Green Fever

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

  Mark couldn’t help but notice how much taller John was getting. Just a year ago, they were the same height. If it weren’t for the fact that John’s hair was blond and Mark’s was red, they could have almost passed for brothers. Not anymore, though. Lately, John had shot up ahead of Mark. It looked like he was getting skinnier, too. Or maybe he just looked that way because he’d grown taller. Although John looked kind of lanky these days, Mark would have taken that over being short any day of the week. John and Mark had been good buddies for a long time, and Mark didn’t like feeling envious of his friend. Regardless, the feelings were still there.

  Just then, the school bell rang. “Guess we’d better get inside,” Mark said. “We sure don’t wanna be tardy.”

  When Mattie and Mark arrived home from school that afternoon, Mom met them at the door. “How was your day?” she asked with a cheerful smile.

  “It was great,” Mattie said, grinning at Mom. “When we played baseball during recess today, I made a home run.”

  “That’s good,” Mom said. “I’m sure those who were on your team were happy about how well you played.” She turned to Mark then and placed her hand on his shoulder. “How was your day, son?”

  Mark’s mouth turned down at the corners. “It would have been better if I hadn’t had to walk around in shoes that were too big for my feet.” He leaned against the wall with his fingers clenched and his arms held tightly at his sides. “It seemed like the longest day ever.”

  Mom gave Mark’s shoulder a squeeze. “We can take care of that right now. I have the horse hitched to the buggy, and if you’re ready, we can head for the Shoe and Boot Store in Charm.”

  Mark’s face brightened. “I’m more than ready!”

  Charm was one of Mattie and Mark’s favorite little towns to visit. It was only about a six-mile ride from their home, and it took them through some of the prettiest countryside. Charm didn’t have a lot of businesses, like some of the bigger towns in Holmes County, but there was one store in particular that Mark and Mattie liked to visit. It was a cheese store, and they usually had samples that people could try before they bought. Swiss cheese was Mark’s favorite, but Mattie liked cheddar. She wondered if Mom and Mark would stop at the cheese store today. She wished she could go with them.

  Mom gave Mattie’s arm a gentle pat. “I need you to keep an eye on Ada and Perry while we’re gone. They’re napping right now, but make sure they get a snack when they wake up. Oh, and don’t let them go outside to play by themselves.”

  “Can’t Calvin or Russell watch Ada and Perry?” Mattie questioned.

  Mom shook her head. “They’re out in your daed’s wood shop, sweeping sawdust off the floor and helping Ike clean up.”

  Mattie gave a reluctant nod. “Okay, Mom.”

  “Remember now, if you have any homework, you’d better get that done right away,” Mom quickly added. “You can do it while you’re eating a snack.”

  “I don’t have any homework today,” Mattie said.

  “Okay then. We shouldn’t be gone too long.” Mom grabbed a napkin and three cookies, handed them to Mark, and then ushered him out the door.

  Mattie sighed. It didn’t seem fair that Mark got to go off with Mom while she was expected to stay here and watch Ada and Perry. Those two had a lot of energy and could be a handful at times. She hoped they would sleep until Mom got home. That would give her some time to do a few things by herself. One of the first things she planned to do right away was to fix herself a snack. After that, she wanted to go outside and see if the flower bulbs she’d planted in her garden were coming up yet. With the warm weather they’d been having, maybe they would have popped up by now.

  Wish I could go over to Grandpa and Grandma Miller’s today, Mattie thought. I’d like to know if any of Grandma’s flowers have come up.

  Mattie took three cookies from the cookie jar and placed them on the table. Then she went to the refrigerator and got out the milk. After she’d poured herself a glass, she took a seat at the table.

  Mattie looked around the kitchen, which was usually bustling with noise and activity. She guessed she’d better enjoy the quiet while it lasted because it wouldn’t be this peaceful once Ada and Perry woke up.

  The kitchen window was open partway, and Mattie could hear the birds singing outside. More than any other time of the year, springtime was filled with the pretty songs of chirping and tweeting birds. A lot of them were migrating back from the south, where they’d spent most of the winter months. It was nice to hear their melodies filling the air, and Mattie couldn’t help but smile at how happy they sounded. She knew just how they felt, for she loved springtime, too.

