Look Out, Lancaster County

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

  Rachel tapped Henry on the shoulder. “Out to pasture? What does that mean?”

  “It means that since the horse isn’t good for anything, he’ll be put in the empty fields to spend the rest of his days alone,” Jacob said before Henry could answer.

  “But that’s not true,” Rachel argued. “Tom is good for lots of things.”

  Jacob snorted. “Name one.”

  Rachel rested her chin in the palm of her hand. “Let me see….”

  “You can’t think of anything, can you?”

  “Give me a minute, and I’ll come up with something.” Rachel squeezed her eyes shut and thought hard. A few minutes later, her eyes snapped open. “I’ve got one.”

  “What is it?”

  “Tom is good for petting because he’s nice and tame and doesn’t bite.”

  “Being good to pet doesn’t make him useful to Pap.”

  “Well, he’s useful to me.” Rachel pouted. “I love old Tom, and if he’s put out to pasture, then I’m going with him!”

  Jacob shook his head and muttered something about Rachel being lecherlich [ridiculous].

  I’m not ridiculous, Rachel thought. You’re just mean!

  She closed her eyes again and tried to relax, but she could only think about their poor buggy horse and what might happen to him. By the time they got home, she decided to talk with Pap.

  Rachel waited until everyone else had left the buggy and headed for the house. Then she hopped down and sprinted around to where Pap was unhitching the horse.

  “Can I speak to you a minute?” she asked, stepping beside him.

  “Jah, sure. What’s on your mind?”

  “It’s about old Tom.”

  Pap’s eyes narrowed. “That horse has been nothing but trouble for me these days. He’s through pulling our buggy.”

  “Oh, but, Pap—”

  “I mean it, Rachel. Old Tom gets tired and either walks too slow or stops in the middle of the road whenever he wants. I’m afraid he’s finished.”

  Tears filled Rachel’s eyes, blurring her vision. “You—you mean you’re going to sell him to the glue factory?”

  Pap tipped his head and looked at Rachel as if she had lost her mind. “Where did you ever get that idea?”

  She sniffed and reached out to pat the horse’s neck. “Jacob said you might sell him to the glue factory.”

  “You should know I’d never do that.” Pap stroked the end of Tom’s nose, and the horse nuzzled his hand. “I’m going to put this old fellow out to pasture.”

  “No, Pap, please don’t do that,” Rachel pleaded. “Tom wouldn’t like being out there all alone.”

  “He won’t be alone,” Pap said as he led the horse toward the barn. “My workhorses will be in the pasture with Tom when they’re not helping me and the boys in the fields. And Sam, my other buggy horse, will join them sometimes, too.”

  Rachel followed Pap and Tom into the barn. “So putting the horse out to pasture isn’t a bad thing?”

  Pap shook his head. “It just means he’ll take life a little easier from now on.”

  “You mean like Grandma and Grandpa Yoder who live in the daadihaus [grandfather’s house] next door to Uncle Ben and Aunt Irma’s?”

  “That’s right. Grandma and Grandpa can’t do all the things they used to, and they’re not expected to work as hard anymore.” Pap smiled. “Since they live in the grandfather’s house next to your uncle Ben, they’re never lonely, and someone is always close by to care for their needs.”

  Rachel sat on a bale of hay while Pap removed the dirt and sweat from old Tom with a currycomb and brush. “How soon do you plan to put the horse out to pasture?” she asked.

  Pap gave the horse’s flanks a gentle pat. “Probably tomorrow morning.”

  “And he’ll stay there and never be allowed in the barn again?”

  Pap shook his head. “He’ll be out in the pasture during the day and spend his nights in here, same as always.”

  “Hmm …” Rachel decided she would think of some way to make Tom’s retirement days more pleasant. She thought about Grandma and Grandpa, too, and how she wanted to do something special to let them know how much she loved them.

  The following day, Rachel asked Mom if she could have an apple and some carrots to take out to the pasture and give to old Tom. Mom said it was okay, so a few minutes later Rachel hurried out the back door, carrying a plastic bag with some carrots and an apple inside. When she reached the pasture, she found Tom lying under a tree near the fence. The old horse got up and wandered over to greet her as soon as she called his name.

