by Bria Marche
Dust cover hanging in the air at eye level, kicked up by the bull, might help for a second or two at the most. Sampson eyed Irene and Rose for a split second while they made as much commotion as possible, banging pots against the steel fence rungs. The bull jerked his head back toward Mario, stomped, and pawed the ground one more time as he snorted. He began to wind up, head down and horns forward, ready to go. He gave one quick look toward Elton and the guys throwing fallen apples at him, but it was enough to give Mario the extra second to bolt. He ran for his life with the sound of stomping hooves getting closer. Mario grabbed the top rung of the fence and launched his body over the five-foot-high top rail like an Olympic pole-vaulter. He glanced back. Sampson had stopped just short of crashing into the thick steel rungs of the fence. With the bull distracted and on the opposite side of the corral, David chased the calf into the barn and pulled the double doors closed behind him.
***
Mario lay in the dirt on the safe side of the corral, the wind knocked out of him from the fall, grasping his right hand. The three running women made it to him in seconds with the men taking up the rear. Karen knelt over Mario, wiping her eyes with her sleeves. Her eyes stung from the dust, and the tears blurred her vision. “Where does it hurt, Mario?” Sobs crept up her throat while she hoped for a favorable response.
A few grunts sounded before he spoke actual words. “Give… me… a second. The wind was knocked…” Mario writhed on the ground while the group stood above him.
“Rose, get him a glass of water,” Irene yelled out.
Mario sat up cautiously, wincing and holding his right side. He reached for the glass Rose handed him but dropped it. “I think my ribs are cracked, and there’s something going on with my wrist.”
“I’ve got to get him to the hospital in Hutch right away,” Karen said. Anguish took over her body as she shook with fear.
“Doc Miller lives on the next dirt road to the west. It’s less than a mile from here. Irene, go get him. He’ll know what to do,” Elton said. “Boys, let’s get him into the house. Careful now.”
Karen stared in disbelief as Irene ran to the tractor and climbed aboard, gunning it down the dirt road, leaving a trail of dust in her wake. The men laid Mario on the brown velour couch while Rose rushed to the kitchen to fill another glass of water. With two pillows propped under his head, Mario was able to take a few sips through a straw. Karen’s hands shook as she held the glass for him.
“It’s never a dull moment around you, is it?” Mario groaned as he tried to joke. Karen ran outside, sobbing. The screen door slammed behind her. “I guess that was the wrong thing to say.”
Standing on the south side of the milk house where nobody could see her, Karen’s body quaked at the thought of what had just happened. She jammed her hands deep into her Levi’s to stop the shaking. Mario could have been gored to death. Every time he’s with me, something terrible happens. I’m nothing but bad luck for him. Karen pulled the cell phone out of her front left pocket and hit the green telephone icon next to Vic’s name.
***
“What’s up, chicky mama? How’s the road trip going?” Vic asked in her usual upbeat tone. She sat on a vacant swivel chair, glancing out the window now and then. She wasn’t about to miss the excitement, if something exciting actually happened in their small downtown area. The latest edition of InStyle magazine had arrived earlier that day, and she was engrossed in the new spring line. Vic dog-eared every page that featured some type of glamorous fashion trend. This season’s “it” color was bubblegum pink, Vic’s favorite. She couldn’t believe her luck.
Karen wailed into the phone, explaining that Mario had almost been gored to death just two seconds ago.
“What the hell are you talking about? You’re freaking me out right now.” Vic jumped off the chair and headed straight to the back room. She opened the mini-fridge and pulled out a single-serve plastic bottle of Merlot. She’d already finished her appointments for the day and was waiting on Tina. A glass of wine at Morey’s had been the plan until Karen called. Vic cracked open the screw top and guzzled from the small bottle. “Okay… are you being a drama queen like Sasha, or are you serious, and how could Mario get friggin’ gored anyway?”
“I’m as serious as a heart attack. Son of a bitch, Vic. Everything I do causes Mario to get hurt. The friggin’ Angus bull, Sampson, almost killed him. He’s hurt, but I don’t know how badly. The doctor is on his way. Damn it—everything goes wrong around me!”