  Mattie watched out the window as some little wrens gathered materials for the nest they’d started making. She wondered if a robin would build its nest in the flowering bush outside their living-room window, like one had done last spring.

  Mattie had just finished eating her second cookie when Ada and Perry tromped into the room, wide-eyed and giggling as they tickled each other.

  “Kichlin!” they shouted at the same time, pointing to Mattie’s cookie.

  Mattie groaned. She hadn’t even finished her snack and already the little ones were up and needing her attention. Now she’d have no time to herself. It didn’t seem fair. She probably wouldn’t get to go outside to look at her garden now because she’d have to take Perry and Ada along and keep an eye on them while they ran around the yard playing.

  “Kichlin! Kichlin!” Ada shouted, tugging on the hem of Mattie’s dress.

  “Kichlin!” Perry repeated.

  The peace and quiet Mattie had enjoyed only minutes ago was now replaced by two little chatterboxes.

  “Oh, all right,” Mattie said with a sigh. “Take a seat at the table, and I’ll get you both some kichlin and melke.”

  “Right here are the racks where the boys’ shoes are displayed,” Mom said as she and Mark headed down one of the aisles at the Shoe and Boot Store.

  Mark smiled, looking at all the shoe boxes. He could hardly wait for his new sneakers. He felt sure that somewhere among these rows of shoes, a new pair awaited him.

  “Let’s see now…” Mom studied each of the shelves, and when she came to the end, she slowly shook her head. “I’m sorry, Mark, but I don’t see any shoes in this store that are the right size for you.”

  “What?” Mark could hardly believe it, and he hoped Mom was wrong. “There has to be a pair in my size.” He started going through each of the shoe boxes, hoping a pair of shoes his size had been put in the wrong box. Mark had been waiting to get new shoes the whole weekend, and now he was worried that he might have to keep wearing Calvin’s stinky old shoes for a long time.

  “I don’t see any,” Mom said, taking another look at all the boxes. “Let’s go speak to the owner of the store. I see a lot of empty spots here on these racks, so maybe he has some shoes in the back room that haven’t been put out yet.”

  Mark’s hopes soared as he followed Mom to the front of the store, where Herman Bontrager stood behind the counter. “Do you have any youth size six black sneakers in your back room?” Mom asked.

  Herman shook his head. “Sorry, I don’t. The last pair that size was sold earlier today.”

  Mark moaned and slouched against the counter. “Oh no! Now what’ll I do?”

  “I can order a pair of shoes in your size,” Herman said.

  “How long would that take?” Mom questioned.

  Mark held his breath as he waited for Herman’s answer.

  “It’ll probably take about a week to get here,” Herman replied. “Shouldn’t be more than that. The shoes come in rather quickly once I place the order.”

  Mark’s throat felt swollen, and he blinked against the tears clouding his vision. A whole week? Does Mr. Bontrager think that’s quick? Why me? Mark wondered. This was a huge disappointment, and now he felt grumpy again. He was even more envious of his sisters and brothers. None of them had to wear a pair of stinky, hand-me-down shoes.
Even worse, Mark would have to wear them for another whole week!

  CHAPTER 4

  Mattie’s Discovery

  “I got a call from the Shoe and Boot Store this morning, letting me know your shoes have come in,” Mom told Mark when he and Mattie arrived home from school on Friday.

  Mark grinned widely. “Oh boy! Can we go get them right now?” He was sick of wearing Calvin’s old shoes. At Mattie’s suggestion, he’d stuffed tissue inside the shoes, and that had helped a little. But it was still the longest week for Mark, and he was glad it was finally over. Now, like his sisters and brothers, he’d soon have his own pair of new sneakers.

  Mom gave Mark’s shoulder a tender squeeze. “We can go as soon as I get the horse and buggy ready. I would have done it sooner, but I had a hard time getting Ada and Perry down for their naps. Even though Perry recently turned six and thinks he’s too old to take naps, he gets cranky sometimes if he doesn’t get enough sleep. The same goes for Ada.”

  “I suppose you’ll need me to look out for them again?” Mattie asked. The creases in her forehead let Mark know she wasn’t happy about the idea of taking care of their little sister and brother. She probably wished she could go shopping with him and Mom.

