Look Out, Lancaster County

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

  A few minutes later, Rachel returned to her room and knelt by her bed to say her prayers. “Heavenly Father, bless everyone in my family, and let the angels surround my bed as I sleep through the night. Amen.”

  She picked up her favorite book, turned down the oil lamp, shut the window, and crawled into bed next to an already-sleeping Cuddles.

  Rachel held the book close to the jar, but to her surprise, no light came from it. She tapped on the side of the glass. Still nothing. No twinkling lights. Not a single one.

  “What’s going on?” Rachel set the book aside and grasped the lid on the jar. She twisted the lid off and peered inside. “Hmm … maybe they’ve fallen asleep.” She jiggled the jar this way and that. “Wake up you sleepy fireflies, and give me some light.”

  Suddenly, the room began to glow, as tiny, shimmering fireflies flittered toward the ceiling. Some flew to the left. Some soared to the right. Some drifted down and landed on Rachel’s stomach.

  “I’m all lit up!” She jumped out of bed, and some of the fireflies went with her. Reaching out with one hand, and then quickly with the other, she ran around the room, chasing the fireflies and laughing so hard her sides ached.

  Cuddles woke up and joined the chase, leaping into the air and swatting at the fireflies with her paws.

  “What’s all the ruckus about?” Mom said as she burst into Rachel’s room. She stopped just inside the door. “Oh, Rachel, what have you done?”

  “The fireflies quit glowing, so I opened the jar lid, and then—”

  “We’ve got to get them out of here,” Mom said as she clapped her hands together.

  “Please, don’t hurt any of them,” Rachel pleaded. “I’ll try to get every bug back into the jar.”

  “And how do you plan to get them back in that jar?”

  Rachel thought a minute. Mom was probably right. It would be hard to capture all those bugs. An idea popped into Rachel’s head. She rushed across the room, pulled up the window shade, and opened the window as wide as it would go. The cool evening breeze blew in, lifting Rachel’s long hair so it fell against her face. A few seconds later, little bugs blinking off and on sailed out her window and into the night sky.

  Rachel lit the oil lamp and looked around the room. “I think they’re all gone.”

  “So it would seem.” Mom moved past Rachel and shut the window. “Now into bed with you. From now on, there will be no more critters in this room.” She bent over and picked up Rachel’s cat, who sat in front of the window, meowing for all she was worth. “And that includes busslin with fleh [fleas]!”

  “I’m sure Cuddles doesn’t have fleas, and she likes it here with me.”

  Mom shook her head. “The kitten belongs in the barn, not in your room.”

  “If Cuddles had a flea collar, then could she come inside?”

  Mom tapped her chin as she tipped her head. “We’ll see.” She left the bedroom, carrying Cuddles and muttering, “Immer druwwle eiyets.”

  Rachel crawled back into bed with a grunt. Such a day this had turned out to be. There were secrets no one wanted her to know, bugs that wouldn’t shine when they should, and now Cuddles had been taken back to the barn with no promise of ever being allowed in Rachel’s room.

  Rachel felt lonely without her kitten and a bit nervous because the room was so dark again. To help her feel less afraid, she sang one of her favorite church songs, “Das Lob Lied,” which was “The Hymn of Praise.” It reminded her to praise God, even when things weren’t going the way she wanted them to.

  “Have a good night, Lord,” she whispered as her eyes drifted shut. “I’ll talk to You in the morning. And please help me stay out of trouble.”

  Chapter 7

  Birthday Surprises

  On the day before Rachel’s birthday, she and Esther went to town so Esther could get some fabric she needed for her wedding dress. Rachel asked to go to Kauffman’s to see if any of her painted rocks had sold.

  “Sure,” Esther agreed. “After we finish our errands, I’ll take you out for a late breakfast.” She tapped Rachel on the shoulder. “In the meantime, I’m going to the quilt shop across the street to look at some material. I’ll be back for you in half an hour.”