***
The sound of a twig snapping told Karen somebody was standing behind her. She turned to see Rose staring at her with saucer-sized eyes.
“Mario is asking for you, Karen.”
“Thanks, Rose.” Karen sniffled. “I’ll be right there.” She wiped her eyes as she watched Rose turn back and follow the uneven, cracked sidewalk to the house. “Great. Now my cousin just heard me swear like a friggin’ sailor. Can I screw anything else up today?”
“I hope not, sister. Call me back as soon as the doctor checks out Mario.”
“I will, I promise.”
Chapter Five
Doc Miller arrived just ahead of Irene, who was returning on the tractor. The doctor popped his head through the door, calling out to Elton.
“C’mon in, Doc Miller, we’re in the living room,” Elton replied.
Warren Miller, a burly, gray-haired, semiretired general practitioner, took care of most of the Amish families in the area. He understood how dangerous any emergency could be in an Amish household where families sometimes didn’t have a phone and never had a car. He sat on a chair next to the couch and checked Mario over carefully, asking questions as he examined the rattled and dusty young man. Elton sat on the edge of the overstuffed chair, his elbows resting on his nervous, bouncing knees. David and Jacob paced the room. A favorable prognosis let them all breathe a sigh of relief. Considering the alternative, most anything would be good news.
Elton pulled his hat off and wiped his glistening forehead with the back of his hand. “Thank the Lord he’s all right.”
Mario’s ribs on his right side were bruised, and he had a sprained right wrist. Doc Miller wrapped Mario’s ribs tightly with an Ace bandage and put a hard brace on his hand.
“Mario, you’ll need to rest for a day before you continue with your trip. Riding in a car is going to be uncomfortable, I’ll be honest, but I’m going to prescribe some pain medication for you. I’m leaving four Percocet here, but you can’t drive under the influence of any pain medication. Take a few of these today, according to the instructions on the bottle, and stay put. Try not to move quickly or cough. Karen, when you leave tomorrow, you’re going to be the designated driver. Do you both understand?”
“Yes. Thank you, Doctor Miller.” Karen followed the doctor outside to discuss payment. “I can give you a check if you don’t mind.”
“Don’t bother, dear. That’s not how we take care of business in this neck of the woods. Elton and Irene have done plenty for my wife and me over the years.”
“May I write down your address, then? I’d like to send you something as a token of our appreciation when we get home. Please. It’s the least I can do.”
“All right, if you insist, but I want to hear how Mario is doing, too. His ribs are going to be tender for about six weeks. Make him take it easy, and he’ll have to wear that hand brace for at least ten days.”
***
Karen watched as the doctor drove away. She folded the piece of paper with the doctor’s address on it and slipped it into the back pocket of her jeans. What am I doing wrong? Mario is going to dump me for sure—I just know it. I’m bad karma. Karen needed a few minutes to regroup, alone. She sat on the old picnic table whose paint had long worn off. A large locust tree hung over the table, heavy with yellow spring blossoms. That morning, Karen had been excited about the return trip to New York with Mario. She’d been certain everything would go just as planned—no hiccups and definitely no accidents. Introducing Mario to her Am
ish relatives was high on her to-do list. He would see an expanded side of her life, finally meeting some of her more interesting family members. She’d told him it would be a blast. Not so much now. She sat with her folded hands holding up her chin, looking out over the wide expanse of fertile farmland her cousins owned. Quiet filled the air other than an occasional robin singing and the many doubts buzzing in her own head. She made the quick call to Vic to let her know Mario was okay then followed the sidewalk back to the house.
Karen heard voices as she entered through the screened porch and walked across the kitchen. She waited near the doorway to the living room, listening to the ongoing conversation. Elton, David, and Jacob were apologizing for goading Mario into helping with the calves. The accident was their fault, they said. Mario accepted their apology, but took blame for his own actions.
“Man, I couldn’t believe Sampson broke through the fence like that. I’ll admit I almost wet myself.” Mario groaned as he chuckled.
