Life with Lily

by Mary Ann Kinsinger

  After that farm, they went to another, then another. Lily was tired of househunting. She was ready to go back to Jonas and Alice’s house. Alice had packed some pretzels for snacks, but they hadn’t expected to be gone so long. Lily was hungry, and Beth would probably be coming home from school soon. Lily didn’t want to miss a moment of playing dolls with Beth.

  “There is one more property to look at,” Jonas said. “It’s only fifteen acres. You might just like it, though, if you wanted to do something other than farming for an income.”

  Papa looked intrigued. He liked carpentry more than he liked to farm. “I’d like to see it.”

  The van stopped in front of an ugly olive green house. It had dirty yellowish gables. This house would not do. It would not do at all. Lily was sure Papa would not like this ugly house.

  They all spilled out of the van and walked up to the front porch of the olive green house. Jonas knocked on the door. An older lady opened the door and invited them inside.

  Lily followed Mama into the kitchen. The countertop was bright orange—so bright that Lily had to blink her eyes fast, like she was looking at the sun. Upstairs were two small bedrooms, a tiny bathroom, and a little corner that was half-room and half-hallway. Papa went to look at the attic and basement, but Dannie was getting cranky so everyone else went out to the van to wait.

  Papa came out to the van. He said he wanted to walk the property lines and look through the barn. Lily thought that was a waste of time. The house was too small. It was painted an ugly color on the outside. The kitchen had bright orange counters. No, Lily decided, she would not want to live at that house. No, no, no.

  Papa came back to the van with a broad smile on his face. “I think we found the place we’ve been looking for.” He sounded very happy. “What do you think, Rachel?”

  It seemed a long time before Mama said gently, “Well, Daniel, I think we could be happy here.”

  Oh, this was terrible news.

  Papa hopped in the van. “Let’s sleep on it overnight. If we still feel like it’s the right place, we can make an offer tomorrow.”

  But what about Lily? What if she didn’t think it was the right place? No one ever asked her what she thought about this ugly olive green house with the orange countertops.

  Except for meeting Beth and her doll, and maybe school, Pennsylvania was a huge disappointment to Lily. Huge.

  37

  Packing Up

  The ugly olive green house with the orange countertops in Pennsylvania now belonged to Lily’s family. On the long ride in the van back to New York, Papa and Mama talked and talked with Grandpa and Grandma Miller. By the time they reached home, Grandpa and Grandma Miller decided to move too. That meant Aunt Susie would come too! And just a few days later, three of Mama’s brothers and their families said they would come too. So now, everyone was coming. Even Hannah and Levi! As soon as their farms sold, they would join the Lapps in Pennsylvania.

  Lily was relieved. It made the move so much nicer to think there would be cousins and aunts and uncles there, instead of only strangers. And there was Beth. She had one friend in Pennsylvania. She had Beth.

  The date of the big move was set for early February. Next came the packing. Grandpa Miller scheduled an auction to be held at his farm, so Mama was going through everything in the house to see what things could be sold. The ugly olive green house was much, much smaller than the one they lived in now. Papa and Mama decided to sell extra furniture and belongings at the auction.

  Lily helped Mama clear out some dressers. They packed into boxes all that had been in the dresser drawers. Mama mixed a pail filled with warm water with a splash of lemon oil. Lily’s job was to carefully wash every inch of an empty dresser drawer until there were no smudges or fingerprints anywhere. Mama wanted it to be gleaming.

  “I’m all done with this dresser, Mama,” Lily said.

  Mama came over to look at it. “You did a good job. Now you can clean out your nightstand and wash it.”

  Cleaning out the nightstand made Lily sad. She had liked having it beside her bed. She kept her books in it and Sally’s doll clothes.

  When Papa came home from work, Lily showed him the full boxes and the gleaming empty dressers. Joseph had played with Dannie so Mama and Lily could work faster. They accomplished quite a bit for one day and Papa was pleased.

  Papa smiled at everyone. “I’m glad you all help Mama so well while I am gone.” He turned to Mama. “Do you have anything planned for tonight?”

  “Nothing that can’t wait,” said Mama. “Did you have something in mind?”

