Growing Up in Lancaster County (16 page)

She smiled. “That’s one of the things I like about you, Grandpa. You’re always so much fun to be with.”

“I enjoy being with you, too.” Grandpa looked at her and winked. “So what do you hope to get for your birthday?”

“I’d really like a trip to Hershey Park.” Rachel sighed. “But I’m sure that won’t happen.”

“What makes you think so?”

“Because when I asked Pap about going, he said he was too busy, and that Mom wasn’t up to making the trip.” She slowly shook her head. “I’ll probably never go to Hershey Park, or anyplace else where there are fun rides.”

“Never say never,” Grandpa said. “Sometimes the things we want happen when we least expect them.”

Hope rose inside Rachel. Maybe Mom and Pap would surprise her with a trip to Hershey Park for her birthday. Maybe Grandpa knew about it and was keeping it a secret.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m getting hungry,” Grandpa said when they had purchased flower pots, potting soil, gardening gloves, and packets of seeds. These were all things he would either use or sell in his greenhouse.

Rachel patted her stomach. “I’m hungry, too.”

“I’ll let you choose where we’ll have our lunch,” Grandpa said.

Rachel smiled. “I’d like to eat at the Bird-in-Hand Family Restaurant. They have real tasty food there.”

“I like eating there, too,” Grandpa said as he guided the horse and buggy onto the road.

When they entered the restaurant, Rachel’s stomach rumbled and her nose twitched. The delicious aromas coming from the kitchen made her even hungrier.

The hostess showed them to a table. Then a waitress asked what they would like to drink.

“I’ll have a glass of iced tea,” Grandpa said. “How about you, Rachel?”

“I’d like a glass of milk.”

“Do you know what you’d like to eat?” the waitress asked.

“I think I’ll have the buffet.” Grandpa smiled at Rachel. “Does that sound good to you?”

“That suits me fine.” She licked her lips. “There are always lots of good things on the buffet, and they even have pickled beets on the salad bar!”

Grandpa chuckled. “You take after your mamm, Rachel. She’s always liked pickled beets.”

“Help yourself when you’re ready,” the waitress said. “I’ll have your beverages at the table when you get back.”

Rachel pushed her chair aside and scurried to the salad bar. She didn’t care much for lettuce, but she liked some of the other vegetables there. So she loaded her plate and made sure she got plenty of pickled beets.

A girl with blond hair in a ponytail stepped up to Rachel and studied her a few seconds. “Is your name Rachel Yoder?”

“Yes,” Rachel said.

“I thought so. We met at the farmers’ market last summer.” The girl tilted her head. “You look different than the last time I saw you. I don’t think you wore glasses then.”

“I got my glasses about a month ago.” Rachel smiled at the girl. “Your name’s Sherry, isn’t it?”

“That’s right.”

“You had a cute dog with you. I remember we took it for a walk.”

“Yes, we did. You should see how much Bundles has grown since then.”

“My cat, Cuddles, has grown a lot, too—especially around the middle. I think it’s because she eats so much,” Rachel said.

“What are you doing here?” Sherry asked. “Are you going to the farmers’ market?”

Rachel shook her head. “I came with my grandpa so he could buy some things for his new greenhouse.”

“That sounds interesting.”

“Yes, and I’m going to help him there when I’m not busy with other things,” Rachel said. “What are you doing here?”

Sherry motioned to a woman sitting at a table across the room. “I came with my mother. We went shopping for a new quilt to put in our guest room.”

“My mother made a quilt for my sister when she got married,” Rachel said. “She used the Lone Star pattern.”

“Will you help in your grandpa’s greenhouse all summer?” Sherry asked. “Or will your family take a vacation?”

Rachel shook her head. “My mom’s due to have a baby soon, so we won’t go on vacation. How about you?”

“We may visit my aunt and uncle in California. My brother’s planning to take me to Hershey Park sometime this summer, too.”

Rachel couldn’t help but feel envious. Hearing that Sherry was going to Hershey Park made her wish all the more that she could go there.

“It was nice to see you, Rachel.” Sherry turned away from the salad bar. “Maybe I’ll see you sometime later this summer.”