  “Are you lonely, boy?” Rachel asked, climbing the fence and seating herself on the top rail so she could pet the horse.

  Tom neighed in response and nudged Rachel’s hand. “I brought you a treat,” she said, holding a carrot out to him.

  Tom chomped it hungrily and nudged her hand again.

  “Okay, okay. Don’t be in such a hurry,” she said with a chuckle.

  After Tom had finished the second carrot, she reached into the bag and offered him the apple. “Now this is your dessert.”

  Tom crunched the apple, snorted, and let out a loud neigh! Then he bumped Rachel’s hand again with his warm nose.

  “I don’t have anything else for you,” she said. “If you’re still hungry, you’ll have to eat some grass. That’s why it’s here, you know.”

  Tom twitched his nose and shook his head as if he were telling Rachel he didn’t want more grass.

  “I’ve got to go see Grandpa and Grandma Yoder now, but I’ll be back tomorrow.” She patted the horse’s head and was about to climb down when thud! The fence shook, pitching Rachel forward.

  “Agh!” Off the fence she flew, landing with a splat in the horses’ watering trough.

  Rachel pulled herself up, coughing and spitting water out of her mouth. One of their big billy goats stood on the other side of the fence, shaking its head and baaing so loud that Rachel had to cover her ears.

  “Shoo! Shoo! Get on back to the goat pen!” Rachel hollered, waving her hands. “Thanks to you butting the fence, I lost my balance and fell in the water trough.”

  The goat let out another loud baa and ran off.

  Rachel crawled out of the trough, wrung the water from her dress, and climbed back over the fence. “Always trouble somewhere,” she grumbled as she headed for the house.

  Later, dressed in clean, dry clothes, Rachel got Mom’s permission to pick a few flowers to take to Grandma. She had painted a rock for Grandpa and put it inside a canvas bag that she set on the porch while she picked flowers.

  After Rachel had a bouquet of pretty pink flowers in one hand, she picked up her canvas bag. She was about to head out when she spotted Cuddles sitting inside one of Pap’s old work boots on the porch. “You silly bussli,” she said with a laugh. “What are you doing in there?”

  Cuddles looked at Rachel and meowed.

  “Are you stuck? Do you need help getting out?” Rachel set the flowers and the canvas bag on the porch step and bent over. She lifted Cuddles by the scruff of her neck, then set the kitten on the porch. “There, now. That’s better, isn’t it?”

  Cuddles jumped back into the boot with another meow!

  Rachel shook her finger in the kitten’s face. “I don’t have time to play your silly games. I’m going to see Grandma and Grandpa Yoder now.” She plucked Cuddles out of the boot for a second time and set her on the porch.

  The kitten leaped into the boot again and stared at Rachel, as if to say, “I dare you to make me move.”

  Rachel grabbed her canvas bag and the flowers and then stepped off the porch. “You can stay there the rest of the day, for all I care.” She headed around the side of the house and stopped to look at a grasshopper sitting on the sidewalk. Suddenly, Cuddles dashed around the corner of the house and pounced on her bare foot. “What’s gotten into you today, Cuddles?”

  The kitten rolled onto her back and pawed at the air, like she did whenever
she wanted Rachel to scratch her stomach.

  Rachel stepped around the cat. “Not now, Cuddles. I need to get these flowers over to Grandma before they wilt.” She stuck her foot out and nudged the cat a little, but Cuddles leaped up and swiped Rachel’s leg with her paw.

  Rachel jumped back. “Ouch! Your claws are sharp, and you should be ashamed of yourself for being so mean.” Of course, Rachel knew her kitten wasn’t really being mean. Cuddles just wanted to play, so she was doing everything possible to get Rachel’s attention.

  “You seem to find trouble as easily as I do, little bussli. But you don’t mean to, and I still love you,” Rachel said, patting the kitten’s soft fur. “I’m your mother now, and I guess moms always love their babies no matter how much trouble they get into.”

  Rachel stopped and thought about what she’d just said. She felt terrible whenever she got into trouble with Mom. She was always a little afraid Mom would stop loving her because she caused so many problems. But maybe Mom wasn’t any more upset with her than she was with Cuddles.

