Growing Up in Lancaster County (36 page)

A
s Rachel ran water into the sink to wash the breakfast dishes, she heard Mom and Pap talking in the hall. Her ears perked up when Pap mentioned her name. She knew she wasn’t supposed to eavesdrop, but how could she not listen when they were talking about her?

She reached into the cupboard for the dishwashing soap while she strained to hear what Pap was saying.

“That’s right, Miriam. I think Rachel needs to…” Pap’s voice trailed off.

Rachel squirted the dishwashing liquid into the sink full of warm water. She heard the back door shut and figured Mom and Pap must have gone outside to finish their conversation. She was tempted to leave the dishes and follow them. She knew if she did, though, Mom would ask if she had finished washing the dishes.

Rachel dropped the sponge into the dishwater and frowned. There were no bubbles. Not even one. “Now that’s sure strange.”

She grabbed the bottle of dishwashing liquid, squirted it into the water again, and swished the sponge around in the water. Still no bubbles!

“What in all the world?” Rachel stared at the bottle. It wasn’t dishwashing liquid at all! It was window cleaner! “Guess I should have read the label first,” she muttered.

She pulled the plug on the drain to let the water out. Then she filled the sink with fresh water.

She set the bottle of window cleaner back in the cupboard and reached for another bottle. This time she carefully read the label to make sure it was dishwashing liquid. She squirted some of the liquid into the warm water and sloshed the sponge around. Several bubbles drifted to the ceiling.

“I wish I didn’t have dishes to do,” Rachel grumbled. “I wish I were upstairs helping Mary pack.”

She swallowed around the lump in her throat.
I hope I’ll get to visit Mary in Indiana sometime. It would be fun to see what life is like there. If school wasn’t starting next week, I’d ask if I could go home with Mary now
.

Whoosh!
The kitchen door flew open, and Gerald barreled in. “Blos!” he shouted, pointing to the colorful bubbles rising to the ceiling.

“Jah, Gerald, the bubbles are coming from my dishwater,” Rachel said.

Gerald waved his hand in the air. “Blow blos?”

Rachel shook her head. “There’s no time to blow bubbles right now. I need to finish washing the dishes.”

Gerald’s chin quivered, and his eyes filled with tears.

Rachel sighed. “Don’t start crying,” she said. “I have no patience for that this morning.”

Just then Mary stepped into the room, carrying her suitcase. “I’m all packed and ready to go. I just have to wait for Carolyn to pick me up.”

Rachel glanced at the clock on the opposite wall. “She should be here soon, I expect.”

Mary nodded. “I’m anxious to see my family again, but I wish I could stay with you awhile longer. Our visit seemed awfully short.”

“Short!” Gerald hollered as he pointed to himself.

Rachel giggled. “I’ve heard Gerald’s daed call him short, so Gerald must be mimicking him,” she said to Mary.

Mary nodded. “Some little kinner like to do that.”

Rachel heard the rumble of a vehicle in the driveway outside, followed by
Beep! Beep!

“That must be Carolyn,” Mary said. “I think it’s time for us to say good-bye.”

Rachel hugged Mary then followed her out the door. Gerald tagged along behind her. When they stepped onto the porch, Rachel saw Mom, Dad, and Grandpa talking to Carolyn by her van.

As Rachel, Mary, and Gerald headed that way, Jacob and Henry came out of the barn. Soon everyone had gathered around Mary, hugging and saying their good-byes.

Just before Mary got into Carolyn’s car, Rachel gave her one final hug. “Danki for coming,” she said.

“You’re welcome. See you soon, I hope.” Mary climbed into the passenger’s seat and shut the door.

As Carolyn’s van drove away, Rachel watched until it was out of sight. Then she turned to Grandpa and said, “I need to keep busy so I don’t miss Mary too much. Do you have some work you need me to do in the greenhouse this morning?”

He nodded and smiled. “Jah, sure. I’d be pleased to have your help, Rachel.”

