Growing Up in Lancaster County (26 page)

“I went to Hershey Park.”

“Hershey Park?” Mom and Pap said at the same time.

Rachel nodded; then she motioned to Sherry and Dave. “This is Sherry and her brother, Dave. I met Sherry at the farmers’ market last summer, and I saw her again when Grandpa and I went to the Bird-in-Hand restaurant a few weeks ago.” Rachel gulped in a quick breath. “When I was heading to Orlie’s to show him my new skateboard, Dave and Sherry drove by and stopped to say hello. Then they said—”

“We said we were going to Hershey Park, and I invited Rachel to join us,” Sherry said.

Mom looked at Rachel and scowled. “And you agreed to go without getting our permission?”

Rachel nodded slowly. “I—I thought no one would miss me.” She sniffed. “I thought no one cared about me anymore.”

Henry shook his head. “That’s just plain foolishness, Rachel. How could you even think such a thing?”

“Ever since Hannah came home from the hospital, everyone has made over her and ignored me—unless they wanted me to do some chore.”
Sniff! Sniff!

“It’s true, we have made over the baby, and you have been asked to do more chores.” Mom pulled Rachel to her side. “But it’s not because we love Hannah more.” She shook her head. “We love all our
kinner
[children] the same, and when there’s work to be done, we’re all expected to pitch in and help.”

“That’s right,” Pap agreed. He moved closer to Rachel. “If you felt no one cared about you, you could have said something so we could make things right instead of running off to Hershey Park.”

Rachel nodded. “I know what I did was wrong, and I promise I’ll never do anything like that again.”

“I should hope not.” Pap squeezed Rachel’s shoulder. “We were very worried when we didn’t know where you were. We were afraid something bad had happened to you.”

“That’s right,” Jacob agreed. “Pap paced the barn floor after we got back from Orlie’s.”

“And your mamm was pacing inside the house,” Grandpa said.

Mom nodded. “Jah, pacing and praying.” “While I was at Hershey Park, I got separated from Sherry and Dave for a while,” Rachel said. “I was praying then, too.”

Grandpa patted Rachel’s head. “And God brought you safely home to your family.”

“Speaking of home,” Dave spoke up, “Sherry and I need to go now. I don’t want our folks to worry.”

Rachel moved over to Sherry and hugged her. “Come by sometime and visit if you can.”

Sherry nodded. “I’d like that. Maybe you can come to our place and visit me, too. We live in a big white house just down the road from the Plain and Fancy farm.”

Rachel looked at Mom.

Mom shook her head. “I’m sorry, Rachel, but you won’t be going anywhere except to church for the next several weeks. You’ll not be allowed to have any company for a while either.”

Rachel didn’t argue.

Sherry climbed into the car beside Dave. “Oh, Rachel, don’t forget your skateboard and the stuffed animal and other things you won.”

“I’ll get my skateboard, but I don’t want the other things,” Rachel said. “Why don’t you keep them?”

“Are you sure?”

Rachel nodded as Sherry handed her the skateboard.

“I’m very sure.”

“Thanks, Rachel.” Sherry smiled as Dave started the car. “See you soon!”

Rachel turned and started for the house. “Is Hannah awake?” she asked Mom. “I’d like to hold her.”

“She’s sleeping right now, but you can hold her after supper,” Mom said.

“And after you’ve washed and dried the dishes,” Pap added.

Rachel nodded. She was so glad to be home she’d be willing to do any chore without complaint. Anything but feed and water Jacob’s hairy mutt, that is.

“Before we go inside, I have something to give you,” Grandpa said.

“What is it?” Rachel asked.

“It’s a late birthday present. Remember when I told you a few weeks ago that I’d ordered something for your birthday but it hadn’t arrived yet?”

She nodded. “I’d forgotten about it.”

“Well, come with me, and I’ll show you what I ordered.” Grandpa led Rachel to his greenhouse. When he and Rachel stepped inside, he pointed to a box wrapped in white tissue paper. “Go ahead, Rachel. Open your gift.”

Rachel tore the wrapping away from the box and opened it. When she lifted a wooden sign out of the box, her mouth dropped open. “Grandpa, this says G
RANDPA AND
R
ACHEL’S
G
REENHOUSE
.”

Grandpa nodded. “That’s right, Rachel.”

“But I—I don’t understand.”

He patted her back. “Someday, when I retire, this greenhouse will be yours.”

Tears welled in Rachel’s eyes, and she hugged Grandpa. “Danki, Grandpa. This is the best birthday present I’ve ever had; and being back home with my family makes it even more special.”

As Rachel and Grandpa walked back to the house, she thought about the rest of summer. Even though she might not be able to go anywhere for several weeks, she would enjoy every day right here at home. And that was exactly where she belonged!

Jumping to Conclusions

RACHEL YODER—
Always Trouble Somewhere

Book 7

I
’m going out to get the mail!” Rachel Yoder called to her mother as she raced out the back door.

“Oh no, you don’t!” Rachel’s brother Jacob shouted as he dashed out the door behind her. “Getting the mail is Buddy’s job!”

Rachel screeched to a halt and whirled around to face Jacob. “Since when is it Buddy’s job to get the mail?”

“Since I started training him to open the mailbox.” Jacob grinned at Rachel, and the skin around his blue eyes crinkled. “Today I’m gonna teach him how to take the mail from the box and then bring it to the house and put it on the kitchen table.”