  “I love you no matter what,” Rachel told Cuddles. “And I guess Mom loves me, even when I make mistakes.”

  Cuddles purred and licked the scratch marks she had left on Rachel’s leg.

  Rachel smiled. “I accept your apology, and if you’d like to go with me to Grandma and Grandpa’s house, I’d be happy to have your company.”

  The kitten meowed and purred louder. Rachel and Cuddles set out on foot, but instead of walking along the road all the way, Rachel decided to take the shortcut through the woods. About halfway there, she spotted some pretty yellow wildflowers blooming near a leafy bush. She picked a few to go with the pink flowers from Mom’s garden.

  Rachel figured it would be best not to put Cuddles on the ground, because the curious kitten would probably see something that interested her and run off. So she put Cuddles inside her canvas satchel. Then Rachel squatted and picked wildflowers. When she had enough to make a nice bouquet, she removed Cuddles from the satchel and was on her way again.

  Soon they were walking up the driveway to Grandma and Grandpa Yoder’s house. Because the house was next to Uncle Ben and Aunt Irma’s place, Rachel found her cousin Mary in the yard, playing with Stripes.

  “What a surprise!” Mary said with a friendly wave. “I didn’t know you were coming over today. Did you bring Cuddles so our cats can play together?”

  “Actually, I came to see Grandma and Grandpa.” Rachel lifted the bouquet she held in one hand. Then she placed Cuddles on the ground. “Maybe the cats can play while I do that.”

  “Do you want me to watch the cats, or should I go to Grandma and Grandpa’s house with you?” Mary asked.

  “Maybe it would be best if you stayed with the cats. That way, Cuddles won’t be as likely to get into trouble or run off.” Rachel scratched a spot on her arm, wondering why it felt so itchy all of a sudden.

  “Okay. I’ll see you later then.” Mary plunked down on the grass between the two cats, and Rachel headed for the daadihaus.

  I hope they’re not napping, Rachel thought when she knocked on the door and got no response. She set the flowers on the porch swing and was about to leave, when the door opened and Grandma stuck her head out. “Rachel, what a surprise! Are your folks here with you?”

  “No, I walked over by myself. Well, my cat is with me, but she’s out in the yard playing with Stripes.”

  Rachel reached for the flowers and handed them to Grandma. “These are for you.”

  Grandma smiled, and her blue eyes seemed to sparkle more than usual. “How thoughtful of you. Danki, Rachel.”

  “You’re welcome.” Rachel reached inside the satchel and removed the painted rock. “This is for Grandpa. I painted it to look like a turtle, because Grandpa likes turtles.”

  “I’m sure he will be pleased to have this one.” Grandma opened the door wider. “Come inside. I made gingerbread this morning. So if you have the time, maybe you can visit while you eat a piece of the bread and drink a glass of cold milk.”

  “I’d like that.” As Rachel entered Grandma’s kitchen, a warm, fuzzy feeling came over her. She was glad she had decided to visit her grandparents.

  Rachel thought about the Bible verse from 1 John 4:11 that Pap had read to the family a few nights earlier, “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

  She liked doing something nice for people. It made her feel happy that she had let Grandma, Grandpa, and even old Tom know how much she loved them. And it made her feel even happier to realize just as she loved Cuddles no matter what, her mother also loved her, even when trouble seemed to find her.

  Chapter 12

  A New Friend

  The afternoon sun beat down on Rachel’s head as she trudged wearily across the alfalfa field, carrying a jug of cold tea Mom had asked her to take to the men. To keep her mind off the terrible heat, Rachel let her thoughts wander.

  First she thought about the itchy rash on her arm. The morning after she had visited her grandparents, Rachel had discovered the rash and shown it to her mother. “That’s poison ivy,” Mom had said, clicking her tongue. “How’d you get into that?” Rachel told Mom about picking the wildflowers on the way to Grandma and Grandpa’s place. The flowers had been growing near a leafy bush that must have been poison ivy. Mom had put lotion on Rachel’s arm and given her a pill to stop the itching, but that had been three days ago, and it still bothered her.

  Rachel decided she had better concentrate on something else, because thinking about the rash only made it itch worse.

