“I’ll bet this deich is bigger than a skating rink,” Mark called to Ike as they chased each other around.
“You could be right about that,” Ike said with a wink. “It’s a very large pond.”
Mark noticed there weren’t many houses nearby, so he didn’t know who owned the pond. He also saw that at one end of the pond there was a huge stack of firewood, where smoke billowed slowly up as one of the boys lit a bonfire.
Mark was having fun making figure eights. It had taken a lot of practice, but last year he’d taught himself to skate backward, too. Tonight, as he glided back and forth across the ice, he was glad he hadn’t forgotten how to skate backward or make figure eights.
“I hope Mark and Ike will be safe on the ice this evening,” Mattie said as she and Mom did the supper dishes. “I’m worried about them.”
“Try not to worry so much,” Mom said, sloshing her sponge over one of the plates. “Ike has skated on that pond before, and I’m sure he will watch out for thin ice and make sure he and Mark don’t skate anyplace where it might be dangerous.”
“How come Russell and Calvin didn’t go skating with them?” Mattie asked as she reached for a clean dish to dry.
“I believe Ike invited them, but they said it was too cold, and that they’d rather stay home and work on a puzzle they had started the other day.” Mom drained the water from the sink. “That’s the last of the dishes now. As soon as you’ve finished drying them, you can do whatever you like.”
“Maybe I’ll go up to my room and make a few bookmarks with some of my dried flowers,” Mattie said.
Mom smiled. “That’s a good idea. It’ll keep your mind and hands busy, so you won’t have time to worry about Mark and Ike. Oh, and you should say a prayer for them, too,” she added.
After about an hour of skating with Mark, Ike joined some of the older boys who were getting a game of “crack the whip” started. All the players got in a line, each holding hands with the person in front of them, as well as the person in back. As they skated together, the person at the front of the line suddenly veered off in another direction, making everyone else whip quickly around. It looked like a fun game—especially for those at the tail end of the chain. They were lucky if they could hang on.
As Mark skated toward the other end of the pond, away from those playing the game, he thought he heard a noise. What was that? he wondered as he stopped to listen. But all he could hear was the laughter of the boys, who were obviously having a good time. Mark figured it was just his imagination. For some reason, though, Mattie’s warning to be careful tonight kept creeping into his brain.
Mark paused a minute and heard the noise again. This time the sound was very distinctive, and he knew right away what it was. Click! Click! Snap! Crackle!
Skating quickly over to the group playing the game, Mark motioned to Ike.
“You should come join us!” Ike called. “Being whipped around is a lot of fun, especially if you’re the one at the very end.”
Mark shook his head and skated closer to his brother, being careful to watch for any areas of thin ice. “Did anyone check this deich to make sure it’s safe?” he asked. “I don’t see any houses real close, and I wonder if anyone owns the pond.”
Just then, Ike’s friend Wayne skated up to them. “Come on, Ike. You’re holding up the game. What are ya doin’ anyways?”
“I was asking my bruder if someone checks this pond to make sure it’s safe for people to skate on,” Mark said before Ike could answer his friend. He pointed to the left. “I was skatin’ over there and heard some cracking sounds. I think we should get off the ice before someone falls through.”
“You fellows aren’t scared, are ya?” one of the other boys, whose name was Melvin, asked, joining the threesome.
Mark put his hands on his hips and stared up at the boy. “I just wanna make sure the deich is safe for all of us to be on.”
“It’s perfectly safe, and I think you’re a chicken.” Melvin squinted his pale blue eyes as he looked at Ike. “Maybe you should have left your little bruder at home this evening. We don’t want him scaring everyone and makin’ them leave the pond because he thought heard a noise.”
“Chicken or not, I agree with my brother,” Ike stated, placing his hands on his hips. “Come on, Mark. Let’s get off the ice and go check on the fire to see if it’s ready for some roasting.”
Wayne joined Mark and Ike as they made their way over to the bonfire. Shortly after, a few more boys did the same, mumbling that they were hungry. Melvin, along with some of his friends, didn’t seem to care about eating, and they started a game of hockey.
