by Risner, Fay
For awhile, the men sat in silence, contemplating Johnnie Mast then Cooner Jonah switched gears. He started chuckling to himself.
John said, “What's so funny? Let the rest of us in on it.”
“I was just thinking about what Bill Hershberger told me the last time I met up with him at the salebarn. You ever hear him talk about the good potato crops he raises?”
“Sure, he always boasts more about it than he should. When I asked him once what he put on the ground to get a gute crop like that all the time he would not tell me,” John said.
Cooner Jonah said, “He would not tell Samuel Nisely, either. I was close the other day, listening. Actually, he's a little too boastful for my taste, too. When Samuel asked how his potato crop was last year, Bill said his fields were so chock full of potatoes you could hear them grumbling when you put your ear on the ground. 'Roll over. You are crowding me,' the potatoes said.
Bill stuck his thumbs under his gallouses, reared back and told Samuel, 'Once a greenhorn asked me for a hundred pounds of potato. I set him straight real fast. I do not believe in cutting into one of my potatoes. You buy the whole potato, or you take your business elsewhere.”
Jim chuckled.
Adam slapped his knee.
“What did Samuel say?” John asked.
Cooner Jonah replied, “He was not sure if Bill was serious or not. Finally, he told Bill he'd heard all he needed to know. He guessed he was too much of a weakling to start raising potatoes like that. More power to Bill for being so brave. While Bill looked puzzled, Samuel winked at me and walked away.”
The men laughed.
“You have some good story tellers down here. We talked to a fellow the other day at the salebarn that had me convinced he keeps his girlfriend by herself in a room in his house. Turned out to be his horse,” Jim said.
Cooner Jonah chuckled. “You met Ben Krayman I take it?”
“Jah,” John replied.
Not to be outdone, Jim had a story of his own. “We got a fellow just about like your potato farmer living in the next county over from me. He's always bragging about raising better corn crops than the rest of us. A farmer that lives next to me said he met up with this guy in town. He made the mistake of asking the man how his corn crop turned out last fall. We had a summer drought so it was a concern to most farmers that the corn might have suffered some.
The guy claimed he sent his son, Wilbur, to check on the growth of their corn. Wilbur wasn't a tall lad, so he took a ladder with him. When he found a tall stalk of corn, he leaned the ladder against it and climbed up until he could reach the top joint. From there, he proceeded up the stalk to the top and looked out over the field. There was enough corn for a rich harvest Wilbur figured.
He started back down the corn stalk. He realized suddenly that it had kept growing while he was at the top. He stepped from joint to joint, but it grew so fast he never had time to reach the ladder. He froze right where he was, afraid of falling.
Wilbur's father said he wondered what was taking the boy so long to come back. He knew there was no use in hunting for him in that tall corn, so he climbed to the top of the windmill to look. He saw his son's predicament soon enough, and gathered the neighborhood men to help him. They tried to chop down the cornstalk, but the cornstalk was growing so fast eighteen inches separated every chop. Finally, they gave up. Wilbur was forced to stay on the cornstalk until the drought came, and the corn finally stopped growing.”
The boys had perched on the edge of the porch, dangling their feet. They giggled at the stories.
Cooner Jonah took the opportunity to say, “I hear tell you Lapp boys have a tale of your own about the coon hunt.”
Noah and Daniel looked serious.
John asked, “Something happen I did not hear about?”
Cooner Jonah said, “Heard that coon hound pup of theirs tangled with something bigger than he was, and he lost. Came back all scratched up.”
Noah and Daniel turned away as their father said, “Ach, you mean when Biscuit went into the gooseberry thicket. He will learn what to stick his nose into and what not to as he gets more experienced.”
“Expect he will,” Cooner Jonah agreed with a chuckle.
David, said to Noah, “Biscuit? That your dog's name?”
“That is just what Mama Hal calls our dog,” Noah excused softly.
“Right,” Daniel said. “We call him Dog.”
“Unhuh,” David said, grinning at them.
“Go over to the dawdi house and see what is keeping your dawdi,”Cooner Jonah said to his son. “He should be here with his company for his birthday celebration.”
