Ellie (3 page)

Read Ellie Online

Authors: Mary Christner Borntrager

Tags: #Fiction, #Action & Adventure, #test

BOOK: Ellie
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classmates at that. Praise was new to her, and she didn't know how to deal with it. She was happy because the teacher was pleased, and it gave her a warm feeling. Yet she felt wicked because the teacher had used the word "proud" about her, and she had been taught that the word "proud" meant "sin."
She sat in her seat with bowed head, wondering if she had done wrong. A little stir in the second row across from her caused her to look up. She found herself looking straight into the eyes of the girl in yellow. And the girl smiled.
The day passed quickly now, and soon it was time to go home. At the back of the room they met once more, the Amish girl and the crippled one.
"I'm glad you got a gold star. I liked yours best, too," said the girl in the pretty dress as she touched Ellie's hand.
Ellie just smiled. Then she said, in her limited English, "See you to morning, Missy."
Ellie had found a friend.
 
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3
Though He Slay Me
It was raining. Lightning flashed and lit up Ellie's bedroom. Crashes of thunder sounded and ended in a deep reverberating rumble, followed by more streaks of bright light and loud cracks. Ellie pulled the quilt up over her head. She hoped it was not time to get up out of her warm bed, for then she would have to go out to the barn to help with the morning chores, even through the storm.
Why was God so angry? Had she done something bad? She didn't remember. Trembling, she lay there as quietly as she could, now covering her ears with both hands. She hated thunderstorms; next to spiders, she hated storms.
Oh, but God made them both,
she thought. Well, she still didn't like either one. Maybe he would understand how she felt and why she was afraid. Ellie truly hoped so.
"It's time to get up," she heard Papa call. Removing her hands from her ears and peeking from under
 
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the covers, she discovered that , even though lightning played around her windows, the storm had moved farther away and was much less severe. Gratefully, she jumped out of bed, pulled her brown dress over her head, and ran downstairs. It was still warm enough that the children were going about in their bare feet. Each child always had only one pair of shoes. This year, Ellie's shoes would serve as work, school, and Sunday dress shoes. Papa was a thrifty man who wasted money on nothing.
Quickly, the little Amish girl went through her morning ritual. She ran to the outhouse and gingerly looked all around for spiders. Then, as fast as she could, she completed her task there. Before running back into the house, she stopped and pumped fresh water into the washbasin, splashing her face and washing her hands. The water felt so nice and cool, it made her skin tingle. Next she filled the water pail for the kitchen.
"Hurry now, Ellie," said Mrs. Maust. "The boys are already doing the outside chores. It looks like the storm might be coming back again. It's so dark in the west." This struck terror into Ellie's heart. She knew she had to milk her two cows. How could she cover her ears and milk at the same time? Maybe, if she hurried, she could be back in the house before the worst of the storm came.
Shep, the collie dog, greeted her as she opened the barn door. He was trembling and stayed close to her.
"Shep, go away. I can't walk with you jumping around my feet."
"Who are you talking to?" asked her little brother,
 
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Sammie. He was in the feedway giving scoops of grain to the cows.
"Oh, Shep keeps running in front of me and acting so strange. I can hardly walk because of him."
"He does that because he doesn't like thunder and lightning," Sammie explained.
I don't blame him,
thought Ellie, as she grabbed her pail and began to milk old Brindle as fast as she could. Roan and Brindle were her two cows to milk. Papa said they were easy milkers, but sometimes Ellie's arms were so tired they almost felt numb. Even the cows seemed nervous today, for they stepped around and switched constantly.
Now there was a calmness in the air, and everything seemed so quiet. Maybejust maybeit was going to be alright after all. A few stirrings here and there, a little twitter from the barn swallows in the eaves, then suddenly a flash of light, a loud crash, and the storm broke. It lashed out in all its fury. Barn doors banged open and shut in the strong wind. Rain blew in, and Ellie felt the back of her dress getting wet. Roan jumped at the loud noise of thunder, and so did Ellie. Milk spilled from the pail. This must not happen, for Sammie and Roy were waiting for that milk to feed the baby calves. It took all the milk Roan gave to feed them.
"Papa," said Sammie, "Ellie's crying, and she spilled milk, too."
Oh, that little tattletale,
thought Ellie. Her father didn't seem to mind the storm at all. He was going from door to door, trying to close and bolt them tight. Now he looked at Ellie.
 
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"Don't be such a
doppich,"
he said. "We need all the milk we can get for those calves. Well, we will just have to add some water to it so it will reach."
Ellie wanted to explain why the milk had spilled, but she didn't. Papa would not think it a good reason. What was it that her mother had read them from the Bible story book last Sunday afternoon? Something about a man named Job. Now she remembered. Job had all those troublesno one seemed to understand. Concerning all that the Lord allowed him to suffer, Job had said, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him." Then feeling anger and helplessness in her situation, Ellie resolved within herself,
I will keep on milking.
And she milked furiously.
Finally, she was finished, but the storm still raged.
"We will wait for a letup," said Papa, "then we will make a run for it." But as suddenly as the storm had come, it left. When Papa opened the barn door and pushed the milk cart outside, the whole world looked clean and new. Sammie and Roy turned the cows out to the big watering trough and then opened the gate to the pasture. Ellie and her brothers liked how the cool mud oozed between their toes. They knew they couldn't stay and enjoy this newfound luxury because breakfast would be ready, and you never kept Mama and Papa waiting. Then the woodbox would need to be filled. Sometimes their sister did this, but on school mornings, it became their task.
Mrs. Maust was an excellent cook, and her hus-
 