“I’m really not a chicken,” Mark said, “but when I heard the ice crackin’, it made me naerfich.”
Ike squeezed Mark’s shoulder. “It’s okay. I understand. Besides, it’s definitely time for us to get something to eat.”
Another boy, whom Mark had never met before, joined the conversation as Mark and Ike started to remove their skates. “Don’t worry,” he said while putting a hot dog on the end of a stick. “I heard the cracking noise, too, but you spoke up before I got the chance.”
Mark felt better hearing that. There were several more boys around the bonfire now, too.
As they all stood closer to the flames, letting its warmth take away the chill, Mark couldn’t help glancing toward the pond where those other boys still skated. A shiver went through him as the night air suddenly felt colder. Was it because he had stopped skating and wasn’t as warm, or was it something else that made him tremble?
“I’m hungerich.” Ike smacked his lips and grabbed a hot dog. “It’s more comfortable here by the fire than it is out there on the ice—especially now that I’m cooling off. I worked up a good sweat when we were playing crack the whip, but I think I worked up an even better appetite.”
“But what about the cracking ice I heard?” Mark asked.
“Well, if there is any thin ice, then it’s safer for us here,” Ike said.
Mark nodded, and then relaxing a little, he held his hot dog over the coals, eagerly waiting for it to get done so he could eat. “Danki for inviting me along tonight, Ike. I’ve had a great time.”
Ike grinned and gave Mark’s shoulder a tap. “I’m glad, little brother. It’s been fun to be with you.”
After the hot dogs were roasted, they all made their way to an old log that was now being used for a seat. The hot dogs, chips, and pretzels were hurriedly eaten, and most of the boys had hot chocolate, too. Mark thought food always tasted better when it was eaten outside—especially after some vigorous exercise like ice-skating.
“Think I’m ready to roast some marshmallows now,” Wayne said, rising from his seat.
“We’ll join you in a few minutes,” Ike replied, eating the last of his chips.
Then, all of a sudden, at the far end of the pond, someone yelled, “Help! The ice broke! Help! Help!”
Mark looked at Ike, and Ike looked at Mark. Then everyone who’d been sitting on the log ran quickly around the edge of the pond toward the pleas for help. When they reached the other side, a few of the boys stood pointing at a spot not far from the end of the pond. There, hanging on to the edge of the broken ice, was Melvin, who had previously made fun of Mark. The bottom half of his body was submerged in the frigid, numbing water. “Help me,” said the whimpering boy, who’d earlier seemed so sure of himself.
While everyone stood with their mouths hanging open, Ike looked around. Not far from them were some hockey sticks, and he quickly grabbed hold of one. “Hang on!” Ike called to the struggling boy. “We’ll get you out!”
Ike turned to the others and said, “Let’s make a human chain. One of us needs to slide out to Melvin on their belly, and then someone can hang on to their feet. Oh, and if anyone has a cell phone, you’d better call for help.”
“I should go out to help Melvin,” Mark spoke up. “I’m the smallest, so I’ll have a better chance of not fallin’ through the ice.”
“No way!” Ike shook his head forcibly, taking charge of the situation. “I’m not taking the chance of you falling in, too.”
“Let him do it,” one of the other boys said. “We’ll hang on to him and to each other. We will make sure he’s safe.”
“Please, Ike, let me do it,” Mark pleaded. He was scared, but at the same time, he really wanted to help rescue Melvin.
“Okay,” Ike finally said. “But whatever you do, once Melvin’s holding the end of the hockey stick, don’t let go.”
“I—I won’t.” Mark could see that his brother was afraid for him, but this was something he felt he must do.
With his heart hammering in his chest, Mark lay down and slowly bellied his way across the ice while each of the boys held on to the other’s feet. Mark kept the hockey stick out in front of him, never taking his eyes off Melvin. “Hang on tight to my feet,” he called to Ike. “I’m almost there. So far, so good.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve got ya,” Ike said in an encouraging tone.
