Huckleberry Hill

by Jennifer Beckstrand

  Lia caught Moses’s eye, and he flashed that boyish grin. “Has anyone heard any more jokes about Delaware?”

  Lia stifled a laugh by covering her mouth with her hand.

  Moses noticed the gesture and said, “I think Lia knows a funny joke.”

  Before Lia could come up with a reply, Rachel grimaced. “Is anybody else’s bread doughy?” She put down her fork and huffed to indicate that she was put out. “I can’t eat it. It’s raw in the center.”

  Lia’s mirth evaporated. She glanced at Anna in concern. All her worst fears were realized. The distress was evident on Anna’s face, and her voice shook when she spoke. “Oh dear. I must have read the recipe wrong. I wanted it to be so special.”

  Moses stopped eating and stared pointedly at Rachel, as if willing her to repair the damage she had done. Lia’s mind raced for something to smooth things over with Anna.

  Felty patted Anna’s hand. “Nae, Annie Banannie, it is delicious. I never tasted better.”

  Lia tried to find Rachel a way out of the corner she’d painted herself into. “Rachel, I think you’ve mistaken the melted cheese for bread dough. They both have the same consistency.”

  “No, I haven’t. This bread is raw.”

  “Well, don’t eat it,” Anna said, blinking rapidly to keep the tears from pooling in her eyes. She stood and picked up the platter of pinwheels. “Don’t anybody eat it. I will whip up a batch of pancakes.” She smiled weakly. “That’s why we try new recipes, to see which ones are good and which ones aren’t.”

  Moses cleared his throat, took the platter from Mammi, and laid it back on the table. “There is no reason to make pancakes when this food is so tasty, Mammi. Lia and Dawdi and I love it. But remember what Lia told us about Rachel? She is delicate.” Moses reached over and brushed the back of his index finger along Rachel’s cheek.

  Lia tried not to flinch as Rachel seemed to melt like butter. She half closed her eyes and leaned a few inches closer to Moses.

  Moses pulled his hand away from her face. “Some people are extra sensitive to food textures. Rachel probably has very ticklish taste buds.”

  Rachel gazed at Moses as if he were the only person in the room. “I do. When I was little I would gag if Mamm made me eat broccoli.”

  Anna nodded doubtfully at Moses and sat down. She scooted in her chair and picked up her napkin. “I am glad to know that most of you like it. Lia worked hard rolling out the dough.”

  The exchange between Moses and Rachel struck Lia mute. In another week, they’d be professing their undying love for one another.

  She ate the rest of her mushy bread in silence while Felty and Moses talked about Moses’s newfangled buggy and disagreed about getting a telephone shack installed at the top of the lane.

  Felty was adamant that he didn’t need one. “What would I do with a telephone? Listen to it ring all day long and try to talk salesmen out of selling me things?”

  “I worry about you two up here all by yourselves,” Moses said. “The bishop would approve a phone for emergencies. What if one of you fell? You’d have to crawl all the way to a hospital.”

  Anna patted Lia’s hand. “We have Lia. She takes good care of us. Don’t you, Lia?”

  Lia still couldn’t speak. She glanced at Moses and nodded.

  Anna studied Lia’s face and furrowed her brow. “We can’t get along without our Lia.”

  Moses sprouted a crooked grin. “Maybe we’ll have to convince Lia to stay year-round to take the place of a telephone.”

  “Jah,” Anna said. “We want Lia to stay forever.”

  Rachel bit her bottom lip and looked up coyly at Moses. “What about me?”

  “Friends of Lia’s are always welcome here,” Felty said.

  Lia chastised herself for being so irritable. She gave Anna a good imitation of a cheerful expression and rose to clear the plates.

  Moses gathered forks and knives and cups and joined her at the sink. “What? No pie tonight?”

  “I got busy doctoring Rachel’s foot.”

  “You did a gute job. Did you knit that wrapping around her foot while she sat there? It seems to fit perfectly.”

  Lia cracked a smile. “I’m not as fast as Anna.”

  Moses put the plug in the sink and turned on the water. “Who is?”

  Lia buried her hands in the water, but Moses nudged her aside. “My turn to wash.”

  “I can wash.”

