Growing Up in Lancaster County (28 page)

Rachel sat on the sofa and placed Hannah facedown across her knees.

Squeak! Squeak!
Rachel reached behind her to find one of Hannah’s squeaky toys. She tossed it across the room.

Hannah whimpered.

Rachel patted Hannah’s back.

Hannah started to howl.

Rachel sat Hannah up and rubbed her back.

Hannah stopped crying, but still no burp.

“Just when I thought I could have a little time to help Grandpa, I’m stuck with a baby who won’t burp,” Rachel grumbled.

Is this going to take all day?
Rachel thought about turning Hannah upside down to see if that would make her burp, but she’d be in big trouble if Mom caught her.

She placed Hannah on her knee and bounced her up and down.

Hannah giggled, but still no burp. She didn’t look sleepy, either.

Hic! Hic! Hic!

“Oh great,” Rachel moaned. “Now you’ve got the hiccups.” She placed Hannah in her cradle, hurried into the kitchen, and filled a baby bottle with water.

When Rachel returned to the living room, Hannah was crying between hiccups.

Rachel picked up the baby, sat on the sofa, and gave Hannah some water.

Hannah spit the water out and hiccuped again.

Rachel gritted her teeth.

Waaa! Waaa!
Hannah’s face turned bright red.

Rachel put the baby over her shoulder and patted her back.

Blurp!
Hannah spit up on Rachel’s shoulder.

“Ewww!” Rachel wrinkled her nose. She placed Hannah in her cradle, scampered to her room, and changed into a clean dress.

When Rachel returned to the living room, Hannah was crying again. She picked up Hannah and took a seat in the rocking chair. Mom often put the baby to sleep by humming and rocking her. Rachel hoped it would work for her, too.

Hmm…hmm…hmm
…Rachel hummed while she rocked back and forth.

Hannah continued to fuss and squirm.

“Please go to sleep,” Rachel begged. “You should be sleepy by now, Hannah.”

Waaa! Waaa!
Hannah’s face turned even redder, and she waved her chubby little hands in the air.

Just then, Rachel felt something damp on her knee. “That’s just great,” she said with a moan. “Your diaper must be full, and it leaked on my dress.”

Rachel placed Hannah in the cradle and quickly changed the wet diaper. It was not her favorite thing to do!

Hannah finally quit crying and fell asleep. Rachel sighed with relief. Then she hurried upstairs to change her dress so she could go to the greenhouse.

As Rachel skipped across the grass toward Grandpa’s greenhouse, she felt like she was floating on a cloud. She still couldn’t believe Grandpa had put her name under his on the wooden sign outside the greenhouse. She felt good to know that he wanted her help and almost thought of her as his partner.

Rachel shivered as a cool wind blew several leaves across the yard. Summer was nearly over, and soon school would start again. Usually Rachel looked forward to this time of year, but now things were different. Going back to school would mean less free time to help Grandpa in the greenhouse. Rachel would also have homework every evening.

I won’t think about that now, Rachel decided. I’ll just enjoy every day I’m able to work with Grandpa
.

A musty, damp odor met Rachel when she opened the door to the greenhouse. She figured Grandpa must have recently watered the plants.

Rachel looked around but didn’t see Grandpa. She decided he was in his office or at the back of the greenhouse where he kept supplies. Sure enough, she found Grandpa pruning a large green plant with pointed leaves.

“I’m sorry for being late, Grandpa.” Rachel frowned as she thought about what she’d been through in the last hour. “Mom asked me to burp the boppli, and I had all kinds of trouble.”

“That’s all right,” Grandpa said without looking up.

“What kind of plant are you working on?” Rachel asked.

“This is an ivy plant. It pulls toxins from the air, which helps us breathe better.” Grandpa motioned to another plant across the room. “That’s a spider plant. It does the same thing.”

“I didn’t realize plants could clean the air,” Rachel said. “Guess I have a lot to learn about greenhouse things.”

“You’ll learn more as time goes on. It’s taken me a whole lifetime to learn what I know.” Grandpa’s bushy gray eyebrows drew together when he looked at Rachel. “Why are you dressed like that?”