The boys took off on the run. Noah and Daniel were eager to get away before John came up with more questions about the coon hunt. The boys came back with Peter shuffling along beside them. The elderly man sat down in the chair Cooner Jonah reserved for him. Without a word of greeting to the company, he crossed his legs and stared into space.
Cooner Jonah whispered to John, “Look at Daed. He has gruddel vullahs woolly lumps in his beard. He forgot to wash his face.”
John said, “Jah, but it is gute to know that he is drinking milk which is gute for him even if he did snag onto a few lumps.” He leaned around Cooner Jonah. “Nice evening, ain't so, Peter?”
“Sure is, Charlie,” Peter replied.
John looked confused.
Cooner Jonah whispered, “He thinks you are his brother.”
Anna came to the screen door. “You can come in now. The ice cream is ready, and the cake is cut.”
They all gathered around the table. Hal made sure to get the place next to Peter on his right side so she could observe him. While the others were taking seats, he patted the table on his left. “Dolly, here is your chair.” Peter smiled warmly at her.
Tootie flushed at the attention as she sat down.
When the elderly man peered in Hal's direction, she smiled. He gave her a blank look. Hal said, “Happy birthday, Peter.”
Suddenly, Peter's eyes widened as if he was seeing her for the first time. “Denki, Sara.”
Anna set the first bowl heaped with ice cream and a large slice of cake down in front of Peter. She whispered to Hal, “His wife was Sara.
Hal nodded that she understood. It was clear how confused Peter had become. He thought she was his wife, but he selected Tootie to sit on his left which should have been reserved for his wife if she was alive.
Anna and her girls served the cake and ice cream and sat down. They bowed their heads for a silent prayer then they all sang Happy Birthday to Peter.
The elderly man surely didn't like icing. It was true a great plenty of the powdered sugar kind was heaped on the white cake. Hal noticed Peter scraped as much of the icing onto his spoon as he could. He stared at his spoon, wondering what to do to get rid of it so he could eat his cake. He swiped the spoon under the bottom of his saucer and left most of the icing on the tablecloth.
That's one way to get out of eating sweet icing. Wonder what Anna will say when she picks up that saucer? It ran through Hal's mind as she observed Peter, Anna's probably used to Peter doing strange things.
“The cake is delicious, Peter. You're lucky to have a good cook like Anna in your family,” Tootie said.
“I am. Maybe we can talk her into baking you a birthday cake, Dolly. Your birthday is not too far from mine,” Peter replied.
“We'll see,” Tootie said as she took a dainty bite of ice cream. She picked up her paper napkin and waved it in front of her face. “It's a bit warm in here, isn't it?”
Peter agreed, “Jah.”
Hal thought about Peter's statement. Is Aunt Tootie going to have a birthday soon? How would Peter know that? Nah, Aunt Tootie's birthday is months away, I think. Note to self. I need to ask Mom. As she watched her aunt and Peter, the scent of roses suddenly came to her. Strange. It's a little early for roses to bloom. Besides, she couldn't remember ever seeing a rose bush or trellis close to the Rogies house.
Ev
eryone chatted and laughed, having a good time as they ate. John said to Cooner Jonah, “Did you ever find your post hole digger?”
Cooner Jonah looked stumped. “I did not know it was missing. David, the post hole digger is in the shed with the other tools, ain't so?”
David said slowly as he tried to recall the last time he saw the digger. “I think so.”
Peter's intent eyes focused on the men as he strained to hear their conversation. One of the girls must have said something that was funny to the other children. They all burst out laughing. Suddenly, Peter's fist hit the table as he snapped, “Silence! Why are you all laughing at this old man?”
Cooner Jonah looked flustered. “We are not laughing at you, Daed. We are enjoying our visit with our friends.”
Anna said in a quiet tone, “These are your friends at this table with your family, Peter.”
Peter grabbed Hal by the arm just above her wrist so quickly she didn't have time to dodge him. His strong grip squeezed her arm. The demented look on his face and in his cold eyes kept Hal from resisting him as she waited for what would happen next. The sun darkened patina on his skin flushed a red tint. “Sara, I'm tired of you making fun of me.”