Rachel smiled. “That would be nice.”

When Sherry walked away, Rachel finished filling her plate and took it to the table where Grandpa waited. Despite longing for things she might never get to do, she was excited about the things they’d bought for Grandpa’s greenhouse. And she was excited about helping him there. At least that was something to look forward to.

T
he hurrier I go, the behinder I get,” Grandpa mumbled as he hurried toward his greenhouse the following morning.

“I wish I could help you today,” Rachel called from the garden, where she and Jacob were picking strawberries.

“Maybe you can help me later,” Grandpa called as he kept walking.

Rachel dropped two berries into the basket by her knees. “I don’t think there’s much chance of that. When I’m done here, I’ll have to spend the rest of the day selling these
aebier
[strawberries] from our roadside stand,” she said as Grandpa disappeared.

“
Grummel net um mich rum
[Don’t grumble around me].” Jacob tossed a berry, and it splattered on Rachel’s arm.

“Stop! I’ll end up with berry juice all over my dress!” Rachel grabbed a berry and threw it at Jacob. She laughed when it hit his nose.

“You’d better quit fooling around! You’ll be in trouble if Mom sees you’re playing.”

“What about you?” Rachel frowned. “You threw an
aebeer
[strawberry] at me first.”

“You didn’t have to throw one back, little bensel.”

“Stop calling me a silly child!” Rachel’s fingers itched to pitch another berry at Jacob, but she heard the screen door open and saw Mom step onto the porch.

Plunk! Plunk! Plunk!
Rachel dropped one strawberry after another into the basket. When Mom disappeared around the side of the house, Rachel popped a juicy berry into her mouth and giggled. “Mmm…this tastes
wunderbaar
[wonderful].”

“You’ll never get enough berries picked to sell if you keep eating ‘em,” Jacob said, shaking his head.

“I only ate one.” Rachel glared at Jacob. “And quit telling me what to do. You’re not my boss.”

“Someone has to tell you what to do when you’re fooling around.”

“I’m not fooling around.” Rachel lifted her basket. “I have just as many berries as you do.”

“Whatever you say, little bensel.” Jacob snickered and moved to the next row.

That was fine with Rachel; she’d rather not work too close to her teasing brother.

She leaned over, plucked off another berry, and was about to put it in her basket, when
—Peck! Peck
!—their mean old goose nipped the back of Rachel’s legs.

“Yeow!” Rachel dropped the berry and whirled around.

Honk! Honk! Honk!
The goose flapped her wings and grabbed a berry in her beak.

Before Rachel could react, Jacob waved his hands and hollered, “Get away from here you stupid
gans
[goose]!”

The goose bobbed her head up and down, sounded another loud
Honk!
and waddled away.

Rachel sighed with relief. “Danki, Jacob. I thought that goose was gonna get me.”

“I think she was after the strawberries and just wanted to get you out of her way,” Jacob said. “She likes to sneak to the garden and help herself when no one’s looking.”

Rachel’s hand trembled as she picked up the berry. “That gans is nothing but trouble. I wish Pap would get rid of her!”

“If she keeps getting into trouble, maybe he will.” Jacob grabbed his box of berries. “I’ve filled eight boxes now, so I think I’ll take ‘em out to the stand. Are you ready to join me, or did you want to pick more?”

“I have eight boxes, too, so I’m gonna stop picking,” Rachel said. “But before I come to the stand, I think I’ll go inside and get some of my painted rocks to sell.”

“I don’t think anyone will want a
dumm
[dumb] old rock, but if you want to try selling some, then suit yourself.” Jacob gathered all the berries and put them in the wheelbarrow. “I’ll see you at the stand!” He wheeled the boxes of berries down the driveway toward the roadside stand Pap had built.

Rachel hurried into the house, raced up the stairs, and opened her dresser drawer, where she kept several painted rocks. She found an empty box in her closet and put three ladybug rocks inside, along with two rocks she’d painted to look like turtles. She grunted when she picked up the box. The rocks sure made it heavy!