  “I thought we could all go outside and spend some time with Chubby before we sell him at the auction,” Papa said.

  Sell Chubby? How awful! They couldn’t sell Chubby. Chubby was part of their family.

  “That would be nice,” Mama said. “I’ll miss that little horse. He’s so sweet and gentle and the children have enjoyed him so much.”

  Lily’s eyes filled with tears. “Please don’t sell Chubby, Papa. We can take him to Pennsylvania too. There will be a barn there.”

  “I’m afraid we can’t take him, Lily,” Papa said. “We are going to take Jim and Jenny, but there won’t be room for Chubby. He will make some other little children very happy.”

  It wasn’t fair! Chubby liked living with them. He liked sharing a pasture with Jim. He liked taking Lily and Joseph on rides. And now they were selling him like he was nothing more than an old dresser. Lily knew not to beg and she tried not to cry, but she dreaded saying goodbye to Chubby.

  After dinner, the family bundled up and went outside for a final ride with Chubby. The darkness was velvety soft and quiet. All over the huge sky, the stars were twinkling merrily. Even though the moon was bright, Mama brought the kerosene lantern along so they could see. There wasn’t much snow left on the ground—only little heaps here and there. Papa said the snow would be gone soon. The days were growing longer.

  Lily and Joseph took turns holding the reins with Papa as they drove around and around the barnyard. Chubby shook his head and pranced, as if he was proud to take his family on a ride in the moonlight. He didn’t know that this was the last ride they would take together. Never again.

  After the ride, they all helped bed Chubby down for the night. Papa added extra sweet straw, and Joseph and Lily fluffed it up for Chubby. It was way past Lily’s normal bedtime when she climbed into bed that night. She wished the ride with Chubby in the moonlight had never ended.

  38

  Grandpa’s Auction

  On Saturday, the morning of the auction, Papa and Mama woke early. They were in a hurry to get to Grandpa Miller’s. The skies were gray and a few snow flurries drifted lazily through the air. Earlier that week, Papa had taken all of the furniture and belongings that they wanted to sell over to Grandpa Miller’s. Nothing was left to do for the move except to go watch the auction. Mama would help Grandma Miller and Aunt Mary make good things to eat and sell them to the people who came to the auction.

  Papa hitched Jim to the buggy and handed the reins to Mama. He would be driving Chubby and the cart to Grandpa’s. As they trotted down the lane, Lily peered out the back window and watched Papa and Chubby follow behind them. Chubby’s legs were short. He couldn’t keep up with Jim. It wasn’t long before they had fallen so far behind that Lily couldn’t see them anymore.

  As Mama drove up to the house, Grandpa Miller met them and helped unhitch Jim from the buggy shafts. “Grandma is already busy in the harness shop,” he said.

  Mama carried Dannie on her hip. Lily and Joseph followed Mama as they walked to the shop. Lily wondered what Grandma Miller would be working on. She had never seen her make a harness. She thought only Grandpa Miller could make harnesses.

  When they entered the harness shop, Lily had to blink her eyes. It didn’t look like Grandpa’s shop any longer. In fact, there was no sign of harnesses at all! It didn’t even have the leather and saddle soap smell that infused the room. Instead, it smelled like Gran
dma’s kitchen.

  There was a long table set out in the middle of the shop. On it, Grandma Miller was frying big, delicious-looking doughnuts in a big fryer behind the table. As soon as the doughnuts came out of the big pot of hot oil, Aunt Susie sprinkled them with powdered sugar.

  Mama put Dannie down and slipped out of her coat. “What needs to be done?”

  “There is bread that needs to be sliced for the hot sandwiches we’ll be making,” Grandma Miller said. She pointed to the broiler. “And that needs to be lit to start cooking the hot dogs.”

  Mama got right to work. Lily, Joseph, and Dannie watched them work, hoping they might get to taste a sugared doughnut or two. Soon, Aunt Mary and cousin Hannah arrived, so Joseph took Dannie by the hand and they went outside to find Levi. Hannah sat next to Lily in a corner. She had brought her doll along. Of course, Lily had brought Sally.