  “Why should you get all the fun? My skin gets all wrinkly like old-man hands.”

  A laugh tripped from Lia’s lips. She found it difficult to be gloomy when Moses was near.

  Rachel remained on her perch at the table while Felty, Anna, Lia, and Moses did up the dishes. Felty dried while leading them in a chorus of “In the Sweet By-and-By.” It seemed the only times Felty didn’t sing were when he slept and when he ate. And as he had a fondness for making up his own words, Lia, Anna, and Moses followed along as best they could.

  Lia forgot all her unhappiness when Moses tried to harmonize with Felty. He sang perfectly awful off-key notes at the top of his lungs. Sparky howled along and kept time with her tail.

  Rachel kindly lifted her feet when Lia swept under her chair, and Moses held the dustpan for her dirt.

  “I’m trying to improve my sweeping skills,” she said as she swept up the last of the crumbs. “I have discovered there are men who don’t want to marry me because I am not a gute sweeper.”

  “That’s silly,” Rachel said. “Nobody cares how you sweep. It’s because you’re too tall.”

  A cloud passed over Moses’s face before he grinned mischievously and said, “You think I’m too tall?” He clutched his chest. “I’m crushed.”

  Rachel giggled at Moses’s dramatics. “I’m talking about Lia, not you.”

  “Lia thinks I’m too tall?” Moses put his hand to his throat and made a choking sound. “I’m devastated.”

  Rachel knew he was teasing, but she must have wanted to make herself perfectly clear. “No, Moses. Lia is too tall for the boys.”

  Moses draped an arm around Lia’s shoulder. A thrill traveled up Lia’s spine even as she tried to think of him as a brother—or more likely—a brother-in-law. “I love tall girls. Two women at the auction told Lia she should be a model for a magazine.”

  Lia tried hard not to let his praise wheedle its way into her emotions. He didn’t mean anything by it.

  Rachel acted bored with the conversation. “Who cares what the Englisch like? I’m glad I’m not tall.” She pushed her chair out from under the table with her good foot. “Moses, will you carry me back to the sofa?”

  “Jah, I will.” Moses handed the full dustpan to Lia, picked up Rachel, and hastily deposited her on the sofa. “I must go, Mammi.”

  Mammi finished wiping the table. “So soon? Don’t you have time for a game of Scrabble?”

  “Nae, but I will return Thursday. Lia and I still need to stack those limbs. We could have a bonfire.”

  Rachel fluffed the pillow on the sofa. “If my toe is better, we can roast marshmallows.”

  Moses grinned sideways at Lia. “Are you planning on holding your stick with your foot?”

  Lia rewarded his teasing with a smile.

  “Oh, I almost forgot,” Moses said. “I have something for you in my buggy.”

  Rachel beamed. “For me?”

  “For Lia.”

  Rachel’s face fell to the cellar.

  Lia felt a twinge of guilt for not having more sympathy for her sister. “I’ll walk out with you to fetch it.”

  Moses kissed his mammi and hugged Felty and retrieved his hat from the hook. “I’ll hitch up the buggy,” he said before nodding to Lia and closing the door behind him.

  Rachel frowned. “Help me up, Lia. If you let me lean on you, I can walk out too.”

  Lia hung the broom in the closet. “I’ll just be a minute.”

  “I’ve been sitting on this sofa all afternoon. I want to say good-bye to Moses and get some fresh ai
r. We’ll make it out there in plenty of time before he has the buggy hitched.”

  Reluctantly, Lia helped Rachel from the sofa and put her arm around Rachel’s waist. Rachel hooked her hand around Lia’s shoulder and leaned on her for support.

  Rachel winced as she put weight on her injured foot. “Lia, you’ve got to hold me up better than that.”

  “Why don’t you stay put?” Lia said. “I’ll be out and back before you even get comfortable on the couch.”

  Rachel took a tentative step with her good leg. “I want to go out.”

  They stumbled a few steps together before Rachel scowled and let go of Lia completely. “We’re wasting time.” She glanced out the window, sighed in annoyance, and hopped deftly across the kitchen. After opening the door, she turned to Lia and pursed her lips. “Well, come on. I need your help across the yard.”