In no time, Mark was a few feet from the gaping hole where Melvin held on to the edge of the ice. Stretching the hockey stick as far as he could, Mark told Melvin to grab for it.
“I–I’m afraid to let go.” Melvin’s voice shook, and his brown eyes were wide with fear.
Mark said a silent prayer: Dear Jesus, please help us get Melvin out of the freezing water.
“You can do it!” Ike hollered. “Just reach for the stick, and we’ll pull you out.”
It seemed that was all the poor fellow needed, for Melvin thrust forward and grabbed the end of the hockey stick.
“I’ve got him! Now everyone pull with all your might!” Mark hollered as he felt his brother’s grip tighten even more around his ankles.
Without breaking any more ice, the human chain managed to pull Melvin out of the water just as a siren could be heard in the distance. Thankfully, someone owned a cell phone and had called for help.
Ike wrapped a blanket around the shivering boy while someone else handed him a steaming cup of hot chocolate to help keep him warm until the ambulance arrived.
“Danki,” Melvin said, looking at everyone who had helped. Then he looked right at Mark, and through chattering teeth he said, “You were br–brave to do what you did, and I–I’m s–sorry for making f–fun of you before. Y–you may be smaller than me, but you’re a whole lot w–wiser.”
Mark smiled, although his heart was beating so hard he could feel it pounding in his chest. “It’s okay. I’m just glad you’re safe.”
As the rescue vehicle pulled in, Mark picked up his skates while the others doused the fire. “I don’t know about you,” he said to Ike, “but I’m tired of winter.”
Ike nodded. “Jah, me, too, but winter’s not so bad if you’re careful and try to be safe.”
Mattie was right to be worried about thin ice on the pond, Mark thought. From now on, I’ll be very careful whenever I skate.
CHAPTER 14
A Valuable Lesson
By the first week of March, the snow was all gone, and Mattie looked forward to spring so she could be outside in her little garden. She was eager to see the flowers bloom and watch the birds build nests in the trees. She was even looking forward to watching for Mark’s frog when it emerged from hibernation. The only thing Mattie didn’t like about spring was all the rain they usually got. Yesterday was one of those days. It had begun raining the previous night and hadn’t stopped until early that morning.
Mattie stared out her bedroom window and noticed Mom hanging clothes on the line. It was a good thing it had stopped raining, or she would have been hanging them in the basement instead of outside. Even so, Mattie could see there were still some droplets of water falling from the line each time Mom hung up an item.
This was Saturday, and since Mattie didn’t have school, she was looking forward to getting outside. The grass would still be wet, but it didn’t matter. It was better than trying to maneuver in the deep snow they’d had over the winter months.
Maybe I’ll spend some time with Twinkles today, Mattie thought. We could play fetch with the new ball she got for Christmas.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Mattie turned away from the window. “Come in!” she called.
The door opened, and Mark stepped into her room. “I need to talk to you,” he said with a worried expression.
“What about?”
“Mom and Dad.” Mark’s voice lowered to a whisper as he moved closer to Mattie. “They’re going broke.”
Mattie’s mouth opened wide. “How do you know?”
“I heard ’em talkin’ about it awhile ago—before Mom went outside to hang up the clothes.” Mark frowned. “I’m really worried, Mattie. What’s gonna happen if Mom and Dad don’t have enough money to take care of us anymore?”
Mattie’s eyes widened. “Are you sure about this, Mark? What exactly did you hear them say?”
“Mom asked if Dad could buy a bigger buggy for us all to ride in, but Dad said he couldn’t afford it right now and that business was slow in the wood shop.”
“Buggies are expensive,” Mattie said. “Just ’cause Dad said he can’t buy a new buggy doesn’t mean our folks are going broke.”
“That wasn’t all I heard,” Mark shook his head. “Mom said she was gonna grow some more vegetables in her garden this summer so she wouldn’t have to spend as much money on groceries. She also mentioned tryin’ to sell some of the things she’s sewn over the winter to bring in extra money.”
