Growing Up in Lancaster County (14 page)

Please, God
, she prayed through her sniffling sobs.
Please bring Cuddles home to me
.

That evening as Rachel set the table for supper, she kept thinking about her cat. The other day she’d decided to be more cheerful, but now she just wanted to cry.

Rachel had just placed the last dish on the table when Jacob entered the house with a gloomy look.

“What’s wrong?” Mom asked. “You look upset.”

Jacob nodded. “I am upset. I let Buddy wander around the yard while I went to the barn to get his food, but when I came back, he was gone.” He slowly shook his head. “I called and called, but Buddy didn’t come. I even tried blowing the silent whistle I bought to train him, but that didn’t work either.” His chin quivered as if he was on the verge of tears. “Now my dog and Rachel’s cat are both missing.”

“I hope Buddy didn’t go out on the road,” Mom said. “With all the cars going by this time of night, he might have—” Her voice trailed off as she looked out the window. “Well, well…what do you know?”

“What is it?” Rachel asked.

Mom motioned to the window. “You’d better come see this, too, Jacob.”

Rachel and Jacob scurried over to the window.

“It’s Buddy!” Jacob hollered. “He’s carrying Cuddles by the scruff of her neck!”

Rachel dashed out the door. “Cuddles! Are you okay?”

Buddy ambled up the steps and set Cuddles on the porch.

Cuddles looked up at Rachel.
Meow!

Rachel scooped the cat into her arms. This had sure been a day of surprises! “Oh Cuddles,” she said, nuzzling the cat’s head with her nose, “I’m so glad to see you!”

Woof! Woof! Woof! Buddy looked up at Rachel as if to say, Aren’t you happy to see me, too?

Rachel patted Buddy’s head. “I don’t know where you found Cuddles, but thank you for rescuing her.”

Woof! Woof!
Buddy wagged his tail and licked Rachel’s hand.

This time Rachel didn’t mind being slurped by Jacob’s hairy mutt. She gave Buddy’s head another pat. “Good dog!”

Jacob and Mom came out on the porch, and Jacob dropped to his knees. He wrapped his arms around Buddy’s neck.
Slurp! Slurp! Slurp!
Buddy licked Jacob’s nose, his chin, his cheeks, and even his ears.

“Knock it off, Buddy,” Jacob said with a grunt. “That’s way too many kisses.”

Rachel giggled. At least she wasn’t the only one getting Buddy’s wet, sloppy kisses.

“I wonder where Buddy found Cuddles,” Mom said, reaching out to pet the cat.

Rachel shrugged. “I don’t know, and I don’t care. I’m just glad she’s safe and home where she belongs.”

Jacob stood and faced Rachel. “This is the second time my dog has rescued your cat, you know.”

Rachel nodded. “Buddy and Cuddles have been friends ever since the day Cuddles fell in the creek and Buddy jumped in after her.”

Buddy flopped onto the porch with a grunt. Cuddles leaped from Rachel’s arms and curled in front of Buddy. She stuck out her little pink tongue and—
Slurp! Slurp!
—licked the end of Buddy’s nose. Then she licked his ears, his head, and even his paws.
Slurp! Slurp! Slurp!
She kept on licking.

“Ha! Ha! Ha!” Rachel laughed and laughed. When she finally quit laughing, she looked up at Mom and smiled. “Esther was right when she said it’s important to have a happy heart. Right after supper, I’m going to paint a happy face on one of my rocks to remind me that even when things don’t go my way, I should smile and put on a happy face.”

Recipe for Grandma Yoder’s
Maple Syrup Cookies

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon milk

1 egg

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening

1 cup maple syrup

3 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 (8 ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°. In a small cup, dissolve baking soda in milk and set aside. Cream egg, shortening, and syrup. Add flour, baking powder, salt, vanilla, and baking soda mixture; blend well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoons onto greased cookie sheet and bake 12–15 minutes.

B
ang! Bang! Bang!

Rachel Yoder stepped onto the back porch and shielded her eyes from the glare of the morning sun. She was excited to see Grandpa Schrock’s new greenhouse going up on the front of Pap’s property. More than a dozen men from their Amish community had come to help.

Pap, Henry, and other men kept busy pounding nails into the wood framing, while Rudy and another group of men sawed the lumber. Rachel’s brother Jacob and several other boys carried lumber and other supplies to the men. Grandpa helped wherever he could and supervised everything.

“I wish I could help build Grandpa’s greenhouse,” Rachel said when Mom stepped onto the porch with a jug of water and a stack of paper cups. “It looks like the men are having so much fun.”

