Anna on the Farm (6 page)

Theodore studies Anna. "He'll never believe that," he says. "You walk like a girl."

"Show me how
you
walk," Anna says. "And I'll copy you."

Theodore swaggers down the dusty road ahead of Anna, his hands in his pockets. Anna watches him carefully. Shoving her hands in her pockets, she strides after him, taking big steps and bouncing along on her bare feet in a way that would scandalize Mother. By the time they reach Mr. Buell's Store, Anna is sure she's walking just like a boy. Why, she'd probably fool her own father and mother.

Theodore stops on the store's front steps. "What am I supposed to call you?" he asks Anna.

"Herman," Anna says, thinking of one of her German cousins. "Tell Mr. Buell my name is Herman and I'm Aunt Aggie's nephew from Germany."

"Mr. Buell knows your aunt's got no kin in Germany," Theodore says.

"Say I'm a long-lost relative," Anna says, warming to her story. "Say my father is Aunt Aggie's cousin once or twice removed. He went off to Germany and married a duchess, and Aunt Aggie never knew what became of him till now."

"That's plain silly." Theodore spits in the dirt, just missing Anna's big toe. "Mr. Buell will never believe it."

"Just tell him, Theodore!" Anna feels cross. "Don't you have any imagination?"

Theodore shrugs. "Oh, all right. Being from Germany might explain why you're so peculiar."

Anna spits in the dirt, just missing Theodore's big toe. Then she follows him into the store, keeping her hands in her pockets and remembering to swagger.

After the bright sunlight, it's dark inside, but Anna can see long strips of flypaper hanging from the ceiling, twirling in the breeze from the fan. She breathes in the musty odor of chicken feed mixed in with the smells of cheese and kerosene and floor wax.

Farm tools, overalls, and rubber boots hang from the ceiling, and the shelves are jammed with just about everything a person might need, from bolts of fabric to lamp oil, tools, and canned goods. The hodgepodge is very different from city stores that sell special things: food in one shop, clothing in another, hardware someplace else, and so on.

Mr. Buell is chatting with two men at the counter. When he sees Theodore and Anna, he smiles.

"Well, well, Theodore, what can I do for you today?" he asks.

Theodore takes the list from Anna and thrusts it across the counter. "Aunt Aggie needs these things."

Mr. Buell glances at the list and nods. Then he turns his attention to Anna. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend, Theodore? I don't recollect seeing him around here before."

Anna grins. Mr. Buell has just said "him." So far, so good. He thinks she's a boy.

Theodore takes a deep breath. "This here is Herman, Aunt Aggie's long-lost relative from Germany. His daddy ran off with a Dutch lady and now he's here for a visit."

"You don't say." Mr. Buell leans across the counter and peers at Anna's face. "I didn't know Aggie had relatives overseas."

"
Guten tag,
"Anna says politely, trying to remember the German she's learned from Mother.

"Good day, to you, too," says Mr. Buell.

Switching to English, Anna imitates her grandfather's accent. "
Ich
been pleased to meet you."

Mr. Buell chuckles. "
Sehr angenehm,
" he says. "Pleased to meet you, too!"

Anna's face turns red. She hadn't expected Mr. Buell to know German.

"Where are you from?" he asks. "What city?"

"Hanover," Anna says, glad she can remember where Grandfather was born.

"Ah, I know Hanover well," Mr. Buell says. "What street do you live on?"

Annas face turns redder. Why did she start this silly game? "
Ich
forgetten," she stammers, still trying to sound German.

Theodore rises on his toes to look Mr. Buell in the eye. "Can you please give us what Aunt Aggie needs?" he asks. "She wants to make lemonade for Uncle George. It has to be ready by noon, so we're in a hurry."

"Sure, sure." Mr. Buell winks at the other men. "It's not often I meet someone from my native land, you know. Such a handsome young lad. Almost too pretty to be a boy."

Anna stares at the floor. She will never set foot inside this store again.

Whistling a tune, Mr. Buell fills a bag with sacks of sugar, coffee, and flour and drops in six lemons. "That will be one dollar and three cents," he says.