  She thought about the trip she and Pap had made to Lancaster earlier in the week. They’d gone to the toy store so she could return the skateboard Esther and Rudy had given her. Then they’d made a visit to Kauffman’s Store, and she’d asked Noah Kauffman to take the green and silver skateboard off layaway and put it back on the shelf so he could sell it to someone else. It had been hard to give up the two shiny skateboards, but she already had one skateboard. Even though the homemade skateboard wasn’t nearly as nice as the store-bought ones, she liked it better because her brothers had made it. Rachel had used most of the money she’d gotten back to buy paint and brushes so she could make more pet rocks. She’d also bought a bag of licorice, a drawing tablet, several puzzles, and a flea collar for Cuddles. The kitten was allowed in the house once in a while now, but Mom still didn’t want Cuddles to be on Rachel’s bed.

  Suddenly Cuddles darted between Rachel’s legs, causing her to stumble and nearly drop the jug of iced tea. “Cuddles!” she exclaimed. “What are you doing out here?”

  The cat looked up at Rachel and let out a pathetic meow.

  Rachel shook her head. “I can’t pick you up. I’ve got my hands full trying to carry this big jug.”

  Cuddles trotted beside Rachel through the tall grass. A few minutes later, Rachel spotted Pap, Henry, and Jacob loading mounds of hay onto their wagon. “I brought you something cold to drink,” she called.

  Pap stopped working and wiped his sweaty forehead with the back of his arm. “You’re just in time. I’m thirsty and ready for a little break.”

  “Me, too,” Henry and Jacob agreed.

  Rachel handed the jug to Pap. “You’d better go first, because if I give it to Jacob or Henry they might not leave any!” As Pap lifted the jug to his lips, she added, “I forgot to bring paper cups. Sorry about that.”

  “It’s okay,” he said with a wink. “I think we can manage.” He tilted his head back and poured the cool tea into his mouth. Some of it missed and trickled into his beard, and that made him chuckle. Then Pap handed the jug over to Henry. Then Jacob drank from the jug, too.

  “Will you give me and Cuddles a ride back to the house on the wagon?” Rachel asked her father.

  “Hop in the back. We’re almost ready to take this load of alfalfa to the barn,” he replied. “Then we can get ready to go to market.”

  Rachel knew Pap was talking about the outdoor market that was being he
ld on the other side of town.

  Rachel bent, scooped her kitten into her arms, and climbed into the wagon. She played with Cuddles while the rest of the bales were loaded.

  When they were finally ready to go, Jacob climbed in the back with Rachel, while Pap and Henry sat up front. Then Pap started the horses moving through the field toward home.

  “Why’d you bring that flea-bitten cat with you?” Jacob asked.

  “Cuddles followed me into the field, and I haven’t seen any fleh since I bought a flea collar for her.”

  Jacob pulled a couple pieces of hay from a pile, leaned over, and stuck them behind Rachel’s ears. “Now you look like a butzemann [scarecrow],” he said.

  Rachel grabbed the hay and tossed it on the wagon floor. “I’m not a scarecrow, and I’m getting tired of you teasing me, Jacob Yoder.”

  He winked. “Don’t you know that’s what brothers are for?”

  She folded her arms and frowned. “I’m glad you think so.”

  “I can’t wait to go to the market,” Jacob said. He leaned closer to Rachel and whispered, “Say, do you have any birthday money left?”

  “Maybe. Why?”

  He wiggled his eyebrows. “Thought you could treat me to an ice-cream cone or a root-beer float.”

  “Why should I when you tease me so?”

  “Aw, come on little bensel. You know I’m only funning with you.” Jacob grinned. “I’ll be nice if you promise to buy me some ice cream.”

  Rachel rubbed her nose against the kitten’s soft fur. “Maybe I will, and maybe I won’t!”

  When the Yoders arrived at the market a couple of hours later, Rachel was surprised to see the parking lot filled with cars and buggies. People seemed to be walking everywhere.

  She climbed out of the buggy as soon as Pap halted the horse. “Is it all right if I walk around and look at some things by myself?” she asked her mother.

  “I’d rather you stay with one of us,” Mom replied. “It’s not good for a young girl to be in a crowd of people by herself.”

  “She can walk with me,” Jacob said with a twinkle in his eye.