  Soon, the shop filled up with people. Many had come early to look at the things that would be selling at the auction. One whiff of Grandma’s delicious-smelling doughnuts lured people into the harness shop to buy a doughnut and a cup of coffee or hot chocolate. Happy and satisfied, the people went back to the auction site.

  More and more people arrived until there was a long line stretching out the door and into the barnyard. Grandma kept frying doughnuts as fast as she could while Mama and Aunt Mary scurried around, waiting on customers and collecting money.

  Before noon, Papa came into the shop and motioned for Lily to come. She laid her doll on the chair and ran over to him to see what he wanted. “I hitched Chubby to his cart and thought you might like to have one last ride with him before he gets sold.”

  Lily was still sad that Chubby was going to be sold. She certainly didn’t want to miss her last ride with him. She hurried to find her coat and join Papa. They walked past the crowds of people, gathered for the auction. Lily had never seen so many people in one place.

  The auctioneer spoke in a loud, peculiar chant. It made Lily’s head hurt as she tried to understand what he was saying. He spoke so fast that his words slurred together. She couldn’t understand a single bit. Not a single word.

  Some men stood on a hay wagon. They lifted Grandpa Miller’s chairs up high so that everyone could see them.

  “Why are they doing that, Papa?” Lily asked.

  “So people can see what the auctioneer is selling,” Papa said.

  Lily thought that was a good idea. If people couldn’t understand the auctioneer, at least they could see what he was trying to sell.

  Lily followed Papa out to the barn. She looked at all of Grandpa’s big workhorses. Someone had braided their manes and tails. They looked silly.

  Papa noticed that Lily was staring at them. “The auctioneer asked some of his helpers to braid their manes and tails to make them look prettier. It helps fetch a higher price if they look pretty.”

  Lily didn’t think they looked prettier. She thought that the mighty horses looked embarrassed. And it made her sad to learn that Grandpa Miller was selling his beautiful horses. “Why is Grandpa selling his horses?” she asked.

  “Grandpa wants to retire from farming,” Papa said. “He is selling all of his animals except Tony, the buggy horse.”

  Lily didn’t think it would be possible to feel even sadder, but now she did. Moving wasn’t fun at all. Too much was changing.

  In the barn, Chubby was hitched up to his cart and ready to go. Lily sat on the seat next to Papa. Papa handed her the reins and said, “Here, you can drive him for one last time.”

  Lily drove Chubby slowly down the lane in Grandpa Miller’s fields, away from all the noise of the auction. She could have driven all afternoon. Too soon, Papa said it was time to turn around and go back.

  As Papa unhitched Chubby, he glanced at her. “Do you want to watch the auctioneer sell Chubby?”

  Lily shook her head. “No. I don’t want to see him go away.”

  Papa didn’t press her. He understood that she was feeling sad. He reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet, and handed her a dollar. “Go buy yourself something good to eat at Grandma’s food stand.”

  A whole dollar! “Oh, thank you!” Lily hardly ever held that much money in her hands. She turned and ran back to the shop and got in the long line of customers. When she reached the front of the line, Mama pretended she didn’t recognize her and asked her what she could get for her. She acted as if Lily was a customer and not her little girl!

  Lily played along. She told Mama she would like to order a hot dog, a doughnut, and a hot chocolate. When Mama gave the food to her, Lily handed her the dollar. She felt so grown-up! Then she went to find cousin Hannah to share her treats.

  By the time the sun was setting, the auction was over. People were loading up the things they had bought to take to their homes. Lily was tired and ready to go home. She watched wagons roll away, filled with furniture from her home. She saw her special nightstand go into someone’s buggy. Someone had bought Chubby and the cart. Lily knew she would never see Chubby again. Auctions weren’t much fun when people were buying your favorite belongings.

  After helping Grandma and Grandpa Miller clean up the harness shop, the whole family went home with Jim in the buggy. Lily was very glad that Papa had given her one last ride with Chubby. She would remember it always.

  39

  Moving Day

  Church didn’t feel right to Lily. Grandpa Miller wasn’t on the front bench like he usually was. He didn’t announce the songs like he usually did. He didn’t ask someone to lead the songs like he usually did. Aunt Susie wasn’t there to play with after church. Right after the auction, Grandpa and Grandma Miller had loaded a truck with all their belongings and moved to Pennsylvania.