  “I do need you to keep an eye on Perry and Ada,” Mom said, smiling at Mattie. “We shouldn’t be gone too long, so when we get home you’ll be free to do whatever you like. Since the little ones just went down for their naps, they’ll probably sleep until we get home.” Mom motioned to the refrigerator. “If you’d like to have a snack, there are some apples and slices of cheese in there.”

  “What about me?” Mark asked. “Don’t I get a snack?”

  “Why don’t you grab an apple and bring it along?” Mom suggested.

  “Okay.” Mark took a big red apple from the refrigerator. “See you later, Mattie,” he said, skipping happily out the door as he bit into the sweet, juicy apple. He could hardly wait to get to the store so he could put those new sneakers on his feet!

  Since her little sister and brother were sleeping and Mattie wasn’t hungry yet, she decided to go outside and see how things looked in her garden. She waited until she heard Mom’s horse and buggy leave the yard; then she opened the back door and stepped onto the porch. A lively chorus from several robins perched high in the tree greeted her as they whistled a beautiful song. Hearing them made Mattie hope, once again, that one of the birds would build a nest in the bush outside their living-room window. Now that Perry and Ada were a little older, it would be fun for them to get a firsthand look at baby robins after they’d hatched.

  Yip! Yip! Yip! Mattie’s dog raced back and forth inside her kennel.

  “Not now, Twinkles,” Mattie called as she hurried across the yard toward her garden. “After Mom and Mark get home, I’ll let you out so we can play. And you’d better quit that barking. I don’t want you to wake Ada and Perry.” The last thing Mattie wanted to do as she quieted her pooch with her fingers to her lips was to go back inside and keep an eye on her little brother and sister.

  Mattie stepped back onto the porch. She tipped her head and listened through the screen door but didn’t hear anything from Ada or Perry. Good. They must still be sleeping, she thought.

  Going back into the yard, she hurried across the lawn. When Mattie knelt beside her little garden, she leaned close and studied the ground where she’d planted the bulbs. Still no sign of any flowers. She just couldn’t figure it out. Maybe a gopher or some other underground critter had eaten the bulbs or carried them away.

  Using her fingers, Mattie dug down in the dirt, searching for any sign of the flowers. “Oh, there’s one!” she exclaimed as she pushed the dirt aside, revealing a tulip bulb with a little green shoot coming up from the top. “I think I may have planted them too deep.”

  Mattie decided to raise the bulbs a little, putting more dirt underneath. When that was done, she patted a layer of dirt over the top. Maybe now they’ll start to grow, she thought.

  Ribet! Ribet! Mark’s frog leaped over Mattie’s hand and landed in the little ceramic dish pool with a splat!

  Mattie snickered. The frog didn’t seem to be afraid at all. He was making himself right at home in her little garden spot. She still wanted to get some ferns to plant in the garden to add a little hideaway for the frog. While she sat watching the frog, Grandpa Miller’s horse and buggy pulled into the yard.

  “Wie geht’s?” Grandpa called after he’d climbed down from the buggy and tied his horse to the hitching rail.

  “I’m fine,” Mattie replied. “How are you?”

  “Doin’ good.” Grandpa approached Mattie’s garden. “Ah, I see you have a little visitor,” he said, pointing to the frog.

  She nodded. “Only I don’t think he’s just visiting. He lives in Mark’s frog house and likes to sit in the little ceramic dish Mark’s using as a frog pool.”

  “Glad to hear the critter took up residence in the little house.” Grandpa grinned and knelt beside Mattie to get a closer look. “I remember when I was a young bu, my bruder Freeman and I often caught frogs down at the pond behind our folks’ house. Then we’d try to race them and see whose frog was the fastest or could jump the farthest.”

  “If Mark knew about that, I’ll bet he might try it if he had more than one frosch.” Mattie giggled. “ ’Course he’d have to catch ’em first.”

  “Maybe someday he will.” Grandpa stood. “Speaking of Mark… Where is he? I came to ask if he’d like to go fishing with me tomorrow.”

  “Mark went with Mom to the Shoe and Boot Store in Charm,” Mattie replied. “He needed a new pair of sneakers, and they had to order his size. A team of wild horses couldn’t have kept Mark from goin’ after those shoes today.”