Rachel snickered and waved her hand. “Like that’ll ever happen. That big, hairy
hund
[dog] of yours isn’t
schmaert
[smart] enough to get the mail.”

“
Jah
[Yes], he is. Buddy’s the smartest dog I’ve ever owned,” Jacob insisted.

“That’s because he’s the
only
dog you’ve ever owned.” Rachel blinked her eyes several times. “Buddy’s nothing but trouble!”

“Is not.”

“Is too.”

“Is not.” Jacob pointed at Rachel. “You’re the one who’s trouble!”

Rachel frowned and shook her head. “I am not trouble!”

“Jah, you are.”

“Am not.”

“Are so.”

“Am not. Buddy’s the troublemaker, and he’s not schmaert enough to get the mail!”

“He is so schmaert enough, and I’m gonna prove it to you right now!” Jacob dashed across the yard and yanked open the door to Buddy’s dog run.

Woof! Woof!
Buddy leaped off the roof of his doghouse, where he liked to sleep, and dashed out of the dog run. Then he raced to Rachel, put both paws on her chest, and—
slurp!
—licked her face.

“Yuck!” Rachel pushed Buddy down and swiped her hand across her face. “Stay away from me, you big, hairy beast! I don’t want any of your slimy kisses!” She wrinkled her nose. “Besides, you have bad breath!”

Jacob chuckled and slapped his knee. “He’s just letting you know how much he likes you. You should realize that by now.”

“Humph!” Rachel folded her arms and glared at Jacob. “The only thing I realize is that Buddy’s a big
pescht
[pest], and I don’t enjoy his sloppy, stinky kisses!”

Jacob thumped Rachel’s back. “You’ll get used to them some day!” He clapped his hands and gave an ear-piercing whistle. “Come on, Buddy. Let’s go get the mail!”

Buddy tore off down the driveway, barking all the way, and sending gravel flying in several directions.

Jacob sprinted behind the dog, yelling, “Go, Buddy! Go!”

Rachel followed. She was curious about how Buddy could get the mail.

When they reached the mailbox by the side of the road, Jacob grabbed the handle and yanked it open with a thunk! He waited a few seconds; then he closed it again. He did this several times. After the fifth time, he pointed to the mailbox handle and said, “Open it, Buddy. Open the mailbox!”

Woof! Woof!
Buddy wagged his tail and stared at the mailbox as if to say,
What are you talking about?

Jacob opened and closed the mailbox door several more times; then he said, “Open it, Buddy! Open the mailbox now!”

Much to Rachel’s surprise, Buddy grabbed the handle on the mailbox in his teeth, pulled, and—
thunk
!—the door popped open.

Woof! Woof!
Buddy wagged his tail and stared at the mailbox as if to say,
Look what I did!

Rachel rushed forward to grab the stack of letters. Jacob stepped in front of her. “How’s Buddy gonna learn to get the mail if you do it for him?”

Rachel rolled her eyes. “Buddy might be schmaert enough to open the mailbox, but he’s not schmaert enough to take the mail out.”

“Sure he is. Just stand back and watch.”

“Whatever.” Rachel stepped aside, even though she was sure Buddy would not take the mail out of the box.

Jacob pointed to the mail inside the box. “Get it, Buddy! Get the mail out of the box!”

Buddy tilted his head and whined.

Rachel shook her head. “He doesn’t have a clue what you’re talking about.”

“Okay, then, I’ll try it another way.” Jacob reached into the mailbox, picked up one of the letters, opened Buddy’s mouth, and put the letter between the dog’s teeth. “You’re a good hund!” He patted Buddy’s head.

Buddy whimpered and nuzzled Jacob’s hand with his big nose.

Rachel reached into the mailbox and snatched the rest of the mail. “I knew he wasn’t schmaert enough to get the mail by himself.”

“Hey!” Jacob frowned. “How am I supposed to train Buddy to get the mail if you take it first?”

“I don’t care if Buddy learns how to get the mail. I just want to take the mail to the house, and—” Rachel stared at the letter in her hand. It was addressed to her. It was from her cousin Mary!

Mary was not only her cousin but had also been her best friend. Rachel had been very sad when Mary’s family moved to Indiana.

“Yippee! I’ve got a letter from Mary! I’ve got a letter from Mary!” Rachel shrieked as she waved the letter in the air. “I’m going to the house to read Mary’s letter. You and your schmaert dog can bring the rest of the mail whenever you’re ready.”

Rachel started to turn around, but Buddy dropped the letter in his mouth, leaped into the air, and snatched Mary’s letter out of her hand!

“Give that back, you big, hairy mutt!” Rachel lunged for the letter.

Woof! Woof!
Buddy took off on a run.

Rachel raced after him.

The dog zipped up the driveway then turned and zipped back again. Rachel ran behind him, waving her hands and shouting,
“Abastz
[Stop]! You’re a bad dog!”

Jacob doubled over with laughter as Rachel chased the dog. She’d just started down the driveway again when she spotted their friend Orlie Troyer walking up the driveway.

“Catch that
dumm
[dumb] hund!” she shouted to Orlie. “Don’t let him get away!”

Orlie cupped his hands around his mouth. “What?” he called.

“I said—”

Woomph!
Buddy plowed into Orlie, knocking him to the ground. The letter flew out of Buddy’s mouth.