why not.” He winked at her. “After all, a fellow bitten by the love bug is sure to do most anything for his favorite girl.”

 Melinda’s mouth dropped open. “You know about Gabe and me?”

 “Of course. You can’t fool an old man like me. I’ve seen the way you two look at each other.”

 “You’re not old, Papa Noah.” Melinda placed her hand on his arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. “You don’t even have any gray hairs on your head.”

 He pulled his fingers through the end of his beard. “I’ve got some here, though.”

 She leaned closer for a better look. “Well, maybe just a few. But I still think you look plenty young.”

 He chuckled. “You sound just like your mamm.”

 “Is that a bad thing?”

 “Of course not. If you were to follow in your mamm’s footsteps all the way through life, it would be a good thing.”

 Melinda felt the heat of a blush cover her cheeks.
If Papa Noah knew what Dr. Franklin had suggested I do, he might wonder if I was preparing to follow in the footsteps Mama took when she left the Amish faith many years ago. He’d probably think Dr. Franklin was a bad influence, and he might insist that I quit my job.

Chapter 3

M
elinda hurried through her kitchen chores, eager to get outside. She planned to check on the baby goat and its mother, see that Isaiah’s dog was secured for the day, and make sure all the chickens were doing okay. After yesterday’s close call with Hector, she didn’t want to see a repeat performance, and she was sure her mother didn’t, either. Mama hadn’t been happy about the loss of that pie.

 “I’m going over to Grandma Stutzman’s to help her clean,” Mama said as Melinda passed her in the downstairs hallway. “Your daed, Grandpa Hertzler, and Isaiah loaded the pies into the buggy and will drop them over there before they head to Ben and Mary King’s place to pick up the benches for tomorrow’s church service.”

 “I’m glad Grandpa’s going with Papa Noah, because I’ll be heading for work soon, and it wouldn’t be good for him to be left home alone.”

 Mama popped a couple of her knuckles, a habit she’d had ever since Melinda could remember. “I thought it was just Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays you helped out at the veterinary clinic.”

 “It was, but Dr. Franklin thought I could learn some new things if I spent more time there, so I may be working some Fridays and Saturdays, too.”

 Mama sighed. “Learn more of what, Melinda? I thought you were only hired to clean the cages and feed the animals.”

 “I—I was, but sometimes the doctor lets me do certain things—like give a dog its flea bath or hold on to a nervous cat while it’s being examined.” Melinda shrugged. “He says the
gedier
are calmer when I’m there.”

 “You do have a way with animals. Even unruly ones like Hector.”

 Melinda was on the verge of defending the poor rooster and reminding her mother that the incident yesterday was Jericho’s fault, but Mama grabbed her black purse off a wall peg and headed out the door. “See you this evening. Have a
gut
day.”

 “You have a good day, too.”

 Melinda stood in the doorway, watching her mother head down the driveway on foot. Since Grandpa and Grandma Stutzman lived less than a mile away, Mama often chose to walk there instead of bothering with a horse and buggy.

 Melinda smiled at the way her mother held her head high, with shoulders straight back and arms swinging in perfect rhythm with the strides of her long legs. Soon Mama began to yodel. “Oh-lee-ay-tee—oh-lee-ay-tee—oh-lee-ay-tee-oh!”

 Melinda cupped her hands around her mouth and echoed, “Oh-lee-ay-tee—oh-lee-ay-tee—oh-lee-ay-tee-oh.”

 Mama lifted her hand in a backward wave, and Melinda shut the door. She needed to get busy and clean her room before she left for the clinic. If there was enough time, she would check on the animals in the barn.

 For the next half hour, Melinda dusted, shook her oval braided throw rug, pulled the colorful crazy quilt up over the four-poster bed, and swept the hardwood floor. Just as she was finishing up, she noticed her writing tablet on the dresser, and it reminded her that she’d forgotten about the note she was supposed to leave Gabe inside the old birdhouse near the front of her folks’ property. She grabbed a pen from the drawer and hurriedly scrawled a message.

Dear Gabe,

I got your last letter, and I do plan on going to the young people’s gathering tomorrow night. I’m looking forward to a ride home in your buggy.

I’ve enclosed a picture I drew of the baby raccoon Ben King found in the woods behind his place the other day. He said the critter’s mother was killed, so the poor thing needs a home. I told him I would keep her, since the coon seems to have a problem with her eyes and probably wouldn’t survive on her own. I’ve named her Reba, and I can’t wait for you to see her.