Hal bit her lower lip to keep from crying out from the pain. John jumped up to come to her aid. Hal put up her other hand to stop him. “Nah, John, sit back down.”
“No one is making fun of you, Peter” Anna said in despair. “Turn loose of Nurse Hal's arm. You are hurting her.”
“I intend to teach Sara to do the right thing. She should not laugh at anyone let along her husband,” Peter argued.
“But,” John began. He wanted to correct Peter. Hal wasn't the elderly man's wife, Sara. She died eight years ago. Peter knew Hal very well. He visited with her at the service meetings all the time.
Hal shook her head slightly at John. “Peter Rogies.” The elderly man focused on her as she said obediently, “I am forlornly sorry for having offended you. I promise not to do it again, and I pray that you will forgive me.”
“That is better,” Peter said sternly.
Tootie patted the table by his left hand. “Peter, have you finished eating?”
He focused on her. “Jah.”
“How about you and me go for a walk? It's awfully warm in the house, and I could use some fresh air,” Tootie said.
Peter released Hal's arm. An angry welted ring of finger marks swelled up on her arm. He seemed not to notice he'd hurt her as he focused on Tootie. “A walk sounds like a gute idea, Dolly.”
When Tootie glanced at her, Hal said softly, “Don't go.”
Tootie stood up. “We'll be fine. We're celebrating Peter's birthday after all.”
Peter followed Tootie. She took his hand that now offered a gentle touch, and they went outside. Hal messaged her arm gently as she watched them leave. She was aware that beside and across from her were empty seats and lingering over them was the scent of roses in full bloom. Roses! Fudge! Aunt Tootie bought rose perfume. She had something with Peter in mind all along. Oh, please, Lord, don't let anyone else figure this out. That woman is going to get us in trouble for sure, and it won't be her that has to stand before the member council for fornication.
Anna had tears streaming down her face as she came around the table and hugged Hal. “I am so sorry. Did Peter hurt you much?”
“Nah, I'll be fine,” Hal said. “Don't worry about me. I understand what Peter is going through.”
“I wish I did,” Anna said, feeling frustrated.
David put his arm around Daniel's shoulder. “I'm sorry my dawdi ruined the party.”
“It is all right. He really did not ruin much. We had the gute cake and ice cream and a gute visit,” Daniel said.
“We will do something fun together soon. Maybe go coon hunting again to train the dogs,” Noah added.
David brightened up. “Jah, that would be gute.”
Cooner Jonah said in a hushed voice to John, “I sure am sorry this happened. My daed comes and goes like this all the time. There is no way of getting his mind back when he does something wrong. The change happens so suddenly it takes us by surprise. I never thought he would hurt Nurse Hal of all people.”
Hal said, “Your father is sick. He has Alzheimer's disease. If there's a time you could come by the clinic and talk to me away from where your father can hear us, I'd be glad to explain the disease to you. Maybe I can help you figure out how to talk to Peter when he's upset.”
“Jah, Anna and me would like to learn about this disease,” Cooner Jonah said. “John, why did you ask about our digger?”
“Your father stopped at our house a couple times before he caught me home. He asked me to return the digger I borrowed from him. I told him I didn't borrow his digger and showed him mine in the shed. He was very upset. He said someone must have stolen his,” John explained.
“That's not so,” Cooner Jonah declared.
Anna studied the screen door. “Will your aunt be safe with Peter?”
Nora looked worried. “Hal, I was wondering that myself.”
“I'm not sure why, but he seems to like Aunt Tootie. I think she will be all right. I can tell she likes Peter,” Hal said.
“It sounds odd to hear Peter call my sister Dolly,” Nora said. “We haven't used her given name in years.”
“He is reminded of a special friend named Dolly he dated before he married my mother,” Jonah shared. “The way I heard it they almost married. I do not know what happened, but he wound up marrying my mother instead.”
“John, perhaps we should think about going home,” Jim suggested.
“Maybe so.” John said, “Noah, will you go find Aendi Tootie. Tell her we are ready to leave.”
