Growing Up in Lancaster County (34 page)

Rachel sat on the porch step. Mary and Audra sat on either side of her.

“How’s Brian’s problem?” Rachel asked, looking at Audra. “Is he doing any better?”

“Not really.” Audra wrinkled her nose. “He had an accident while we were at Grandma and Grandpa’s.”

“What kind of accident?” Mary wanted to know. “Did he fall and hurt himself?”

Audra shook her head. “Sometimes Brian wets the bed.”

Mary gasped. “I thought only bopplin wet the bed!”

Rachel clenched her fingers, remembering how Mom had told her that she used to wet the bed. Rachel was glad she couldn’t remember that. She hoped no one else in the family remembered it either. She decided she needed to quickly change the subject.

“Is anyone thirsty?” she asked.

Mary nodded.

Audra shrugged.

“I think I’ll go inside and get us something cold to drink,” Rachel said.

“That sounds good.” Mary smiled. “Do you need my help?”

“Thanks, but I can manage.” Rachel jumped up and scurried into the house.

When she opened the refrigerator, she found a jug of Pap’s homemade root beer on the top shelf. She lifted it out, grabbed three paper cups from the pantry, and headed for the door.

Rachel was about to step onto the porch when she heard her name mentioned.

“Jah, that’s right,” said Mary, “Rachel is…”

Whoosh!
Snowball leaped onto the porch and darted between Rachel’s legs, nearly knocking her off her feet.

Rachel righted herself in time, but the jug of root beer slipped out of her hand and fell to the porch with a splat!

“Ach no!” Rachel cried. Cold, sticky root beer covered her dress, legs, and the porch floor.

Mary jumped up. “What happened, Rachel?”

“I was standing in the doorway, and Snowball ran between my legs.” Rachel frowned. “She knocked me off balance, and I dropped the jug of root beer.”

Audra pointed to Rachel’s dress and laughed. “Looks like you had a root beer bath!”

“It’s not funny.” Rachel slowly shook her head. “Now I have to go inside and change my dress.”

“While you’re doing that, I’ll get the mop and clean the mess off the porch,” Mary said.

“Okay, thanks.” Rachel scurried into the house, mumbling, “Always trouble somewhere!”

When Rachel returned to the porch wearing a clean dress, she was pleased to see that the root beer had been cleaned off the floor and a carton of milk was on the small table near the door. Mary and Audra sat in the porch swing, talking with their heads together.

When Rachel approached the swing, they stopped talking.

She frowned and squinted at them. “Were you two saying something bad about me?”

“Of course not,” Mary said, shaking her head.

“Then why did you stop talking when I came out?”

Audra shrugged.

Mary stared at the floor.

“You
were
saying something bad about me.” Rachel folded her arms and frowned. “I know you were.”

“You’re jumping to conclusions,” Mary said. “Audra and I were just talking about the painted rocks you made for us.”

“That’s right,” Audra agreed. “We think you have lots of talent.”

Rachel smiled. “Really?”

Both girls nodded.

“I wish I could paint the way you do,” Mary said.

Rachel squeezed in between them on the swing. “Everyone has something they’re good at. I just happen to be good at painting on rocks.”

“My mamm says I’m good at sewing, and if I keep practicing, someday I’ll be as good as she is.” Audra looked over at Mary. “What are you good at?”

Mary thumped her chin a couple of times. “Let’s see now…”

“You’re good at baking cookies. The ones you helped Mom bake last night were
appeditlich
[delicious].”

Mary smiled. “They were pretty good. Should we have some now?”

“Maybe later.” Rachel jumped up. “Let’s jump on the trampoline for a while!”

Audra clapped her hands and jumped up, too. “Oh good; I love jumping on your trampoline!”

The girls ran down the steps, hurried across the yard, and climbed onto the trampoline. They’d only been jumping a few minutes when Jacob and Brian rushed out of the barn and raced over to the trampoline.

“Oh no,” Rachel groaned. “Looks like we’ve got company.”

“Should we get off?” Mary asked.

“No way!” Rachel shook her head. “We were here first, so we’re staying!”

“Let’s have some fun!” Jacob hollered as he and Brian climbed onto the trampoline.

Boing! Boing! Boing!
Jacob jumped so high that all three girls toppled over.

Jacob laughed.

Brian laughed.

Rachel glared at Jacob.

Audra glared at Brian.

Mary climbed off the trampoline. “I think I’ll watch from here,” she said.