Laughter broke out. Karen was thankful the mood in the house was lighter now that the crisis was over.
“How are you going to get him back into that smaller pen?”
“Well… Doc Borntrager, the vet, will have to come out and tranquilize him. We’ll repair the pen and move him back in.”
Heads turned and eyes followed Karen as she entered the room. Elton got up and offered her the stuffed chair to sit on.
“Thanks, Elton, but I’d rather sit on the floor next to Mario.”
Irene and Rose gathered the coffee cups, which were scattered throughout the living room on mismatched end tables, and excused themselves to start a fresh pot of coffee. Irene patted Karen’s shoulder as she passed.
“How are you feeling, Mario? Has the Percocet kicked in yet?” Karen asked.
“The pain is lessening a little, and I’m sorry for what I said earlier. I was trying to make a joke, but I guess it didn’t come out very funny. Don’t blame yourself. I do know one thing for sure, though.”
“What’s that?” David asked.
“From now on, I’m wearing body armor when I’m around her.”
“Mario, if you weren’t hurt already, I’d punch you right now,” Karen said, giving it right back to him.
The tension in the room ended, and relief swept across everyone’s faces. Mario laughed. “I wish I could have seen myself standing in the middle of the corral with a snorting bull staring me down, ready to tear me apart.”
Everyone chuckled while they drank coffee and told their own versions of the event as they remembered it.
***
The table was full of delicious food and laughter as Karen and Mario joined the cousins for breakfast before they continued on their journey. Nobody in that household counted calories or worried about cholesterol levels. Mario cautiously sat down at the table with a few involuntary groans. He tried to suppress his laughter as they talked, but it was difficult around this group of new and endearing friends. Hearty biscuits and gravy, along with eggs and bacon, filled their stomachs, and coffee washed it down. Two travel mugs full of steaming coffee sat on the kitchen counter. Karen and Mario wouldn’t need to stop until lunchtime. By then, they should easily make it to the Kansas-Missouri border. Their next meal would likely be at a truck stop somewhere near Kansas City. Karen needed to make one quick stop in Hutchinson to fill Mario’s prescription before they headed toward the interstate. Mario couldn’t lie back and sleep soundly until they picked up his medication and he took a dose. Since Percocet was a controlled drug, he had to be the one to sign for it and show his identification. Once back in the car, he could relax and rest for a few hours.
Hugs and handshakes—as well as laughter and apologies—echoed throughout the screened porch as Karen and Mario said good-bye, knowing it would be a trip everyone would talk about for years to come. Elton said he was looking forward to sharing the story with other Amish farmers he met up with every few days at Carriage Crossing Restaurant in Yoder. Irene handed Karen the mugs of coffee and a bag of cookies for the road. Karen promised to call and leave a message once they were safely back in Tarrytown. Mario joked about hoping to get there in one piece. Karen backed out of the driveway, waving to the group standing near the locust trees, and drove away.
Chapter Six
Sasha and Josh sat in the colorful waiting room of the doctor’s office on the east side of town. Their appointment was for nine thirty, but Sasha had insisted on getting there at nine o’clock. She assumed she could squeeze in before everyone else that way. Seven women in different stages of pregnancy joined them, scattered throughout the room. Nursery-rhyme murals were painted on the walls, and soothing elevator music came from the surround-sound speakers. Today was the day they would find out the sex of the baby. Sasha fidgeted impatiently. Three fingernails were already gnawed down to the quick, and the fourth had almost found its way to her mouth when Josh took her hand in his.
“Honey, please calm down. Look what you’ve done to your manicure. There’s nothing we can do to speed things up. We still have ten minutes before our appointment, so take a few deep breaths, and relax. Do you want a magazine to read?”
“No. I’m too jacked up to read. Maybe I should pace.” Sasha began to stand up.
“No, you shouldn’t. You’re going to make everyone else nervous if you don’t relax. Just watch TV or something. They’ll call us soon.”
“Okay, I’ll try.” Sasha sat back down, tucking her hands under her legs.
“Martha Destiny and Josh Redmond?” The receptionist, wearing a flowered scrub top and fuchsia-colored pants, came through the door and scanned the waiting room.