“Like what?”

He motioned to her dress. “It’s on backwards.”

Rachel touched the neck of her dress and grimaced. “I had to change my dress because Hannah wet on me. I guess I wasn’t paying attention. I’d better run back to the house and change it around before someone comes into the greenhouse and sees me wearing my dress backwards.”

Grandpa chuckled. “We sure couldn’t have that, could we? If someone saw you wearing your dress backwards they might think I hired a
verhuddelt
[mixed-up] girl to work in my greenhouse.”

Rachel blushed. “Do you really think I’m verhuddelt?”

Grandpa hugged her. “Of course not. I just think you get in too big of a hurry sometimes instead of being patient.”

Rachel nodded. “I get frustrated when I have to wait for things.”

“One of my favorite Bible verses is Psalm 40:1: ‘I waited patiently for the Lord.’ You should think about that whenever you feel impatient.” Grandpa squeezed Rachel’s shoulder. “Now run into the house and turn your dress around; then hurry back here so we can play with some plants.”

“I’ll be back as quick as I can.” She hugged Grandpa and scurried out the door.

When Rachel entered the house, she was relieved to see that Hannah was still asleep, and Mom was taking a nap on the sofa. She didn’t want Mom to see her dress.

Rachel scrambled up the steps. “The hurrier I go, the behinder I get,” she mumbled. It was one of Grandpa’s favorite sayings.

She zipped into her room, slipped off her dress, and put it back on the right way. Then she scurried out of the room, dashed down the stairs, and raced out the back door.

She’d just stepped off the porch when she spotted her English friend Sherry coming up the driveway. Sherry had her fluffy little dog, Bundles, on a leash.

“Hi, Rachel.” Sherry waved. “I came over to see if you could play.”

“I can’t today. I’m supposed to help my grandpa in his greenhouse,” Rachel said as she hurried to meet Sherry.

“Oh, that’s right.” Sherry pointed to the greenhouse. “I still haven’t seen it inside. Can I look at it now?”

“I’d be happy to show you around.” Rachel pointed at the dog. “Bundles will have to stay outside, though. Grandpa doesn’t allow animals in the greenhouse. Whenever they’ve gotten in by mistake, there’s been trouble.”

“Okay.” Sherry tied Bundles’s leash to a fence post.

Bundles plopped on the ground and closed her eyes.

At least she’s not the kind of dog who barks a lot, jumps up, and licks you
, Rachel thought. Sherry’s sweet little dog was nothing like Jacob’s troublesome mutt.

Sherry pointed to the sign above the greenhouse door. “I didn’t know you owned this place, too.”

Rachel shook her head. “Grandpa’s the legal owner. I help him here whenever I can, so he included my name on the sign.”

“Maybe you’ll own it someday—after your grandpa’s too old to work anymore.”

“I hope that won’t be for a long time.” Rachel opened the door. She didn’t see any sign of Grandpa and figured he was probably in the back room repotting or pruning plants.

“This place is great! There are so many pretty plants and flowers, and it smells good,” Sherry said. “My mom’s birthday’s in a few weeks. Maybe I’ll buy a plant for her.”

Rachel nodded. “I’m sure she’d like that.”

Zzzz…zzzz
…

Sherry tipped her head. “What’s that weird noise?”

Rachel listened to the low rumble coming from the back room. “I think it’s my grandpa snoring. He must have fallen asleep. He’s quite a
schnarixer
[snorer].”

“What’s a schnarixer?” Sherry asked.

“It means ‘snorer,’” Rachel explained.

Sherry snickered. “My dad’s a schnarixer, too.”

Rachel chuckled. “My brother’s dog sometimes snores. When he does, he sounds like a freight train.”

Woof! Woof!

Rachel glanced out the window. “It looks like something’s upset your dog; she’s barking and tugging on her leash.”

Sherry flipped her blond ponytail. “Guess I’d better get out there and see what’s riled Bundles.”

Rachel followed Sherry out the door. She saw Snowball, one of Cuddles’s kittens, prancing around with her tail lifted, just out of Bundles’s reach.

