Growing Up in Lancaster County (13 page)

“Good riddance,” Rachel muttered.

“Hello, Rachel!” Esther called as she climbed down from the buggy. “Is Mom home?”

Rachel nodded. “She’s in the house writing a letter to Aunt Irma.”

Esther smiled as she stepped onto the porch. “I need to do some letter writing of my own.” She patted her stomach. “But with the boppli coming this fall, I’ve been busy sewing baby clothes and painting the baby’s room. So I haven’t had the time to write any letters.”

“Speaking of letters…I got one from Mary a few weeks ago.”

“That’s nice. What did Mary say?”

“She said they’d gone to the Fun Spot amusement park.” Rachel groaned. “I asked Pap if he’d take us to Hershey Park sometime, but he said he was too busy, and that Mom wasn’t up to such an outing right now.”

“I don’t expect she would be.” Esther patted the top of Rachel’s head. “Maybe after our baby brother or sister is born, Pap will take the whole family to Hershey Park.”

Rachel folded her arms and frowned. “I doubt it. Once the boppli comes, Pap will probably think of some other reason we can’t go.”

Esther put her thumb under Rachel’s chin and tipped her head up so Rachel was looking right at her. “Now what’s that sour expression all about? You look like you’ve been sucking on a bunch of bitter grapes.”

Rachel pointed to her glasses. “Ever since I got these, I’ve had nothing but trouble!”

“What kind of trouble?”

“Boys at school say mean things to me.” Rachel sniffed. “Orlie called me ‘four eyes,’ and Brian said my glasses make me look like a snake.”

Esther hugged Rachel. “I’m sure the boys were only teasing. That’s what most boys like to do, you know.” She laughed, but Rachel didn’t think it was one bit funny.

She nudged the wicker basket with her toe and grunted. “I hid my glasses and lied about it to Mom. Now I’ve got double chores to do for two whole weeks!”

“I’m sorry to hear you lied, Rachel.” Esther frowned. “I hope you realize that it was the wrong thing to do.”

Rachel nodded as a familiar lump lodged in her throat.

“Mom and Pap love you very much, but it’s their job as good parents to punish their children when they do something wrong, especially when it goes against God’s teachings.”

Rachel nodded again, as tears flooded her eyes.

Esther patted Rachel’s shoulder. “Now put on a happy face, do what’s right, and things are bound to get better.”

Rachel stared at the basket of towels. “I don’t see how I can put on a happy face when I have so many chores.”

“You have many reasons to smile. I have a bookmark at home that lists 101 reasons to smile.” Esther chuckled. “Of course, I can’t remember all of them, but here are a few: last day of school, a warm summer day, a beautiful sunset, fresh-cut flowers, and an unexpected hug.” She pulled Rachel to her side and hugged her again. “Maybe what you need is a good dose of happy medicine.”

Rachel tilted her head. “Happy medicine?”

“Come with me, and I’ll show you.” Esther took Rachel’s hand and led her down the steps. When she came to a patch of dirt, she squatted down and picked up a twig. Then she drew a heart in the dirt, and added a smiley face. “Make up your mind to be happy, learn to find pleasure in simple things, and whenever you’re feeling sad and grumpy, quote this verse from Proverbs 17:22: “‘A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.’”

Rachel nodded. “I see what you mean. I’ll do my best to have a cheerful heart and put on a happy face.”

R
achel couldn’t believe today was the last day of school, but here she was, walking to school carrying Cuddles in a cat carrier.

She glanced at Buddy, plodding along on his leash beside Jacob, grunting and kicking up dust with his big furry paws.
What a goofy dog
, she thought.

Elizabeth had told the scholars they could bring their pets today. Since Rachel knew some dogs might not get along well with her cat, she’d put Cuddles in the carrier to protect her. She would only take the cat out of the carrier if someone wanted to pet or hold her.

“I hope you’re planning to keep Buddy tied up,” Rachel said, looking at Jacob. “If you don’t, he’ll probably jump up and lick everyone’s face.”

Jacob shook his head. “I don’t think so. My hund saves all his kisses for you.”

“Very funny!”