Mattie turned and stared out the window again, watching as Mom hung on the line the beautiful quilt that she kept on her and Dad’s bed. If her folks didn’t have enough money to take care of their family, Mattie wondered what they would do. Now she had something else to worry about, and she knew that Mark must be worried, too.
“My everyday shoes are getting a little bit tight,” she said. “Guess I’d better not say anything to Mom about that, though. At least not till she and Dad are makin’ more money.”
“I need to run a few errands today,” Mom told the twins after they’d finished their lunch that afternoon. “I’ll be taking Ada and Perry over to your grandpa and grandma Miller’s on my way into town and leaving them while I shop. Would you two like to go along?”
Mark looked at Mattie, and Mattie looked at Mark. “I’d rather stay here with Twinkles,” Mattie said.
“I’ll stay, too,” Mark added. “Think I might play with my katze, or maybe if it’s windy enough, I’ll try flyin’ my kite.”
“We should play some ball,” Mattie said. She bumped her brother’s arm. “You need the practice, right?”
“We’ll see,” Mark mumbled.
“If you don’t want to play ball with me, then maybe I’ll plant some seeds in my little garden,” Mattie said. “I’ll scatter them between our two garden plaques.”
“Oh, I almost forgot … I need to put the little frog pool out there, too, Mark said excitedly. Think I’d better do that right away, before you start plantin’ your seeds.”
Mom smiled and gave the twins a little pat on the head. “That’s fine; you can do whatever you like. You two worked hard getting your chores done this morning, so now you deserve to have some fun. I shouldn’t be gone too long, but if you get hungry, feel free to fix a snack. Calvin and Russell are going to visit one of their friends, but your daed and Ike are out in the shop, so if you need anything just let them know.”
“Okay,” said Mattie, “but I’m sure we’ll be fine. We’re not babies anymore.”
Mom smiled and patted the top of Mattie’s head. “I know you’re not, daughter.” She turned toward the house.
Mark smiled. He hoped playing with Boots and Lucky for a while would help him not to worry so much about his folks’ finances. He wished there was something he could do to help out.
A short time later, Mark was outside blowing bubbles while his two cats zipped around the yard, chasing after them. Mattie was in the barn, playing with Twinkles. It was a good thing,
too, because if the dog had been out here, she probably would have been chasing after the cats.
Mark had only been blowing bubbles a short time when Mattie came out of the barn with Twinkles.
Oh great, he thought. Now my fun is over. That hund of Mattie’s will probably start chasin’ my katze.
“I thought we were gonna play ball,” Mattie said, joining Mark on the lawn.
He shook his head. “I never said that … just said I’d see.”
“Don’t you want to get better at playing baseball?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Don’t see why I need to. I’m not that fond of the game.”
“I’m not that fond of spelling, either, but I still try to get a good grade.”
“That’s different. It’s important to do well in school. Baseball isn’t required for us to graduate when we get to the eighth grade,” Mark said. “Besides, I’m busy right now, blowin’ bubbles.”
“Can I blow some?” Mattie asked.
“Jah, sure.” Mark handed the jar of bubbles to Mattie, and they both knelt on the grass near the clothesline. It was still damp from the rain, but Mark didn’t mind. Only his knees would get wet.
“We should get the bubble maker Grandpa Miller gave us for Christmas.” Mattie grinned. “I’d like to see my hund and your katze go after those big bubbles.”
“I wanted to use up the liquid in this bottle first. Then we can get the homemade one and make gigantic bubbles,” Mark explained.
They took turns blowing bubbles while Twinkles, Lucky, and Boots raced back and forth, leaping into the air to try and catch the bubbles. At least Twinkles wasn’t chasing the cats. For now, she seemed more interested in the bubbles.
“Be careful you don’t blow any bubbles near Mom’s gwilde,” Mattie warned.
“The bubbles won’t hurt the quilt,” Mark said. “Besides, most of ’em are gettin’ popped before they rise very high.”
“I wish our bubbles could reach all the way up to heaven,” Mattie said after she’d blown another bubble.
Bubble Troubles Page 10