  All that Lily could think about was moving. She could not sit still. She wanted to go, and she did not want to go.

  Tomorrow, a big truck would come to Singing Tree Farm. They would start loading their belongings and make the move. Pennsylvania sounded much nicer now that she knew Grandpa and Grandma Miller already lived there and would be waiting to welcome them. On Saturday, Mama had taken Lily to say goodbye to Trisha. Trisha promised to write to Lily every week. Lily thought that was a nice idea, but she knew that it was hard to remember to write letters. After all, she had only written Teacher Ellen once.

  Early Monday morning, Lily sat by the living room window and watched a big truck back up slowly and carefully to the front porch. The driver hopped out of the cab to talk to Papa, then he unhitched the trailer and drove away.

  Lily grabbed her coat and ran outside. Papa was opening the trailer doors. “Can I see the inside of the trailer?” she said.

  “Go and get Joseph and Dannie,” Papa said. “They might like to see the inside too. I’ll help you up so you can play inside.”

  Lily ran back inside to find her brothers. They were both playing with their farm sets. When Lily explained that Papa had said they could play in the big trailer, they jumped up and ran to get their coats. Lily helped Dannie close his coat and slip his little hands into mittens.

  Papa hoisted each child, one by one, into the trailer. Lily liked the hollow echo as they walked up and down the long trailer. It sounded even better when they ran. But it wasn’t long before they grew tired of that game. There wasn’t much to do or see inside an empty trailer.

  Papa helped each one hop out. “Mama probably needs your help to get the last of our things packed, Lily,” he said. “You should go inside and help her.”

  Lily went back to the house, while Joseph and Dannie followed Papa out to the barn. Mama handed Lily a box and told her to pack all her toys. Even Sally. Lily did not like stuffing Sally in a box. She knew she was only a rag doll, but it still felt as if she were suffocating her.

  Mama helped Lily tape the box of toys shut. She handed Lily the marker to write LILY’S TOYS on the top, and then set it next to the door. Many other boxes were piled up. They were waiting for Papa to load them onto the trailer tomorrow morning.

  That evenin
g, as Lily got ready for bed, she looked around her room. It looked so bare. It looked sad and unfriendly. There was nothing on top of her dresser. If she looked in the drawers, they would be empty. Her closet was empty. Everything looked too empty. She climbed into her bed and squeezed her eyes shut so she wouldn’t have to see it. She did not like moving. She did not like it at all.

  Morning arrived, and with it came their friends and neighbors. Everyone came who was left in Lily’s church. Women brought big pots of food and little one-burner kerosene stoves to heat the pots. Mama couldn’t cook with her own pots and pans because they had all been boxed up, ready to load onto the trailer. Someone had brought a few of the church benches along so there would be places to sit after the chairs had been loaded.

  The men started to carry heavy furniture out of the house. Then they took the boxes. Mama scurried around mopping floors and washing windows as each room was emptied. She wanted the house to be sparkling clean for the new family who had bought Singing Tree Farm.

  It didn’t take long for the men to move everything out of the house. All that was left was the big heavy cookstove in the kitchen. Papa took the stovepipe down and carried it out. Six men gathered around the stove and lifted it up. Slowly and carefully, they shuffled their way out of the house with the heavy stove and up the ramp into the trailer. Now nothing was left that belonged to them. Nothing at all. The house looked much bigger and sounded funny. As people talked, their voices echoed off the bare walls and floors. Lily shivered. She felt even worse than she had felt last night. Her house was just a house now. Not a home.

  It was time to eat. Men washed up at the water trough outside the barn by pumping icy cold water and splashing it over their hands and face. Lily was glad she didn’t have to wash up there. Too cold.

  Inside the empty house, everyone gathered in a circle. They stood with their hands clasped behind their backs and bowed their heads for a short silent prayer. After Papa lifted his head, a signal that prayer was over, people started laughing and talking. They formed a line to fill their paper plates with baked beans, potato casserole, and hot dogs. Dessert included fruit tapioca pudding and cookies. There were always, always cookies. But Lily knew that lunches on moving days weren’t as good as barn raisings or other times when everyone got together to work.