  Lia wanted to point out that Rachel seemed to be doing a much better job of getting around on her own. Instead, she wrapped her arm around Rachel’s waist, and they shambled to the porch together.

  Moses caught sight of them while guiding the horse between the buggy shafts, and Lia wasn’t surprised by the look of irritation that flashed across his face. Determined that they would not delay him further, Lia released Rachel and jogged to Moses’s buggy.

  “Lia, stop. Come back and help me.”

  Lia tried to ignore the protests behind her. If Rachel wanted to be near Moses, she would have to find a way to him all by herself.

  As Lia got close, Moses’s annoyance seemed to evaporate, and he reached into the buggy and pulled out a thick purple book. “Sarah wanted me to bring this to you.”

  Midwifery, volume two. Lia’s heart swelled with gratitude. Sarah had not forgotten her. “Oh, denki, Moses. I have finished the first one. I’ll get it so you can take it back to Sarah.”

  Cradling the heavy book in her arms like a baby, Lia ran past Rachel and ignored the sour look her sister gave her. The first book sat on her bed, available for easy reference at any hour of the day. Lia thumbed through its pages, doing her best to hold a picture of each lesson in her memory. She didn’t want to forget a bit of the precious information. The margins were filled with plentiful notes, and several makeshift bookmarks made from scraps of newspaper poked out of the top of the book. Those held places with especially important information. Should she pull them out? No. Perhaps Sarah would let her borrow it back sometime.

  She came into the kitchen and saw Anna and Felty gazing out the window. Felty wore a crooked grin and Anna’s puckered lips hinted at a smile. Lia scooted next to them to see why they were so amused.

  Rachel hopped daintily toward Moses, all the while calling out to him and trying to engage him in conversation. Lia couldn’t hear what Rachel said, but she kept up a steady stream of words as she hopped ever closer. Moses didn’t seem to notice her or rather was too busy fiddling with a strap and buckle to pay her any mind.

  When Rachel got close enough, Moses turned slowly to look at her. The shadow hovering over his face gave way to a kindly smile.

  “She’s determined,” Felty said.

  Anna turned from the window and patted Felty on the arm. “Now, Felty.”

  Should she give Moses and Rachel some time alone together before racing outside with her book? The stones piled on her chest again, and she recognized that unreasonable sadness she felt every time she thought of Moses.

  Lia pressed her lips together and stepped outside. If Moses wanted time with Rachel, he would have to finagle a way to get it. Lia would not be his faithful assistant, even if Dat wanted her to.

  “Here’s Sarah’s book,” Lia said, striding across the yard. “Thank her for me.”

  “Why do you need a book like that?” Rachel asked.

  Moses eyed Lia and turned the book over in his hand. “You’ve read this a few times.”

  “Should I buy Sarah a new one? She told me to make notes.”

  “I think Sarah will be impressed that you studied so hard.”

  Rachel reached out and held on to Lia’s arm to steady herself. “I’d die of boredom if I had to read a book that long.”

  Moses kept his eyes on Lia and laid the book on the seat of his buggy. “Lia is smart. I don’t think learning something new would ever bore her.”

  Lia’s heart jumped about for a few seconds while Moses checked the straps one more time. “I will see you on Thursday.”

  Rachel put a small amount of weight on her injured foot. “Before you go, will you carry me back to the house? Lia isn’t strong enough.”

  Moses climbed into his buggy. “You seem to be able to get around on your own quite well.” Without another word, he slid his door shut and coaxed the horse forward.

  Lia knew she shouldn’t, but she wanted to laugh at Rachel’s dumbfounded expression. No man had ever withstood Rachel’s charms before.

  Lia couldn’t fathom why Moses would pass up an opportunity to be close to Rachel. Maybe he thought his resistance would make him more desirable, but Moses didn’t seem the type to play such games. Lia didn’t take her eyes off Moses until his buggy disappeared down the hill. What went on in that man’s head was a mystery.

  “Cum, Rachel. I will help you back.”

  Rachel rolled her eyes and huffed out a big breath of air. “Don’t bother, Lia. You are no help at all.”

  She bent over, unrolled the scarf wrapped around her foot, and tossed it at Lia. After pausing to cautiously wiggle her toes, she marched back to the house with a barely discernible limp.