Anna pulls the money out of her pocket and slaps it down on the counter. "Vee vant two peppermint sticks," she says, still trying. "
Und
some licorice,
bitte.
"

"Ah, I like children who say
please
." Mr. Buell drops a handful of peppermint sticks into the bag and adds a handful of stringy black licorice. Handing the bag to Anna, he says, "Here you are Herman," he says. "Your candy and your change."

"
Danke schön,
" Anna says, dropping ninety cents into her pocket.

"You are very welcome, indeed," Mr. Buell tells Anna. Turning to Theodore, he says, "If you see your aunt's niece Anna, be sure and say hello for me. I thought she was visiting this week, but I must have been mistaken."

Theodore gives Anna a push. "Let's go. Aunt Aggie needs these things right away."

"
Auf Wiedersehen,
" Mr. Buell calls as Anna and Theodore leave the store.

Outside in the sunlight, Theodore glares at Anna. "I never felt like such a moron in my whole life!"

Anna scowls at Theodore. "It's all your fault. You should have told me Mr. Buell was German."

"I wish you really were a boy," Theodore says, "so I could punch you in the nose."

"Go ahead! Punch me!" Anna sets the grocery bag on the ground and doubles her fists. She's seen boys fight. She's sure she knows how to do it. "I'll punch you right back!"

Theodore makes a fist and punches Anna in the chin but not very hard. She punches him. He punches her a little harder. Anna's hat flies off. Her braids tumble down her back. Theodore grabs one and pulls. Anna screeches.

Suddenly, Mr. Buell is between them. "Children, children!" With one hand he grabs Theodore. With the other he grabs Anna. He holds the two of them apart and looks at them.

"My, my," he says. "Just look at Herman's braids. Is this how boys in Germany wear their hair nowadays?"

Theodore starts to laugh. Even though she's embarrassed, Anna laughs, too.

Mr. Buell chuckles. "It seems you rascals tried to play a trick on me."

"It was all Anna's idea," Theodore says. "I told her you'd never believe her, but she just had to go and act the fool."

Anna stops laughing. If Mr. Buell weren't still holding her arm, she'd punch Theodore for calling her a fool.

"Oh, but I did believe Anna," Mr. Buell says. "I never would have given you all that candy if I hadn't been so happy to see such a nice little boy from my native land."

Anna feels happy again. "I'm not a fool, after all," she tells Theodore, leaning around Mr. Buell to see him better. "You have me to thank for the extra candy."

"You have Anna to thank for this, too." Mr. Buell pulls two cold bottles of sarsaparilla out of a tub full of ice and water. "There you are," he says, handing them each one. "No more fighting, okay?"

Anna looks at Theodore. Theodore looks at Anna. They grin. A hot sunny day, two bottles of sarsaparilla, and all the candy they can eat. Being friends is definitely more fun than being enemies. At least for right now.

T
HAT AFTERNOON,
A
UNT
A
GGIE SENDS
T
HEODORE
and Anna down to the end of the lane to wait for the mailman. It's about time for the Sears and Roebuck catalog to come. Aunt Aggie's been wanting one of the new gas ranges they sell. She's hoping this year Uncle George will say they can afford it.

"It will be a long wait," Theodore tells Anna. "Mr. O'Reilly stops and talks to everybody. He tells who got letters from far away, who had a death in the family, who had a marriage, who had a baptizing. He knows everything there is to know about all the folks in Beltsville."

Anna wonders if girls are allowed to be mailmen. Think of all the postcards she could read. Why, she'd learn all about the world and everyone in it. It's the most perfect job she can think of.

"I bet Mr. O'Reilly's told everybody in Beltsville you're here," Theodore adds.

Anna smiles. If Theodore is right, she's famous, at least in Beltsville. She wants to hear more of Mr. O'Reilly's gossip, but Uncle George calls Theodore to hoe the tomato patch.

Theodore makes a face Uncle George can't see. Anna knows he hates to hoe in the hot sun. "Tell me if the catalog comes," he tells Anna. Then he heads up the lane to meet Uncle George.