Jacob snickered. “Come on, Rachel; don’t be so grouchy. You know you like Buddy. He’s a good dog.”

She shrugged. “He’s okay, and I’m glad he and Cuddles have become friends. I just wish he didn’t jump up and lick my face all the time.”

“Buddy wouldn’t do it if he didn’t think you were his friend.”

Woof! Woof!
Buddy wagged his tail and looked at Rachel with big brown eyes.

She patted his head. “I do like you, Buddy. I just don’t like your—”

Slurp! Slurp!
Buddy licked Rachel’s hand with his sloppy pink tongue.

Rachel pulled her hand back. “See what I get for trying to be nice?”

Jacob slapped his knee and chuckled.

Rachel gritted her teeth. She didn’t think Buddy’s slimy wet kisses were the least bit funny!

“Let’s play a game of baseball,” Orlie said during afternoon recess. He smiled at Rachel. “Would you like to be on the same team as me and Jacob?”

Rachel shook her head. “I’d rather not play.”

“Why not?”

She pointed to her glasses. “I don’t want to lose these. They might fall off my face and get broken.”

“Oh, come on, Rachel, I’m sure your glasses won’t fall,” Orlie said. “I’d like you to be on our team.”

“Why don’t you take your glasses off and leave them on the picnic table?” Audra suggested. “Can you see well enough to play without them?”

Rachel thought about the last time she’d played ball, before she’d gotten her glasses. She’d had trouble seeing the ball when it was thrown to her, and she’d struck out. “I can see some things without my glasses, but not nearly as well as I can with my glasses on,” she said. “You go ahead and play without me.”

Audra shook her head. “If you’re not going to play, neither am I. I’ll sit on the sidelines and watch with you.”

Rachel didn’t want Audra to sit out of the game because of her, but she didn’t want to play ball with her glasses on, either.

Audra remained at Rachel’s side.

“Okay, I’ll play!” Rachel removed her glasses and placed them on the picnic table. She turned to Orlie and said, “You’d better not complain if I don’t play well enough.”

He grinned. “I won’t complain; I promise.”

Rachel took her place in center field. The first person up to bat was Aaron King, and he hit a ball that went right into the catcher’s mitt.

“You’re out!” shouted Orlie. “Two more outs and our team’s up to bat.”

The game continued, and even though Rachel couldn’t see very well without her glasses, she had fun playing ball. By the time the game was over, she’d caught a couple of balls and had even made a home run. She smiled. Even more surprising than how well she played was that no one had made fun of her for wearing glasses. Maybe the boys had decided to quit teasing and leave her alone.

“Can I hold your cat?” Phoebe asked Rachel.

Rachel nodded. “Jah, sure, but let me get my glasses first.” She headed across the playground, but when she got to the picnic table, she halted. Her glasses were gone!

She looked around frantically. They weren’t on any of the picnic tables.

“Has anyone seen my glasses?” Rachel shouted.

“Not me,” said Orlie.

“Me neither,” several others said.

Rachel fiddled with the ties on her kapp, fighting the temptation to bite off a fingernail. “They couldn’t have just disappeared,” she said. “Someone must have them.”

“I’ll help you look,” Audra offered.

“Danki.”

“Maybe someone picked up your glasses and took them into the schoolhouse,” Audra said. “Should we go see?”

Rachel nodded.

They were almost to the schoolhouse porch, when Buddy ambled up to Rachel, wagging his tail.
Woof! Woof!

Rachel’s mouth fell open; she could hardly believe her eyes. Her glasses were perched in the middle of Buddy’s long nose!

Brian and Jacob looked at each other and laughed. Rachel figured they must have put the glasses on the dog.

Woof! Woof!
Buddy pranced in circles.

Now everyone laughed—even Rachel. She had to admit, Jacob’s dog looked pretty funny. Even so, she was worried that her glasses might fall off Buddy’s nose and get stepped on, so she plucked them off his big hairy nose.

Woof! Woof! Woof!
Buddy slurped Rachel’s hand.

“Stop that!” She pulled her hand away and put the glasses on her face.

“See, what did I tell you? Buddy likes you, Rachel.” Jacob snickered. “He likes you so much he wanted to borrow your glasses.”