Noah shot out the door. He rushed back in a few minutes later and leaned against the door frame, panting, “I have looked everywhere, but I can not find Aendi Tootie.”
“Did you see my father?” Cooner Jonah asked.
“Nah, not him, either. I checked in the dawdi house. Peter and Aendi Tootie are not there. That is not all. Dawdi Jim's courting buggy is missing,” Noah said, mystified.
“Peter and Tootie have disappeared? My buggy is gone? How do you like that? She wouldn't go for a ride with me, but she will with a strange … .” Jim paused when Cooner Jonah's head came up. “A stranger,” Jim finished politely.
“We need to figure out where Peter would take Aunt Tootie,” Hal said.
“He drives around Bender Creek Road often,” Cooner Jonah suggested.
“That is right. That road seems to hold pleasant memories from years ago for him,” Anna remembered.
“How about that. Tootie wouldn't go down Bender Creek Road with me, but she went with Peter in my courting buggy,” groused Jim.
“You asked your wife's sister to go to Bender Creek Road with you in that courting buggy, and you have the nerve to call my father strange,” Cooner Jonah said harshly.
“I didn't intend to take Tootie there for any other reason but a ride to try my new buggy out. A short ride at that. A very short one.” Cooner Jonah continue to stare in a distrusting way at him. Jim turned to Nora. “Tell him, Nora. I wouldn't do what he's thinking, would I?”
“Jim is telling the truth, Mr. Rogies,” Nora said. “He's not that kind of man.”
“He's a gute man, Cooner Jonah,” Hal defended.
“We better be looking for those two instead of talking. Cooner Jonah, how about you and I search for Peter and Aendi Tootie. Jim, you take the women and kids home,” John planned.
Daniel sat in quiet contemplation all the way home, looking off into the dark night. He leaned against the barn with his hands in his trouser pockets, staring at his bare feet while Jim helped Noah unharness Ben.
Jim asked, “Daniel, you're too quiet. Is what Peter Rogies did tonight bothering you?”
Daniel nodded. “He scared me. Looking mean at all of us and hurting Mama Hal like that. I do not understand. He has always been such a nice man.”
“The p
oor old fellow isn't well. He might just get worse,” Jim said. “If you are around him from now on, you need to be mindful of that fact and keep some distance between you and him.”
Noah came back with the harness. “That is not gute to know now that Aendi Tootie is with him.”
“All we can do is wait and see. Hope for the best,” Jim said.
“How come Mama Hal told Peter she was sorry. She didn't do anything wrong. Peter hurt her. He should have told her he was sorry,” Daniel said.
“Jah, Mama Hal lied to him,” Noah added.
“No, not really. You see sometimes to tell a person something they want to hear when they are sick like Peter isn't considered dishonest. Peter thought he knew the truth so he might have hurt Hal worse if she had tried to reason with him,” Jim explained. “Remember that if you're ever around him or someone like him. Telling them what they want to hear is better than getting hurt or making it worse for the person who is sick. In a few minutes, right or wrong, they won't remember what you said to them anyway. On top of that, what Hal did was to show respect and kindness for a fellow human being who has a horrible illness.”
It was Tootie's intention to calm Peter down and remind him it was his birthday so he could go back and enjoy what was left of the party with everyone.
The plan seemed to be working until they walked past the Lapp's enclosed buggy. Peter stopped by the courting buggy. “Remember when we used to go on dates in that buggy.”
“I don't think it would have been that one,” Tootie said.
“Let me take you for a ride now,” Peter urged.
“Now! It's dark. I thought maybe we could take a moonlight walk right here.”
“I'd rather go for a ride,” Peter insisted.
“It's getting late,” Tootie excused.
“We will not stay gone long. Please go for a ride in my courting buggy with me,” Peter coaxed.
Tootie looked toward the house. She didn't see anyone watching them. What was it Hallie said? This was like play acting. Peter was happy again. She should go along with whatever he said. She wanted him to enjoy her company and not be mad at her. “All right, let's go. Just don't make it a long ride. We don't want our families to worry about us.”