Left alone, Anna climbs on the fence and leans over so she can see way down the road. In the city, the streets would be full of people coming and going. But here there's not a person in sight, not a car, not even a horse pulling a wagon. Birds sing, a rabbit runs across the road, butterflies drift from one clump of wildflowers to the next, cicadas rasp in the tall grass. The air smells sweet.

Anna sits on the top rail of the fence, making a clover chain and whistling songs she learned in school, "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," "Maryland, My Maryland," "Oh, Susanna." She's glad Mother can't hear her. According to Mother, it's unladylike to whistle. Sometimes Anna thinks everything that's fun is unladylike. Going barefoot, wearing overalls, swimming in your drawers, getting dirty, whistling, spitting. Boys don't know how lucky they are.

At last, Anna sees someone coming, but it's not Mr. O'Reilly. It's a girl riding a horse. She's at least fifteen, much older than Anna, and very pretty. She wears jodhpurs and tall, shiny riding boots and a smart velvet jacket. Her long golden hair waves around her face and down over her shoulders. Her horse is slim legged and graceful. Its mane is braided, and so is its tail. Head up, it trots along, lifting its hooves high, as if it doesn't like the feel of the ground.

To Anna's delight, the girl slows to a stop and smiles at her.

"You must be Mrs. Armiger's niece Anna," the girl says. "All the way from Baltimore."

"How did you know?" Anna asks. "Has Mr. O'Reilly been to your house already?"

The girl laughs, showing the most perfect teeth Anna has ever seen. "My mother told me you were here. She and your aunt are friends."

Leaning closer, the girl says, "My name's Nell Webster. I live on the farm next to your aunt and uncle. Do you like horses?"

Anna nods. She loves horses. In fact, she's dying to pet Nell's horse, but Father has taught her never to touch the horses she sees in the city. They are work horses, he says. They aren't meant for petting.

"His name is Silver Heels." Nell reaches into her pocket, pulls out a slice of apple, and hands it to Anna. "Feed him that and he'll love you forever."

Silver Heels leans toward Anna. His warm breath tickles her hand as he gently takes the apple from her outstretched palm. Anna giggles. "Is it all right to pet him?" she asks.

"Of course." Nell smiles at Anna. "Silver Heels is very spoiled. He expects to be petted."

Anna gently strokes Silver Heels' long velvety face. He makes a whuffing sound and she feels his warm breath again. "He's the most beautiful horse I've ever seen," she whispers.

"Would you like to go for a ride?" Nell asks.

Anna is almost too amazed at her good luck to say yes. Before she can pinch herself to see if she's dreaming, she's perched on the horse, in front of Nell.

Nell nudges Silver Heels and says, "Let's go, fellow."

Anna sits tall and proud. She can see over the fields of corn, down the hill to the woods beyond. Far away Uncle George is working in the tomato patch. Theodore trudges along behind him. Anna feels sorry for him. She hopes Nell will take Theodore for a ride some other time.

"Let's go a little faster," Nell says.

Anna holds Silver Heels' mane. He picks up speed. The gentle rolling motion of his walk changes. He trots, bouncing Anna up and down. The summer air feels cooler as it rushes against her face. She wishes they could go even faster.

After a few minutes, they come to a low point in the road. On either side, the trees lean toward each other as if they're holding hands to make an arch. They cast deep green shadows on the road. Anna sees a bridge ahead.

"Silver Heels needs a drink," Nell says. She slides down from the horse, but she tells Anna to stay in the saddle. "I'll lead him to the creek."

Nell guides Silver Heels off the road and along a mossy path. Honeysuckle drapes a fence and wild grape hangs from the trees. Sunlight dapples the leaves with gold. It splashes down on Nell and Silver Heels, too, making patterns everywhere.

Anna hears the stream before she sees it. The water is shallow, but it races over stones, making a loud chatter. While Silver Heels drinks, Anna pretends she and Nell are princesses in a magic land. She can almost see fairies hiding in the leaves. She can almost hear them laughing.

Nell sits on the bank and pulls off her tall boots. "My feet are so hot," she says. "Let's wade in the stream."