Sasha leapt from the chair. “That’s us. It’s about friggin’ time!”
“Honey, please!”
“Oops, sorry… my mouth just goes nuts sometimes. I have no control over it. I didn’t mean anything, really.”
“Please follow me.” The receptionist walked down the hallway with Sasha right on her heels. “Here you go. Just take a seat in this exam room. The PA will be with you shortly.”
“Josh, I’m so excited I’m going to pee my pants.”
“You know you can’t use the bathroom. They said you need a full bladder for the ultrasound, remember?”
“I know, but I’m going to ask anyway. I don’t know how long I can hold it. If the doctor comes in, tell him I’ll be right back. Don’t start without me.” Sasha ran out of the room to talk to the receptionist.
Josh laughed and shook his head. Huh. Don’t start without me? That woman gives blond hair a whole new meaning.
Sasha returned with the physician’s assistant right behind her. “They wouldn’t let me pee, damn it.”
“Hello, Martha. I’m Joan Fry. Why don’t you step up here on the scale? I need to check your weight and blood pressure. Looks like you’ve gained eight pounds so far.”
“That’s because I have to pee.”
After a quick glance at Josh with a halfcocked smile, Joan continued. “Right… why don’t you take a seat and I’ll get your blood pressure, too. I’ll be back soon. You have to sit still for five minutes to get an accurate blood pressure reading.”
Joan left the room while Sasha remained seated in place. She crossed her legs tightly as if that would hold back the urge to urinate.
“Josh, do you have any idea how hard this is? Five minutes feels like two hours to me, plus we haven’t even seen the doctor yet.”
“I know, honey, but I’m not the one who’s pregnant. You have to follow their instructions. Try to think about something else for now, like how sweet it will be to see the baby’s image.”
The door opened, and Joan returned with the blood-pressure cuff. Sasha’s blood pressure was slightly elevated. Joan jotted down notes on her chart and entered it into the computer.
The door opened again, and Doctor Adams walked in. A stethoscope hung around his neck, and his white lab coat wore an embroidered name tag. Several pens and a pad of paper stuck out of the lab coat’s side pocket.
“Sasha, it’s good to see you again. You look very healthy. Josh, how are you?”
“I’m fine, Dr. Adams—”
Sasha interrupted. “What do you mean I look very healthy? Is that man code for fat? It’s just because I drank a quart of water this morning.”
Doctor Adams laughed. “That’s not exactly what I meant.” He looked at Sasha’s chart, his eyebrows furrowed.
“What?” she said.
“Excuse me?”
“Why are you looking weird?”
“It’s just interesting, that’s all. You’re fifteen weeks pregnant, and you’ve gained eight pounds already.”
“So, I am fat. Is that what you’re saying?”
“Let’s get you changed into a gown. You must be excited to find out the baby’s gender, aren’t you?”
“Yes! Let’s do it.” Sasha stopped talking about having to pee at the mention of finding out the baby’s sex. She changed into the paper gown, stepped up, and sat on the table. The room was chilly. A folded blanket waited in anticipation.
Sasha plumped two pillows under her head to get comfortable as she lay back on the exam table. Josh covered her with the blanket then sat on the lime-green stool next to her. He held her hand while they waited for the doctor to return. Sasha looked at the ceiling and giggled. “Look up, Josh.”
He followed her eyes upward to see a ceiling mural full of round-bellied cherubs with golden hair floating above them. “That’s pretty sweet,” he said, giving her hand an extra squeeze.
Doctor Adams and Joan reentered the room. “Okay, Sasha, are you ready? I’m curious about the image I’m hoping to see.”
“Do you think there’s something wrong?” A look of concern spread across Sasha’s face. She gripped Josh’s hand tighter.
“Not at all, I was just thinking out loud. Joan is going to put some gel on your abdomen. Sorry—it will be cold, but it aids in getting a better ultrasound image of the baby. Please lie still. I’m going to press down a bit and move the wand across your belly. The baby’s image will show up on the monitor. Just bear with me for a minute, please.”