Huffing and puffing, Rachel stumbled down the stairs. When she stepped onto the back porch, she noticed Mom sitting in a chair, shelling peas.

“What are you doing, Rachel?” Mom asked. “I thought you and Jacob were in the garden picking aebier.”

Rachel’s arms hurt, so she set the box of rocks on the small table by the door. “We were. Jacob took the strawberries out to the stand while I came to get some painted rocks to sell.”

“That’s a good idea, Rachel. I hope you sell them.” Mom smiled. “I’ll let you know when lunch is ready, and then you and Jacob can take turns coming up to the house to eat.”

“Can’t we eat lunch at the stand? I don’t want to leave my rocks with Jacob. He might give them away.”

Mom shook her head. “I don’t think Jacob would do something like that, but if you’d like to eat at the stand, I’ll bring lunch to you when it’s ready.”

“Danki.” Rachel picked up the box and trudged down the stairs, panting as she made her way down the driveway.

“This is sure heavy,” she said, placing the box on one end of the stand.

Jacob rolled his eyes. “I still think selling rocks is a dumm idea. I’ll bet no one will even look at them.”

“I bet they will.”

“Bet they won’t.”

Rachel bit her lip. There was no point arguing about it. Jacob would see that he was wrong when she sold her first painted rock.

“Have you had any customers?” Rachel asked as she set the rocks on the other side of the strawberries.

He shook his head. “Only a couple of cars have passed, and no buggies at all.”

Rachel shielded her eyes from the sun’s glare. “It’s still early. I’m sure someone will stop soon.”

“I hope so, because it’s already hot and muggy, and I don’t want to sit out here all day and sweat.”

“Now who’s grumbling?” Rachel nudged Jacob’s arm with her elbow. “Huh?”

“I’m not grumbling, just stating facts.” He wiped the sweat on his forehead with his shirtsleeve. “If it’s this hot so early in the day, I can only imagine how it’ll feel this afternoon.”

Rachel sat on the folding chair beside Jacob. She glanced at the other side of the driveway, where Grandpa’s greenhouse had been built. No cars or buggies were there either. “It looks like we’re not the only ones who don’t have customers,” she said. “Grandpa’s greenhouse looks deserted.”

Jacob nodded. “Everyone must either be at home, working, or shopping in town.”

Rachel leaned on the wooden counter. “If you could be doing anything else right now, what would it be?”

“I’d be sitting on a big rock at the creek with my bare feet dangling in the water.” Jacob looked over at Rachel. “What would you be doing?”

“The creek sounds nice, but I’d probably be in the greenhouse helping Grandpa.” She sat up straight. “No, wait. I’d be on one of those wild rides at Hershey Park.”

Jacob grunted. “I’d enjoy that, too, but it doesn’t look like we’ll go anywhere this summer. Not with so much work in the fields and the boppli coming soon.”

Rachel sighed. “I wonder if I’ll ever get to do anything fun.”

Before Jacob could respond, Audra rode up on her scooter. It reminded Rachel of her skateboard. Unlike English scooters that sometimes had engines, Audra’s
Amish scooter was similar to a skateboard with handles
.

“Wie geht’s
[How are you]
?
” Audra asked, smiling at Rachel.

“Okay. How about you?”

“I’m doing good.” Audra stepped down from the scooter and leaned on the counter. “I came to see if you could play.”

“I can’t today. Jacob and I have to sit here and try to sell these aebier.” Rachel motioned to the box of berries sitting closest to her. “Would you like to buy some?”

“Sorry, but I don’t have any money with me.” Audra looked up at the yard. “Can’t you leave the stand for a while? I was hoping we could jump on your trampoline.”

“I wish I could, but I’ll be in trouble with Mom if I don’t try to sell these berries.”

“Should I come back later this afternoon?” Audra asked. “Maybe you’ll be free to play then.”

Rachel shook her head. “If the berries sell, I’ll help Grandpa in his new greenhouse this afternoon. If they don’t sell, I’ll probably be stuck here in the hot sun for the rest of the day.”

“Die Rachel is die ganz zeit am grumble
[Rachel is grumbling all the time],” Jacob said to Audra.