  Chapter Ten

  Moses groaned inwardly. Rachel must have seen him coming. She swung the door open with such force it fanned up a breeze. Stepping forward, she gifted him with a coy smile that must send the boys in Wautoma over the moon. It only served to irritate Moses. He didn’t like it when girls thought they could manipulate him.

  “Moses, we didn’t expect you until tomorrow. You just can’t stay away, can you?”

  “Actually, I’ve come for Lia,” he said.

  Rachel pressed her rosebud lips into a rigid line and glanced over Moses’s shoulder as if hoping someone more accommodating waited for her in line behind him.

  Moses tried not to take satisfaction in her reaction. He didn’t want to be spiteful, but one afternoon spent in Rachel’s company was quite enough. He had forced himself to be nice because it wasn’t in his nature to be rude and because Rachel was Lia’s sister. He would never want to injure Lia by doing anything to embarrass Rachel. When Rachel had insulted Mammi’s cooking, he remembered his manners and tried to find a way to spare Mammi’s feelings without embarrassing Rachel. For Lia’s sake.

  How did Lia put up with such a sister?

  Folding her arms, Rachel stood in the doorway silently conveying the message that if Moses wanted someone else in the house besides her, he’d have to do his own work.

  Luckily, Mammi saved him from Rachel’s withering stare. Mammi came into the kitchen and saw Moses standing on the porch. “Moses. What a nice surprise. Come in, come in.”

  She took his hand and pulled him past Rachel. “Would you like a piece of pie? Lia made it for supper, but I sometimes eat pie right after breakfast. It looks delicious. We still have apples in the cellar.”

  “I came to fetch Lia,” Moses said. “Is she here?”

  Mammi’s eyes twinkled like sunlight on the water. “Jah, scrubbing the toilet. I will go see about her.” She tripped lightly down the hall with Sparky following close behind.

  Moses glanced at Rachel, who still regarded him with an air of displeasure. “I see your foot has made a speedy recovery.”

  She slightly shifted her weight off yesterday’s injured foot. “It hurts something terrible, but Anna really needs my help, so I am enduring through the pain.”

  “Denki for helping my mammi. She is slowing down a bit.”

  Rachel softened her posture and tilted her head to one side. “Anything for Anna. She is a dear. You are blessed to have such a wonderful grandmother.”
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br />   With Mammi following, Lia appeared wearing bright yellow plastic gloves and holding a spray bottle of window cleaner. Her face was flushed, and her eyes briefly darted from Rachel to Moses. “I thought we were stacking limbs tomorrow.”

  Must he be in a constant state of annoyance whenever he came within ten feet of one of the Shetler girls? He was annoyed with Rachel because he didn’t like her and she wanted him for a husband. He was annoyed with Lia because she was too beautiful and the perfect height and she spoke her mind. And the most annoying thing was that he enjoyed the sensation of his heart flopping around in his chest whenever he saw her. If he had more self-control, he wouldn’t be so irritated.

  “Sarah is delivering a baby. She called my factory and asked me to bring you over. If you want to.”

  Lia’s face bloomed into a dazzling smile—the one that always took Moses’s breath from him. “Oh, yes. Thank you so much.” She lifted her spray bottle. “Do you think I have time to finish the bathroom?”

  “Now, Lia,” Mammi said in her kindly, scolding tone, “Rachel will manage fine.”

  Rachel regained her good humor. “I think I will go too. I have never seen a baby be born.”

  It took everything in Moses’s power to be nice. “I’m sure Lia would enjoy having you there, but Sarah is very particular. No one is allowed but who she allows. They’ll make out better if you stay to home.”

  Rachel stuck out her bottom lip. She must have believed that this somehow made her irresistible. “They need lots of help when a baby comes into the world. Sarah will be happy for an extra pair of hands.”

  Moses felt his face get hot. For Lia’s sake, he didn’t want to hurt Rachel’s feelings, but her coming was out of the question.

  Lia snapped the gloves off her hands. Her soft, indulgent tone surprised Moses. “You were not invited, Rachel. You will only be in the way and what you see could make you very upset.” Lia rubbed her hand up and down Rachel’s arm. “I’m sorry. You can’t come.”