Brian did a few jumps; then he flipped into the air. “Woo-hoo! This is so much fun!” He bounced high again, causing Rachel to flip into the air and fall onto the ground.

“Oomph!” She brushed some chunks of grass from her dress; then she scrambled to her feet and shook her finger at Brian. “You’d better be careful jumping like that or you might wet your pants!”

Brian’s face turned red as a ripe tomato. He scowled at Audra. “Did you tell Rachel about my problem?”

“What problem is that?” Jacob asked before Audra could respond.

“He wets the bed,” Rachel blurted out.

Jacob nudged Brian’s arm. “Is that true?”

Brian hung his head, and his face turned even redder. “I’m gonna get even with you for this, Audra,” he muttered. “I can’t believe you’d blab something like that to Rachel.”

“I–I’m sorry,” Audra sputtered. “I didn’t think she would tell anyone.”

Tears stung Rachel’s eyes. “I—I didn’t meant to say what I did. My tongue just slipped.”

Brian looked over at Jacob with a pathetic expression. “I don’t wet the bed all the time, but when I do it’s so embarrassing. Mom says I’ll grow out of it someday, and I sure hope it’s soon.”

Jacob thumped Brian on the back a couple of times. “It’s okay. I won’t tell anyone; I promise.” He looked at Rachel and frowned. “You’d better keep your nose out of other people’s business, and you’d better keep quiet about Brian’s problem. If you don’t, I’ll tell everyone that you used to wet the bed.”

“I—I only did it until I was five.” A tear slipped out of Rachel’s eye and rolled down her cheek. “You can ask Mom if you don’t believe me.”

“Even so, if you tell anyone else about Brian’s problem, then I’ll tell them about yours,” Jacob said.

“I won’t say a word,” Rachel promised. Even though her bed-wetting days were in the past, she didn’t want anyone else to know.

“I think we should change the subject,” Mary said.

“You’re right.” Audra climbed off the trampoline. “I think we girls should go up to Rachel’s room and play with her dolls.”

Rachel didn’t play with dolls anymore. She felt too grown-up for that. Still, it would be better than staying out here with the boys.

“All right,” she said with a nod. “The boys can have the trampoline all to themselves!”

Later that day, when Mom got home, Mary asked if she could hold Hannah again.

“Jah, sure,” Mom said. “You can hold her until I’m ready to start lunch.” She looked at Rachel and smiled. “Did you and Mary have a good morning?”

Rachel nodded. “Audra and Brian came over to play, but they went home awhile ago.” She hoped Mary wouldn’t mention what had been said about Brian wetting the bed. Rachel didn’t want a lecture from Mom for blabbing something she shouldn’t have blabbed.

“I’m glad Mary was able to meet Audra.” Mom smiled at Mary. “Did you enjoy spending time with Rachel’s new friend?”

Mary nodded. “We jumped on the trampoline for a while, and then we played with Rachel’s dolls.” She sat in the living room rocker. “I’m ready to hold Hannah now.”

Mom placed the baby in Mary’s lap. “I’m going to the kitchen to get lunch started. I’ll call you when it’s time to set the table,” she said, looking at Rachel.

Rachel nodded.

When Mom left the room, Rachel sighed with relief. She was thankful Mary hadn’t said anything about Brian wetting the bed.

“Since you’re busy holding Hannah, I think I’ll go out to the barn and see if Cuddles or Snowball is there,” Rachel said to Mary.

“Sure, go ahead.” Mary hummed as she rocked the baby.

Rachel rolled her eyes and hurried from the room. She didn’t know why Mary thought she had to hold Hannah so much. As soon as Rachel opened the barn door, she heard voices. It sounded like Pap and Henry were in one of the horse’s stalls.

“When are Grandpa and Grandma Yoder leaving?” she heard Henry ask.

“Within the next week or so,” Pap said.

Rachel held her breath and leaned against the wall as she continued to listen to their conversation.

Henry said something else, but Rachel couldn’t make out the words. She inched a bit closer to the horses’ stalls.

“Wisconsin’s a nice place. I think they’ll…” Pap’s voice trailed off.

Rats!
Rachel thought.
I wish I knew what else he said. Are Grandpa and Grandma Yoder moving to Wisconsin? Oh, I sure hope not!

She moved a bit closer to the stall, and—
ploop!—
stepped right in a bucket.

“Oh no!” Rachel groaned as she lifted her bare foot out of the bucket. It was covered with white paint!

“Rachel, is that you?” Pap stuck his head around the corner of the stall. He looked at Rachel, and his mouth dropped open. “What are you doing with your foot in that bucket of paint?”