“Come here, you silly
bussli
[kitten].” Rachel was about to pick Snowball up when the kitten leaped into the air and landed on Bundles’s head.

Woof! Woof!
Bundles shook her head, tossing Snowball into a clump of bushes.

Meow!

Rachel gasped. “Snowball! Oh, you poor little thing. Are you hurt?”

She couldn’t see the kitten. She only heard a pitiful
Meow!
coming from inside the bushes.

“She probably won’t come out as long as your dog’s here,” Rachel told Sherry.

Sherry nodded. “I’d better head for home.”

“What about the plant for your mother?”

“I’ll come back another day and pick one out.” Sherry scooped up her dog. “I’m sorry for all the trouble, Rachel.”

“It’s okay. Snowball shouldn’t have been teasing Bundles.” Rachel glanced at the bushes. “I wish she’d come out, though.”

“I’m sure she will once we’re gone.” Sherry squeezed Rachel’s arm. “I’ll come over to get the plant soon, and I’ll leave Bundles at home.”

As Sherry hurried away, Rachel leaned into the bushes and called, “Here Snowball. It’s safe to come out now.”

No response. Not even a meow.

Rachel pulled the bushes apart and spotted a fluffy white tail. “Come here, you silly bussli.”

Snowball swished her tail and went deeper into the bushes.

Rachel stuck her hand inside the bush. She felt around until she touched a soft furry paw.

“Yeow!” Snowball scratched Rachel’s hand with her sharp little claws and flew out of the bushes.

Rachel turned to chase after the kitten, but her sleeve caught on the bush.
Rip!
A hunk of material tore loose.

“Trouble, trouble, trouble!” Back to the house Rachel stomped, grumbling and mumbling all the way.

She zipped up the stairs, raced into her room, and flopped onto the bed. This had not been a good morning! Now she really was out of patience!

W
hen Rachel returned to the greenhouse, she was surprised to see Grandpa standing on his head in one corner of the greenhouse.

“
Was in der welt
[What in all the world] are you doing?” she asked, bending down to see Grandpa’s face.

“My brain felt foggy,” Grandpa said. “I’m letting the blood run to my head so I can think better.”

Rachel stared at Grandpa and slowly shook her head. She could hardly believe a man his age was strong enough to stand on his head.

“I’ve been doing this since I was a
buwe
[boy],” Grandpa said. “I could stand on my head longer than any of my
brieder
[brothers].” He lowered his feet to the floor and slowly stood.

Rachel wondered how many other things Grandpa could do that she didn’t know about.

“You sure took a long time turning your dress around,” Grandpa said. He studied Rachel. “Say, that’s not the same dress you were wearing earlier. Your backwards dress was blue, and this one’s green.”

“This is the second time I’ve changed my dress,” Rachel said. “Well, really the third time, since the baby wet on my other dress. Oh, and I had another dress before that—until Hannah spit up on it.”

Grandpa frowned. “I don’t remember you going up to the house more than once.”

Rachel told him that her friend Sherry had come over. “I showed her the greenhouse. And we heard you snore,” she added.

Grandpa puckered his lips and tugged his long beard. “Was I really snoring?”

“Jah.”

“Guess I must have fallen asleep at my desk.” Grandpa chuckled. “Your grandma never got used to my snoring. She told our kinner, ‘When he snores, he keeps me awake.’”

A look of sadness spread over Grandpa’s face, but he quickly covered it with a smile.

Rachel knew Grandpa must still miss Grandma, who had gone to heaven several years earlier. “Since my room’s upstairs and yours is downstairs, your snoring never keeps me awake,” Rachel said, hoping to change the subject. “I sure can’t say that about baby Hannah. She keeps me awake when she cries at night.”

Grandpa nodded. “I know what you mean. I finally bought myself a pair of earplugs.”

“Maybe I should get some, too.” Rachel frowned. “But if I had earplugs, I might not hear my alarm clock ring when school starts next month.”

Grandpa tweaked the end of Rachel’s nose. “That wouldn’t be good, now, would it?”

She shook her head. “Guess I’ll have to put up with Hannah’s crying until she grows out of it.”

“At the rate the boppli’s growing, she’ll soon sleep all night.”