  “Okay.” Rachel hurried into the store, full of excitement. If all my rocks have sold, I might be able to take my new skateboard home today, Rachel thought as she headed to the display case to see the green and silver skateboard that would soon be hers. She skidded to a stop. The skateboard was gone. The case only displayed a pair of roller skates, a baseball glove, and a few jump ropes. He’s sold it! Noah Kauffman sold my skateboard. Tears filled Rachel’s eyes, and she bit her bottom lip, struggling not to cry.

  When Noah finished waiting on a customer, he walked up to Rachel and said, “Good morning, Rachel. Have you come to collect your money for the painted rocks I’ve sold?”

  She sighed. Money? What good was money if she couldn’t have the skateboard?

  “All your rocks are gone, and I have your consignment money waiting,” he said with a smile.

  “But the skateboard I wanted to buy is gone.”

  Noah nodded. “The one you put on layaway, right?”

  “You said you’d keep it until I had enough money, but it’s not there anymore.”

  “It’s still in the store. I keep my layaways in the back room,” Mr. Kauffman said.

  “Am I ever glad to hear that!” Rachel exclaimed.

  “Should we take care of the money matter now?”

  “Jah, please.”

  “Your part of the profit is five dollars.”

  Rachel’s smile quickly turned to a frown. “Is that all?”

  Noah nodded. “I charged one dollar for each of your rocks, and your half for ten rocks is five dollars.”

  “But that’s not nearly enough for the skateboard.”

  “Do you have any more painted rocks to sell?” he asked. “The tourists seem to like them. Especially the ones you painted to look like ladybugs and turtles.”

  Rachel shook her head. “I would need to paint more, and since my birthday is tomorrow, I had hoped to get the skateboard today.”

  “I’m sorry, Rachel,” Noah said. “I guess it will have to be a late birthday present.”

  With her head down and her shoulders slumped, Rachel walked away. She would wait for Esther outside. If she stayed in the store, she would only think about the wonderful, shiny skateboard she wouldn’t be riding on her birthday.

  As Rachel waited on the sidewalk, she stood with her arms folded, watching plain horse and buggies and shiny, fast cars pass on the street. When she spotted an English boy riding a skateboard on the sidewalk, she felt worse.

  It’s not fair that I can’t have my new skateboard today, she thought. If I can’t find the time to paint any more rocks, I may never have enough money to get the skateboard off layaway.

  Rachel closed her eyes and tried to think about something else—anything to get her mind off the skateboard she wouldn’t have in time for her birthday.

  When Rachel heard someone clear their throat, she opened her eyes. It was Esther coming to take her to breakfast. At least that was something to smile about.

  A short time later, Rachel and Esther sat in a booth at the restaurant. “What would you like to order?” their waitress asked, looking at Esther.

  Esther smiled at the young English woman. “I think I’ll have a blueberry waffle and a cup of hot tea.” She glanced over at Rachel. “Would you like to place your own order, or would you rather I do it for you?”

  “I can do it.” Rachel looked up at the waitress and said, “I’d like my waffle to be strawberry, please. Oh, and I would also like to have a glass of grape fruit juice.”

  The waitress raised her dark eyebrows and flipped her ponytail with one hand. “Are you sure that’s the kind of juice you want?”

  Rachel nodded. Of course she was sure. She wouldn’t have ordered it if she wasn’t sure.

  The waitress shrugged, wrote Ra
chel’s order on her tablet, and walked away.

  While they waited for their meal, Rachel asked Esther, “Did you get the material you wanted for your wedding dress?”

  Esther smiled. “I found just the right shade of blue. I also bought the white material I’ll need to make the apron.” She nodded at Rachel. “How about you? Did you buy anything at Kauffman’s Store?”

  Rachel shook her head. “Not really.” She was tempted to tell her sister about the skateboard she had put on layaway but decided it would be best not to mention it right now. Esther might think Rachel was selfish for wanting to buy her own birthday present. Besides, she didn’t have the skateboard and might never own it if she couldn’t earn enough money. “I’m sure glad we haven’t had any more rain lately,” she said, changing the subject.

  Esther glanced out the window. “This day has started off warm, so a nice rain shower would be very gut.”

  Rachel was about to argue the point when their waitress arrived with Esther’s tea and a glass of strange-looking juice for Rachel. Instead of purple, like grape juice should be, it was yellow.