I look forward to seeing you at church on Sunday morning. After the common meal, maybe we can play a game of croquet with some of our friends. Until tomorrow…

Yours fawnly,

Melinda

 Melinda slipped the note, along with the picture of the orphaned raccoon, into an envelope and hurried out of her room. She made a quick trip to the barn and was pleased to discover that the baby goat was sleeping peacefully beside its mother. The kid’s bulging tummy let a relieved Melinda know it had recently eaten. Too many times she had bottle-fed some animal because it was orphaned or its mother wouldn’t take care of it. Not that she minded playing nursemaid, but it was better for the animal if its mother fed it.

 “Sleep well, and I’ll check on you both when I get home from work this evening,” she murmured as she stroked the mother goat behind its ear.

 Melinda left the goats and led Jenny, her favorite buggy horse, out of the barn then hitched her to one of their open buggies. Sometimes she wished they could drive the box-shaped, closed-in buggies most other Amish communities used, but when she and Mama first moved to Webster County, Mama had explained that the community she belonged to was more conservative than most. One of the things they did that separated them from other Amish was to drive only open buggies.

 “These buggies aren’t so bad in warmer weather,” Melinda murmured, “but in the wintertime, it can sure get cold.” She gave Jenny a quick pat, climbed into the driver’s seat, and picked up the reins.

 At the end of the driveway, Melinda saw the familiar gray birdhouse and halted the horse. “Just a few more minutes, Jenny, and then we’ll be on our way.”

 Melinda hopped down and lifted the removable roof from the birdhouse. She was pleased to see that no birds had claimed it as their new home. She and Gabe had been sending each other messages this way since they’d started courting, and so far, the birds seemed to know it was off-limits.

 She slipped the note inside and replaced the roof. “I just hope Gabe comes by before tomorrow and picks it up.”

 Melinda was about to walk away when she caught sight of a small bird in some tall grass, chirping and furiously flapping its wings. She bent for a closer look and realized it was a fledgling blackbird that apparently couldn’t fly well yet.

 “I can’t leave you here. Some big cat or hawk might come along and make you its meal.” Gently Melinda picked up the tiny bird and set him on a low branch of a nearby tree. “There you go; be safe.” She smiled, content with the knowledge that she’d helped another one of God’s creatures, and hurried away.

Gabe shielded his eyes from the glare of the sun and pulled his buggy to the side of the road by the Hertzlers’ driveway.
I sure hope there’s a note from Melinda today.

 He hopped down and lifted the lid of the weathered birdhouse. To his surprise, a few blades of grass and a piece of string lay on top of an envelope. “Some bird must have decided to make a nest here,” Gabe muttered. He reached inside, pulled out the grass and string, and tossed them on the ground. “That ought to discourage those silly birds from claiming this as their new home.”

 Unexpectedly, a sparrow swooped down, just missing Gabe’s head. He ducked. “Hey, cut that out! This is Melinda’s and my message box. Go find someplace else to build your nest.”

 Gabe stuck his hand inside the birdhouse and retrieved Melinda’s note. As soon as he had replaced the lid, he bent down, grabbed a small rock, and plugged the opening in the front. “That should keep you birds out of there.”

 As Gabe climbed into his buggy, he decided that, in all fairness to the birds, it wasn’t right to shoo them out of a birdhouse that was built for them. He would add a separate compartment to the birdhouse he was making for Noah to give Melinda on her birthday. Then even if the birds decided to make it their home, he and Melinda would still have their secret place to hide messages—one without a hole in the front.

 Gabe headed down Highway C toward Seymour, letting the horse lead while he read Melinda’s note. He was pleased to discover that she planned to be at the young people’s gathering on Sunday night and was looking forward to him taking her home afterward.

 “I like a woman who knows what she wants,” he said with a chuckle. “Especially if it’s me she’s wanting.” Melinda’s eagerness to be with Gabe made him believe she might say yes if he were to propose marriage. He just needed to find the right time and the courage to do it.

 He studied the pencil drawing Melinda had made of the baby raccoon. It certainly looked like a coon, but he was concerned about her making a pet out of a wild animal. What if the critter bit or scratched her real bad? She could end up with rabies or something!

 “That woman doesn’t think straight when it comes to the animals she takes in,” he mumbled. “She would cozy up to a bull snake if she thought it needed a friend. I think I’d better have a talk with Melinda and let her know I’m concerned.”

When Susie stepped into the kitchen, she was surprised to see Faith sitting at the table having a cup of tea with their mother. “Wie geht’s, Faith?” Susie asked. “I didn’t know you were here.”

 Faith smiled. “I’m doing fine. I came over to help Mama clean house today.”

 “I appreciate it, too,” Mama said with a nod. She took a sip from her cup. “Of course, we’re not getting much done sitting here drinking tea.”

 “Well, you deserve a little break,” Susie said as she grabbed her lunch pail off the counter and flipped it open so she could begin making her lunch. “I’d help with the cleaning if I didn’t have to work at Kaulp’s General Store today.”