Rachel shook her head. “I’ll bet you’re the one who put my glasses on Buddy. You probably did it to irritate me.”

“I only did it to make everyone laugh,” Jacob said.

“It was kind of funny,” Rachel admitted. “But don’t do it again, because I don’t want my glasses ruined.”

“Ah, Buddy wouldn’t hurt your glasses.”

“If they’d fallen off his nose, he could have stepped on them.”

“Well, they didn’t fall off, so don’t get so worked up about it.”

“I’m not worked up.”

“Jah, you are.”

“Am not.”

Phoebe nudged Rachel’s arm. “What about Cuddles? Can I hold her now?”

“Jah, sure.” Rachel hurried to Cuddles’ cage and was shocked to find the door hanging wide open. She peeked inside and gasped. Cuddles was gone!

“Who took my cat?” she shrieked. “Someone had better not be playing a trick on me!”

“What’s all the yelling about?” Elizabeth asked as she came out of the schoolhouse.

“Someone opened the door to Cuddles’ carrier, and now she’s gone!” Rachel’s voice shook and she bit her lip to keep from sobbing.

“Did any of you open the door to Rachel’s cat carrier?” Elizabeth asked.

Everyone shook their heads.

“Has anyone seen the cat?”

“Not me,” said Orlie.

“Me neither,” Brian put in. “She probably got out while we were playing ball. I’ll bet she’s long gone.”

Tears sprang to Rachel’s eyes as she thought about the last time her cat had disappeared. The day Pap’s barn burned down, he said he thought all the animals had gotten out of the barn in time. Rachel was worried Cuddles might have been killed in the fire. She’d been relieved to discover that the cat had gone back to the Millers’ place where she’d been born.

But this time it might be different
, Rachel thought as she looked around helplessly.
This time Cuddles might have gotten lost for good. She shivered. I shouldn’t have brought Cuddles to school today. I might never see her again
.

Jacob touched Rachel’s arm. “Don’t look so sad. It’ll be okay.”

“Jah, don’t be sad,” Orlie agreed. “I’ll bet Cuddles went home. She’ll probably be waiting for you when you get there.”

Rachel’s heart pounded with sudden hope. “D–do you really think so?”

He nodded.

“I agree with Orlie,” said Jacob. “Cuddles is a schmaert cat. I’m sure she’ll find her way home.”

As Rachel walked home from school with Jacob and Buddy, she glanced at Cuddles’s empty cat carrier, and a lump formed in her throat. What if Cuddles never came home? What if Rachel never saw her sweet cat again?

“Here Cuddles,” she called. “Come, kitty, kitty.”

“I don’t know why you’re calling her.” Jacob shook his head. “Like Orlie and I said earlier, the cat probably went home.”

“What if she didn’t? What if—”

“Don’t be such a worrier,” Jacob said. “As Grandma Yoder always says, ‘Worry is nothing more than thinking about something you don’t want to happen.’”

Rachel blinked against the tears stinging her eyes. “I don’t want anything bad to happen to Cuddles.”

“Then quit worrying and pray that she’s okay.”

Rachel nodded. She’d been so worried and upset over Cuddles’s disappearance that she’d forgotten to pray.
Dear God
, she prayed silently,
please keep my cat safe and bring her back to me
.

When Jacob and Rachel entered their yard, Rachel made a dash for the house. Cuddles wasn’t on the porch.

Rachel dropped the cat carrier and her backpack on the table by the door and raced into the house. “Is Cuddles here?” she asked when she entered the kitchen and found Mom at the table with a glass of iced tea.

Mom shook her head. “I haven’t seen Cuddles since you took her to school this morning.”

Thump! Thump! Thump!
Rachel’s heart beat so hard she thought it might burst open. “Cuddles got out of her carrier, and now she’s missing!”

“She could be in the barn,” Mom said.

“I’ll go check.” Rachel raced out of the house.

“Are you here, Cuddles?” she called when she entered the barn.

“Here kitty, kitty!” Rachel listened carefully.

Only the soft nicker of the horses in their stalls.

Rachel sank to a bale of hay, letting her head fall forward into her hands. This day couldn’t get much worse!