  Rachel reached for the glass and sipped. “Ugh! This isn’t sweet like grape fruit juice.”

  “It’s what you ordered,” the waitress said.

  Rachel shook her head. “No, I—”

  “You said you wanted a glass of grapefruit juice, and that’s what I brought you. I’ll be right back with your breakfast.” The waitress walked away before Rachel could say anything more.

  Rachel frowned and puckered her lips.

  “What’s wrong?” Esther asked, leaning toward Rachel. “Don’t you like grapefruit juice?”

  “I—I thought I had ordered grape juice, not this sour-tasting stuff.” She lifted her glass and wrinkled her nose. “Do I have to drink this?”

  “What do you think Mom or Pap would say about that?”

  “They’d probably say it would be wasteful not to drink it.”

  Esther reached across the table and picked up Rachel’s glass. “Then I shall drink it for you, and you can order the right kind of juice this time.”

  Rachel breathed a sigh of relief. “Danki, Esther.” She hated to cause trouble, but she was sure glad she didn’t have to drink it!

  Her sister smiled. “You are most welcome.”

  Rachel awoke the next morning, knowing that today was her tenth birthday and that the one thing she wanted most still sat in the back of Kauffman’s Store. Maybe after she finished her chores for the day, she could paint more rocks for consignment. However, she still wouldn’t get the skateboard today.

  When Rachel entered the kitchen, she found her mother standing near the cupboard.

  “Guder mariye [Good morning]. Happy birthday,” said Mom.

  “Good morning. Where is everyone?” Rachel asked.

  “Pap, Henry, and Jacob are outside doing their chores. Esther went somewhere with Rudy, and they’ll eat breakfast out.” Mom nodded toward the cupboard across the room. “Would you please get out the maple syrup? I’ve fixed some buttermilk pancakes this morning, and they’re keeping warm in the oven.”

  Rachel went to the cupboard and took the syrup down from the shelf.

  “If you will please set the table, we can eat as soon as the men come inside,” Mom said as she took some butter from the refrigerator.

  Rachel hurried to get the dishes and silverware out. She had just placed the glasses on the table when the back door creaked open. Henry and Jacob clomped into the kitchen.

  “Pap will be right in,” Henry told Mom as he went to the sink to wash his hands. When he finished, he turned to Rachel and said, “Happy birthday, sister.”

  Rachel noticed that Jacob held his arms behind his back, like he might be hiding something. She craned her neck to see what it was, but he kept turning this way and that to block her view. “Can I open my gifts before we eat?” Rachel asked.

  “Gifts? Who said anything about gifts?” Pap said as he stepped into the kitchen.

  Rachel giggled. “I think you’re teasing me. Jacob and Henry must have a gift because they look guilty, and Jacob’s hiding something behind his back.”

  Pap chuckled, causing his beard to jiggle up and down. “So, who wants to go first?”

  “We will.” Jacob held his hands in front of him, revealing a homemade wooden skateboard with shiny chrome wheels. “Henry and I have been working on this for weeks.”

  Rachel’s mouth dropped open. “Is—is this the secret you were whispering about the other night?”

  Henry nodded, and Jacob grinned.

  “I—I hardly know what to say,” she stammered.

  “We knew you wanted a skateboard,” Jacob said, handing it to her.

  “Jah, you’ve dropped plenty of hints,” Henry put in.

  “I know, but I didn’t think I would ever get one, so I—” Rachel’s voice trailed off. How could she tell her brothers that she had put her own skateboard on layaway? The homemade skateboard wasn’t nearly as beautiful as the green and silver one at Kauffman’s Store, but she knew it would hurt her brothers’ feelings if she refused their gift. So Rachel took the skateboard and smiled. “Danki, Jacob. Danki, Henry.”

  “You’re welcome,” they both said.

  Rachel wondered what she would do with two skateboards if she went ahead and bought the skateboard at Kauffman’s. Should she tell Noah to take the fancy one off layaway and then spend her money on something else? I’ll figure that out later, she decided. Right now I just want to enjoy my birthday.