“I—I didn’t do it on purpose,” Rachel stammered. “I was trying to hear what you and Henry were saying, and—”

“You were listening in on our conversation?”

She nodded. “I heard you say something about Grandpa and Grandpa Yoder moving to Wisconsin, and—”

“Grandpa and Grandma aren’t moving anywhere,” Henry said, stepping out of the stall. “They’re going to Wisconsin on a trip, that’s all.”

Rachel’s face heated up. “Oh. I—I guess I must have jumped to conclusions.”

“Well, you’d better jump out of that paint bucket and wash off your foot,” Pap said. “And no more listening to other people’s conversations!”

Rachel hopped on one foot out the barn door and over to the hose. Then she turned on the water and washed the paint off her foot. “Trouble, trouble, trouble,” she mumbled and grumbled.

When Rachel was sure she had all the paint washed off, she hurried back to the house, no longer in the mood to play with the cats.

She found Mom in the kitchen, making ham and cheese sandwiches. “Your timing is perfect, Rachel,” she said. “I was just about to call you.”

“Do you want me to set the table?” Rachel asked.

“Jah, and then I’d like you to go down to the greenhouse and tell your
grossdaadi
[grandfather] that lunch is about ready.”

“Okay.”

Rachel hurried and set the table; then she raced out the back door and headed for Grandpa’s greenhouse. She was halfway there when she spotted Grandpa coming out of the greenhouse with Abe Byler, a member of the school board. The two men stood with their backs to Rachel.

I wonder what they’re talking about
, Rachel thought.
If I move closer, I might be able to hear what they’re saying
. She ducked under the branches of the maple tree near the greenhouse and leaned against the trunk of the tree.

“Jah, that’s right,” Abe said to Grandpa. “Why, it’s my understanding that the whole school system seems to be falling to ruins.”

“That’s too bad.” Grandpa slowly shook his head. “It’s a real shame.”

“And that teacher is so lazy. I think she ought to be fired from her job.” Abe grunted. “Do you know that…”

Bzzz…bzzz…bzzz
…

Rachel swatted at a bee buzzing around her head. She had to hear the rest of what Abe had to say. This was all so shocking! She’d never thought her teacher, Elizabeth, was lazy!

Maybe I should say something,
she thought
. Abe and Grandpa need to know that Elizabeth’s not lazy. She’s a wonderful teacher. Oh, I hope she won’t lose her job!

Rachel was about to move away from the tree, when—
Bzzz…bzzz
. That pesky old bee stung her right on the nose!

“Yeow!” Rachel waved her hands and jumped up and down.

Grandpa whirled around. “What’s the matter with you, Rachel? Why are you carrying on like that?”

“A big old
iem
[bee] stung me right here.” Rachel pointed to her nose and tried not to cry.

“I’m sorry that happened. Where were you standing when the iem got you?” Grandpa asked. “There might be a nest someplace that needs to be removed.”

Rachel motioned to the tree. “I was right there.”

“Just what were you doing under the tree?” Grandpa’s eyes narrowed. “Were you listening to Abe’s and my conversation?”

Rachel nodded slowly as tears clouded her vision. She reached under her glasses and wiped them away. “I—I heard Abe say that our whole school is in ruins, and that—”
Sniff! Sniff!
“That Elizabeth is lazy and should be fired.”

Deep wrinkles formed across Abe’s forehead. “I never said that.”

“Jah you did. I heard you say it.” Rachel sniffed a couple more times. “Elizabeth’s not lazy. She works real hard. She’s the best teacher anyone could ever want.”

Abe looked at Grandpa then back at Rachel. “For your information, I was talking about another school district—the one where my brother lives. It’s his granddaughter’s schoolteacher who’s gotten lazy, not yours.”

“Oh, I’m so glad.” Rachel covered her mouth with the palm of her hand. “I—I didn’t mean that I’m glad your granddaughter’s schoolteacher is lazy. I just meant to say—”

“I know what you meant.” Abe looked back at Grandpa. “Guess this is my fault for spreading a bit of gossip. I really shouldn’t have said anything about this at all. I hope you won’t repeat anything I told you.”

Grandpa shook his head. “Of course not.”

Abe turned toward his buggy. “I should be on my way now.” He gave Rachel a sympathetic look. “I hope that the iem
schteche
[sting] doesn’t hurt too much.”

She forced a smile and shook her head. “Guess I deserve it for nosing around.”