Rachel smiled as she headed for the greenhouse. During the time Mary had been visiting, she hadn’t helped Grandpa at all. It would be good to water, trim, and repot some plants. It would be nice to see and smell the beauty of all those plants and flowers, too.

“Where ya goin’?”

Rachel stopped walking and turned around. Gerald looked up at her with an eager expression.

“I’m going to the greenhouse to help Grandpa.”

“Okay.” Gerald grabbed Rachel’s hand. “Let’s go!”

“No, Gerald. I’m going to the greenhouse to work.” Rachel pointed to the house. “Why don’t you go see if my mamm has something for you to do?”

Gerald hung tightly to Rachel’s hand. “I go with you.”

Rachel was tempted to argue but knew that if she said no, Gerald would cry. Rachel just couldn’t stand Gerald’s crying!

“Okay, Gerald,” she said with a sigh, “but you have to be good in the greenhouse and stay out of my way. Is that understood?”

Gerald nodded and looked up at her with a crooked grin.

When Rachel entered the greenhouse with Gerald, she was surprised to see Grandpa in one corner, standing on his head again.

“I’ll be with you in a minute,” Grandpa said as he peered at Rachel from his upside-down position. “I’m not done clearing my head, and I need to do this so I’ll have a good start to my day.”

Gerald raced across the room, flopped on the floor, and stood on his head beside Grandpa.

Rachel snickered. “Say, Grandpa, how come you stand on your head out here instead of in your bedroom?”

“I used to do that,” he responded. “But since I got the greenhouse, I decided to do it out here among all these
wunderbaar
[wonderful] plants that give off oxygen.”

“I’ve been in the greenhouse many times, and until a few weeks ago, I never saw you stand on your head,” Rachel said.

Grandpa chuckled. “I always did it before you came out. I was afraid if you saw me like this you might laugh.”

“I probably would have,” Rachel admitted, “but I’m getting used to it now.”

Ding! Ding!
The bell on the greenhouse door rang, letting Rachel know a customer had come in.

Grandpa quickly dropped his feet to the floor.

Gerald did the same.

Rachel was surprised to see the man who had bought strawberries from her earlier this summer step into the greenhouse. After she’d put the basket of berries on the front seat of his car, she didn’t think she would ever see him again.

“You know those strawberries I sat on earlier this summer?” he said, looking at Rachel.

She nodded slowly, wondering if he was going to scold her about that mishap again.

He smacked his lips and grinned. “My wife made strawberry jam from the smashed berries, and it turned out real good.”

Rachel sighed with relief. “I’m glad to hear it. Was your wife able to get the berry juice out of your pants?”

“Oh yes. She soaked them in cold water and then sprayed them with something that’s good for stains.” The man looked over at Grandpa, who’d taken a seat on a stool by the workbench where he repotted plants. “Today’s my wife’s birthday, so I came here to buy her a nice indoor plant.”

Grandpa nodded at Rachel and said, “Would you like to show the man some plants?”

“Okay.” Rachel led the way to the part of the greenhouse where the houseplants were kept. The man followed. So did Gerald.

Gerald reached up and touched the leaf of an ivy plant.

“No, Gerald,” Rachel said. “Don’t start fooling with things.”

She moved down the row until she came to a shelf full of African violets. “Here’s one with pretty pink blooms.”

“That’s a nice one. I really like it,” the man said. “I think I’ll take it.”

Rachel started to reach for the plant when Gerald bumped her arm. The pot tipped over, spilling dirt all over the man’s shirt!

Rachel shook her finger at Gerald. “I told you to stay out of the way! Now look what’s happened!”

Tears welled in Gerald’s eyes, and he tipped his head back and wailed.
Waaa! Waaa!

Grandpa stepped up to Rachel and frowned. “You shouldn’t have yelled at the boy like that. He didn’t bump your arm on purpose. It was an accident.”

The man nodded and looked at Rachel. “As you well know, accidents do happen.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a lollipop, which he handed to Gerald.

Gerald quit crying, took a seat in one corner of the room, and stuck the lollipop in his mouth.