  “Now it’s my turn,” Mom said as she headed across the room to her sewing cabinet. She removed a small basket and handed it to Rachel.

  Rachel set the skateboard on the floor and opened the lid of the basket. Inside were some pins, needles, thread, scissors, and several small pieces of material.

  “I thought it was time you had your own sewing basket,” Mom said.

  Rachel didn’t like to sew. She would much rather be outside playing with Cuddles, climbing a tree, or wading in the creek. But she didn’t want to hurt her mother’s feelings, so she smiled and said, “Danki, Mom.”

  Mom smiled and nodded, then she nudged Pap’s arm with her elbow. “It’s your turn, Levi.”

  Pap opened the front of his shirt and pulled out a small package wrapped in brown paper. He handed it to Rachel and winked. “This is just for fun.”

  Rachel opened Pap’s present. Inside, she found a bag of licorice and a large metal ring with a handle on one end. “Licorice is my favorite candy,” she said with a grin.

  Pap nodded. “Jah, I know. It’s my favorite, too.”

  Rachel picked up the metal ring. “What’s this, Pap?”

  “It’s a bubble blower. You just need a bowl full of soapy water with a squirt of glycerin added. Then you’ll be all set. With this special ring, you can make bigger bubbles than you ever imagined.”

  Rachel gave her father a hug. “I guess I will.”

  “You’ve received some nice birthday gifts,” Mom said, “but I think we should eat now.” She opened the oven and removed the baking dish filled with pancakes, and everyone gathered around the table.

  “Let’s pray, and then we’ll eat,” Pap said with a nod.

  Rachel enjoyed every bite of the delicious buttermilk pancakes Mom had made. When they finished their meal and Rachel had helped clean the kitchen, she decided to try out the bubble maker Pap had made for her.

  She stepped onto the back porch and sat on the top step. She set the pan of soapy water Mom had fixed next to her and dipped the metal wand into it. When she pulled the wand out and waved it in the breeze, she was surprised to see a huge bubble. It blew lazily across the yard. Rachel laughed, then quickly made more bubbles. Cuddles, who had been lying beside Rachel, sprang to her feet and jumped off the porch. The kitten dashed into the yard after the colorful bubbles, but just as her paw touched a bubble, it popped and disappeared.

  “You kischblich [silly] bussli! Here are some more bubbles for you to chase.”
Rachel waved the wand again and again, laughing each time Cuddles thought she could catch the shiny, see-through balls.

  “It looks as though you’re having fun. Mind if I join you?”

  Rachel turned and looked up at Pap, who stood behind her. She had been so busy playing that she hadn’t heard him come out the door. “You want to blow some bubbles?” she asked.

  “If you don’t mind sharing the wand.” Pap sat on the step beside her.

  “Of course I don’t mind.” Rachel handed the metal ring to her father, and he dipped it into the soapy water. Instead of waving the wand as she had done, he blew gently on it. A fat bubble formed. As it started to leave the ring, Pap blew again, causing a second bubble to form and stick to the first one. He blew one more time, and a third bubble stuck to the first two. Then he waved the ring slightly, and the three bubbles, still held together, sailed across the yard.

  Rachel clapped her hands. “Oh, Pap, you’ve made a triple! I’ve made doubles with my plastic bubble blower before, but I’ve never made a triple!”

  “Look at all the different colors—pink, purple, blue, yellow, and green.” Pap seemed almost as excited as Rachel. The twinkle in his clear blue eyes let her know he was having a good time.

  “The colorful bubbles remind me of a rainbow,” she said.

  He nodded. “That’s right, and the rainbow reminds me that the world God made is full of beauty.”

  “Like all the pretty flowers in Mom’s garden,” Rachel said dreamily. “Each one is full of beautiful colors.”

  Rachel noticed a faraway look in Pap’s eyes as he stared across the yard. “I’ve enjoyed looking at flowers ever since I was a boy. My older brothers often teased me about it, though,” he said with a wink.

  Rachel reached over and grabbed her father’s hand, squeezing it. So far her birthday had gone better than she’d expected.

  Chapter 8

  Skateboard Troubles