Mom nodded, and her glasses slipped to the end of her nose. Rachel was glad her own blue plastic-framed glasses stayed in place. But that was probably because the bridge of her nose wasn’t as thin as Mom’s nose.

“I’m sure the men enjoy what they’re doing, but it’s a lot of hard work,” Mom said, pushing her glasses back in place. “That’s why we need to keep taking snacks and cold drinks to them.”

She handed Rachel the jug of water and paper cups. “Would you please take these out to the workers? They must be thirsty by now.”

Rachel groaned. “Do I have to carry water? I’d rather help build the greenhouse.”

“That’s just plain foolishness, Rachel. Hammering nails and sawing wood is men’s work.” Mom nudged Rachel’s arm. “Now hurry and take this water to the workers.”

Gripping the handle of the water jug in one hand, and holding the package of paper cups under her arm, Rachel stepped off the porch.

Her bare feet tingled as she trudged through the cool grass. When she reached the graveled driveway, she walked carefully so she wouldn’t step on any sharp rocks. Halfway there, she met Jacob.

“How are things going with Grandpa’s greenhouse?” she asked.

“Real well. I’ll bet we’ll have it up before the day’s out.” He motioned to the entrance of the building being framed with wood. The rest of the greenhouse would be built with plastic pipe and covered with heavy plastic.

Rachel sighed. “I wish I could help build the greenhouse. It’s not fair that you get to have all the fun.”

Jacob grunted and wiped a trickle of sweat running down his forehead.
“Jah
[Yes], right. Helping build the greenhouse is not all fun and games, sister. It’s hard work—men’s work!”

She snickered. “What would you know about men’s work? You’re not a man.”

Jacob puffed out his chest and lifted his chin. “I’ll be thirteen years old in a few months. Before long I’ll graduate from school and start helping Pap on the farm full-time—just two more years.”

“I’ll turn eleven before you turn thirteen,” Rachel said. “In case you’ve forgotten, my birthday’s only a few weeks away.”

Jacob shrugged. “You’re still two years younger than me. That means I’m a lot smarter than you are.”

“No, it doesn’t.”

“Jah, it does.”

Rachel shook her head. “Grandpa thinks I’m
schmaert
[smart]. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have said I could help him in the greenhouse after it’s built.”

Jacob snorted. “That doesn’t mean you’re schmaert. It just means you’ll be busy in the greenhouse. Maybe that will help you stay out of trouble for a change.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Trouble seems to follow wherever you go. Alway strouble somewhere. Isn’t that what you say?”

Rachel shrugged. “I guess that’s true, but I’m hoping I’ll have less trouble and more fun after Grandpa’s greenhouse is open for business.”

“We’ll see about that.” Jacob motioned to the lumber pile on the other side of the driveway. “I’d better get more wood for the men who are building.”

“Can I carry some wood?” Rachel asked.

Jacob shook his head. “If you want to help, stick with what you’re doing and see that everyone gets plenty of water.”

Rachel frowned. “What’s so helpful about hauling water?”

“It helps the thirsty men,” Jacob called as he sprinted up the driveway.

When Rachel arrived at the worksite, she set the water and paper cups on the piece of plywood being used as a table.

“I brought you some water,” Rachel said when she spotted Grandpa near the entrance of his greenhouse.

He smiled. “
Danki
[Thanks]. I could use a cool drink about now.”

“How’s everything going?” she asked after he’d helped himself to a cup of water.

“Real well. I think we should have my greenhouse finished by the end of the day.”

“Sure wish I could help build it,” Rachel said. “It would be a lot more fun than hauling water or helping Mom make sandwiches and lemonade.”

Grandpa raised his bushy gray eyebrows high. “Sorry, Rachel, but building the greenhouse is hard work—too hard for a young girl like you.” He patted Rachel’s back. “You’ll get to help me inside the greenhouse once it’s open for business.”

“How soon will that be?” she asked.

“Probably in a week or two. I need time to get everything set up.”

“Will it be open before Mom has her
boppli
[baby]?”

“Probably so,” he said with a nod. “Unless the baby decides to appear early.”

Rachel thrust out her bottom lip. “I hope it doesn’t come early.”

Grandpa tipped his head. “You’re not anxious to see your little
bruder
[brother] or
schweschder
[sister]?”

“I—I guess so, but I’m more anxious to help in your greenhouse. If Mom doesn’t keep me too busy with chores, that is.” Rachel frowned. “I’m afraid once the boppli comes I’ll have more chores to do than ever.”

Grandpa tweaked Rachel’s nose. “I’m sure you’ll have some free time to help me.”