  “Sounds like he was pretty anxious. Have they been gone long? Should I wait, or would you rather give Mark my message?” Grandpa asked.

  Mattie thought it would be nice to have Grandpa’s company. Mark usually got to spend more time with Grandpa, and that made her feel jealous. “You could wait here with me if you want to,” she said.

  Grandpa removed his straw hat and slapped it against his knee. “That’s what I’ll do then. It’ll give us a chance to visit.”

  “That’d be nice,” Mattie said, watching as Grandpa held out his closed hands to her. She didn’t get the chance to visit with Grandpa by herself that often, and this was the perfect opportunity, especially since Perry and Ada were still napping.

  “Uh, that one,” Mattie guessed, pointing to Grandpa’s left hand.

  “Jah, you’re right.” Grandpa smiled, handing her a pack of peppermint-flavored gum, which was Mattie’s favorite kind. “Should we take a seat on the porch swing?” he suggested.

  “Sure.” As Mattie stood, she brushed away the dirt that clung to her skirt. Then she followed Grandpa across the yard and onto the porch.

  “What have you been up to lately?” Grandpa asked after they’d both taken a seat on the swing.

  Mattie unwrapped a piece of gum and popped it into her mouth. “Right before you got here, I replanted some tulip bulbs. I discovered that they were buried too deep, so I think that’s why they haven’t come up yet.”

  “Good thinking.” Grandpa tapped Mattie’s arm. “Your grandma’s tulips, and even a few daffodils, are already poking their heads through the ground. It won’t be long now and all of her flower beds will be alive with vibrant colors.”

  “What does ‘vibrant’ mean?” Mattie questioned. Like Mark, Grandpa sometimes used words that Mattie didn’t understand.

  “Vibrant means vivid or brilliant,” Grandpa explained. “Bright is another good way to describe the word.”

  “Oh, I see. Well then, I’m hoping for some vibrant colors when the flowers in my garden start blooming.”

  They sat silently for a while, moving the swing back and forth in a gentle rhythm. Then Mattie spoke again. “Say, Grandpa, can I ask you a question?”

  “Sure. What did you want to know?”

  “Would it
be all right if I went fishing with you and Mark tomorrow?” she asked, chewing contentedly on the gum.

  Grandpa tipped his head and looked at Mattie with a curious expression. “You want to go fishing?”

  She bobbed her head.

  “I didn’t think you liked fishing that well,” he said. “When I’ve asked you to join us before, you’ve always said no.”

  “I changed my mind.” Mattie grinned. “I think it might be kind of fun to go fishing. Maybe I’ll even catch the biggest fish.”

  Grandpa chuckled. “It’s fine with me if you want to go, but we’ll have to wait and see who catches the biggest fish.”

  “Oh good, I can’t wait. But I’m not sure I’ll use a warem for bait. Maybe I’ll use corn or something else,” Mattie said.

  Just then the robins resumed their cheerful chorus. Maybe they’re glad I’ll be leaving the worms for them to eat, she thought, smiling.

  “Now isn’t that a pretty sound?” Grandpa looked into the tree where the robins sat. “Just listen to them sing.”

  “I know,” Mattie agreed. “Remember last year when a robin nested outside our living-room window?”

  He bobbed his gray head. “As a matter of fact, I do. As I recall, you and Mark had your nose up to that window every chance you got.”

  Mattie smiled. “It sure was fun watching Mrs. Robin sit on her nest. But it was even more exciting after the babies hatched and we watched ’em being fed by their parents. It was kinda sad when they grew and finally left the nest. I’m hopin’ some robins build their nest in that same spot again. I think Ada and Perry would have fun watching them.”

  Grandpa gave his long, full beard a quick tug. “And I would enjoy that, too.”

  On the ride home from Charm, Mark couldn’t stop admiring his new sneakers, and he didn’t think he’d ever stop grinning. They felt so good on his feet. The shoes looked nice and new. They smelled good, too—not a trace of stinky feet.

  “You’re going to stare a hole through those shoes if you don’t stop looking at them.” Mom laughed and clicked her tongue, urging Ginger, their horse, onward toward home.