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band was a good provider. There was always plenty to eat. This morning it seemed the food was extra good. Fried potatoes, slices of juicy ham, fresh eggs, homemade bread, and rich country butter awaited them as they sat down to eat. But first they all bowed their heads in silent prayer. Ellie did not know what the others were thinking about. All she could think of was,
I'm glad you didn't slay me.
The twins banged their spoons for food. They didn't eat what the rest of the family did, not yet. So Mother made them baby soup, and sometimes
brie.
Baby soup was made with water, crackers, and a small pat of butter.
Brie
was flour, milk, and a little brown sugar. Ellie tasted it once. She didn't like it, but the babies smacked their lips and licked the spoon, wanting more.
After breakfast, Ellie washed dishes, packed her usual lunch of bread and butter, a piece of meat, and a half-moon pie. Then she smoothed back her hair under her black cap, washed her hands, face, and feet. She put on her black stockings and shoes and a clean apron, took her lunch, and started out for school. As she opened the door, she saw the most beautiful rainbow. Oh, it had such pretty colors, but yellow was the brightest. Yellow! Oh, my, now she remembered. Her friend Missy. She would see her again today.
 
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4
Jacks and Half-Moon Pies
Little droplets of water from the early morning rain still clung to the school's windowpanes. It seemed as if they were reluctant to let go. But the sun shone brightly, creating a crystal effect, and everything was fresh and clean.
God is not angry anymore,
thought Ellie,
and I'm glad.
She felt at peace with herself, too.
"Children, you have worked hard to learn your alphabet and numbers," said Miss Olive. "Therefore, I have brought a game for you which will help you learn them better. Here is how it works."
She set a large, decorated wastebasket on her desk so all the children could see it. The basket contained many different colored paper fish with various numbers and letters glued to their sides. Next, the teacher held up a dowel stick with a string attached and a magnet fastened at the end. It looked like a small fishing pole, and that's exactly what it was.
 
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"Inside this basket," explained Miss Olive, "are many construction-paper fish. Each fish has a number or letter printed on its side and a paper clip fastened to its mouth. You will take this little fishing pole and catch a fish with the magnet. You will then tell the class what number or letter that fish swallowed."
The children laughed and clapped their hands in excitement.
"Me first!"
"Let me!"
"Now, now. Wait. There are some other things we need to do first," the teacher reminded them. "This is what we will do at our regular ABC and number study time."
That isn't until after first recess,
reasoned Ellie. She obediently got out her practice writing pad and pencil and began to work. Carefully she formed the oval shapes and traced over other forms and objects shown. It didn't seem to make any sense to her, but the completed work looked rather attractive. Neat circles, oblongs, ovals, and triangles weren't bad at all.
Her father had grumbled a bit when Ellie had told him Teacher said she needed to bring enough money for a writing pad, but Mother had said she felt good penmanship was important. And so, reluctantly, he gave her the money. She remembered how terribly rich she felt that morning as she carried the coins tied in the corner of her clean hanky. And how happy it made her as she handed it to Teacher. Her joy was complete when Miss Olive handed her the
 
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new writing book. Her very, very own! The first one she had ever had. It was so clean and new, and it even smelled good. She would take such good care of it.
The ringing of the bell broke her train of thought. It was time for recess. Ellie was the last in line, and by the time she got outside, the little crippled girl was sitting on the school steps. Today she was wearing a blue dress with blue ribbons in her hair. The blue dress complemented the blue of her eyes.
What a beautiful sight,
Ellie thought.
"Want to play with me?"
Ellie just stood and stared.
"Come over here," said the little girl. "My name is Edith, but you can call me Missy, if you want to. I like that."
Slowly Ellie moved down the steps.
"Your name is Ellie, isn't it? Here, sit down," and she moved over a bit to make more room.
"Do you want to play jacks with me?" she asked.
"I not know," answered Ellie. The other children would always laugh at her imperfect English, but Missy didn't.
Missy opened up a little cloth bag and out tumbled funny blue, red, and green metal objects. Then she took out a little red ball.
"Did you ever play jacks?" asked her newfound friend.
Ellie just shook her head.
"Oh, it's easy. Here, I'll show you. I'll start with my one-zees first, then my two-zees." Missy's fingers moved so fast as she bounced the ball and
 
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scooped up first one metal jack, then two, and so on, until she had them all gathered up. Not once did she miss. ''Now it's your turn," she said, handing the ball to Ellie.
Gingerly, Ellie took the ball. She bounced it but forgot to pick up a jack.
"Try again. You will learn. It's easy," Missy told her.
So again and again the ball bounced, and little by little the Amish girl was able to pick up more jacks without missing.
"Now your turn," said Ellie, giving the ball back to her friend.
Missy's fingers flew again, as she nimbly picked up every jack.
Recess was over.
"Will you eat lunch with me?" asked Missy. Ellie nodded her head. No one asked her to eat with them before, and she was thrilled. The other children often shared lunchtime together, but nobody ever sat in Ellie's seat to eat with her. She could hardly wait.
After recess, it was time to play the new game. The teacher set the basket at the front of the room. Then she chose someone to come and try to catch three fish, correctly give the right answers, and then choose someone else. The first child caught his quota and named each one. He then chose another boy. This boy missed one. He also chose a boy, and so it went until all the boys were picked. Now the girls began. Missy was the next-to-the-last one, and she called on Ellie, who also had not taken a turn.

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