“If you’ll come with me,” Grandpa said to the man, “we’ll find just the right plant for your wife. I was planning to put some plants on sale for 50 percent off next week, but if you’d like one now, I’ll give it to you for the sale price since the one you really wanted is ruined.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that,” the man said.

The man must think it’s my fault, because he didn’t offer me a lollipop
, Rachel thought as she cleaned up the dirt that had spilled on the floor.
I wish Gerald hadn’t come to stay with us. He’s nothing but trouble!

A short time later, the man stepped up to Rachel and handed her a dollar.

“What’s this for?” she asked.

“I had only one lollipop, or I would have given you one, too.” He patted Rachel’s shoulder. “Your grandfather’s lucky to have you working here. I can see that you’re a real good worker.”

Rachel smiled up at him. It felt nice to be appreciated.

As Rachel and Gerald walked up to the house, Rachel thought about the dollar the man had given her.
Should I put it in my piggy bank and save it toward something I really want, or should I buy some candy the next time we go to town? I think I’ll save it for now
, she finally decided.

“Should I set the table for lunch?” Rachel asked Mom when she and Gerald stepped into the kitchen.

Mom tapped her foot. Her eyebrows scrunched together above her thin nose as she frowned. “You forgot to make your bed this morning, Rachel.”

“I was planning to make it after Mary left, but when Grandpa asked me to help in the greenhouse, I forgot all about making my bed,” Rachel explained.

Mom tapped her foot a couple more times. “No excuses, Rachel. I want you to go upstairs and make it right now. When you’re done, you can set the table for lunch.”

“Okay.” Rachel trudged up the stairs.
Thump. Thump. Thump
. She was almost at the top when she heard another set of footsteps, a little softer than hers.
Thump. Thump. Thump
.

She turned and saw Gerald behind her. “Oh great!” She was beginning to think the little boy had become her shadow.

“I’m busy, Gerald. Go back downstairs!” Rachel rushed into her room and slammed the door. Her stomach rumbled, so she hurried to make the bed.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

“Who is it?” Rachel called.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Rachel groaned and opened the door.

“Whatcha doin’?” Gerald asked as he darted into the room.

Rachel pointed to the bed. “I just finished making my bed.”

Gerald shook his head. “God made the bed!”

“No,
I
made my bed.”

Gerald folded his arms and stared at Rachel as if she were stupid. “God made everything!”

Rachel thought about what she’d told Gerald the night before, when they’d been looking at the moon in the sky. “That’s right, Gerald. God made everything. He made the trees that were turned into wood to make my bed.”

Gerald pointed to Rachel and shook his head. “Rachel didn’t make the bed.”

Rachel sighed. How could she make Gerald understand what she’d meant about making her bed?

Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. She pulled back the covers, messed up the bed, and made it all over again. “
I
made the bed,” she said with a nod.

Gerald shook his head. “God made the bed.”

Rachel pulled the covers back and made the bed again. This time she said, “I pulled the covers over my bed.”

Gerald nodded and said, “God made the bed! Rachel covered the bed.”

Rachel smiled and took Gerald’s hand. “Now that we’ve got that settled, let’s go downstairs and have some lunch.”

W
earing a backpack over her shoulders and carrying her lunch pail in one hand and a jump rope in the other hand, Rachel hurried up the path leading to the schoolhouse.

“Slow down!” Jacob hollered. “You can’t be that anxious to get to school!”

Rachel turned to face him. “Today’s the first day of school, and I don’t want to be late. Besides, going to school is better than dealing with Gerald at home.” She sighed. “I’ll be glad when his folks get back and he goes home where he belongs.”

Jacob shook his finger at Rachel the way Mom sometimes did. “You shouldn’t talk about Gerald like that. He’s our cousin, and he’s a nice little boy.”

“That’s easy for you to say.” Rachel wrinkled her nose. “Ever since Gerald came to stay with us, all he’s done is hang around me and ask a bunch of silly questions.”

Jacob shrugged. “I guess that means he likes you more than anyone else in the family.”